Storycard Theater Newsletter, June 2010
Welcome to the June 2010 edition of the Storycard Theater Newsletter, our ongoing series of kamishibai storytelling news, performing tips, and history. Please feel free to forward it to your friends and colleagues.
Highlights of This Issue
- New Edition of Momotaro the Peach Boy Ships
- History: The Original Cliffhanger
- Tip: Kamishibai in China
- Upcoming Events
* News *
Second Edition of Momotaro the Peach Boy Ships!
In the last newsletter, we shared highlights of our new version of Momotaro the Peach Boy. It's substantially updated from the original, thanks to your suggestions and our experience over hundreds of live performances. Illustrator Mario Uribe enhanced or completely redrew eight of the 12 cards; we made the text both punchier and more faithful to the traditional story; and each page is now presented in both English and Japanese.
Well, the boxes have arrived, and Momotaro, version 2, is now available in the Storycard Theater Store. Due to printing advances, we're even able to offer it for 20% less than the first edition, while still printing locally.
We also printed a fun new project for teachers, which we'll tell you about next time.
Can you spot the change in this scene from Momotaro the Peach Boy? Artist Mario Uribe recolored the pheasant's feathers to match the actual color seen in Japan. Other pages have more substantial changes, and the text is completely reworked.
* History *
One of the innovations in kamishibai is the cliffhanger scene, in which the hero is put into peril and the audience waits breathlessly for the card to change to find out what happens. Traditional kamishibai street performers supported themselves by selling snacks and candy, and this serial structure boosted sales dramatically. When he reached the cliffhanger card, the storyteller would pack up his bicycle stage and pedal away. Audiences would then have to come back the next day and buy more candy to see how it turned out. Some of the stories went on for years.
The "cliffhanger" scene in Momotaro features an actual cliff. Artist Mario Uribe extended the cliff in the second edition, shown here, to heighten the drama.
When writing kamishibai, we try to make every card transition a miniature cliffhanger, often involving the audience in the moment to make it more exciting. In Jack and the Beanstalk, for example, Jack hides from the giant by jumping into the oven and holding his breath. So we ask kids in the audience to hold their breath while we change the card. (To drag out the moment, we sometimes pretend to fumble the card.)
In The Cat with No Name, each card ends with a guessing game. We announce the latest silly name the old couple is considering for their kitten — in Russian — and have the kids try to guess what the word means. This type of interactive kamishibai is popular in Japanese preschools, because it's so effective at maintaining the kids' focus. Try this cliffhanger technique when creating your own kamishibai or performing. It really pumps up the excitement.
* Tips *
Customizing the Text: Kamishibai in China
Librarian Becky Zeren of Trinity School in Menlo Park, California, is a longtime kamishibai enthusiast. On the I Love Libraries site, she describes the audience reaction when she premiered the first edition of Momotaro. "When I finished the story during a family literacy evening, the children, ages 4 to 12, spontaneously applauded. I have since collected eight kamishibai stories, both contemporary and traditional, and include them in my storytelling repertoire."
This April, Becky traveled to Yongji, China, as part of a program for US teachers and students to visit rural Chinese elementary schools for educational and cultural exchange. One of the stories she shared in her storytelling session was Jack & the Beanstalk. She thought the text was a little long for the Chinese students, so she shortened it. (The card format makes this easy, because your audience never sees the text side.)
Librarian Becky Zeren introduces a rural Chinese school to Jack and the Beanstalk via kamishibai.
Becky read in English and then a translator repeated the words in Chinese. Becky said the Chinese students were so polite that they focused on the story without wiggling. That's a behavior we often see with US audiences as well. The nature of kamishibai, with the artwork always in view, naturally increases the audience's attention.
To read more about Becky's presentation, see the Rural China Education Foundation's blog.
 Are you on Facebook? Visit our World of Kamishibai group and share a question, photo, or tip. We'd love to hear how you're using storycards. |
* Upcoming Events *
For details and driving directions, please see StorycardTheater.com/events.
June 19 — Performance by Storycard Theater artist Kazumi Verkler, Japanese Cultural Festival (Santa Cruz, CA) Free
June 27 — Workshop, Public Library Association Annual Conference (Washington, D.C.)
July 30 — Workshop, National Storytelling Conference (Woodland Hills, CA)
July 31 — Showcase, Northern California Storybook & Literature Festival (Roseville, CA) Free
Would you like us to visit your group? Just write with details.
Happy storytelling!
David Battino & Hazuki Kataoka
Authors, Performers & Publishers
Storycard Theater
Folsom, CA
(916) 984-7617 tel
(918) 518-2685 e-fax
www.storycardtheater.com
Winner:
Dr. Toy's Top 10 Creative Products (2004)
Parents' Choice Approved Awards (2008)
Storytelling World Resource Award (2010)
Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends and share the joy of kamishibai.
If you received this from a friend and DO want to subscribe, simply enter your email at www.StorycardTheater.com/signup.html.