Lynne Duddy
tellers@portlandstorytheater.com
Portland, Oregon USA
voice (503) 284-2226
http://www.portlandstorytheater.com/

 

 

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Hello there. 

 

I hope you enjoy the attached press release describing the fabulous lineup for Portland Story Theater's next Urban Tellers show.

Today's story highlights the opportunity for the Portland community to hear an extraordinary collection of personal narratives. This performance will showcase the work of our latest workshop participants. 

 

Please find attached: 

 

• Press Release "Urban_Tellers_1April11.doc" for immediate release (Also included below as text) 
• Logo graphic for this show, "Urban_Tellers.png" 

 

I hope you will support the work of Portland Story Theater by spreading the word. 

 

Please contact me if you require any further information.  

Many thanks!

 

And may the narrative be with you, 

 

Lynne Duddy

Portland Story Theater

503-284-2226

Urban Tellers. Connecting the Community from the Inside Out.

There's a real thirst in Portland for stories. And Portland Story Theater quenches that thirst. Launched last autumn, Urban Tellers has proven to be wildly popular. It's a showcase of tellers from The Art of Personal Narrative workshop. These storytellers are every-day people just like you; people who have tapped into their own narratives, telling stories of the not-written-down variety.

 

These are true personal stories that have never been told before -- to anyone -- 'til now. Lawrence Howard and Lynne Duddy (Portland Story Theater founders and workshop leaders) guide participants through a process of self-discovery so they can tell the story that needs to be heard. By the time the storytellers get onstage it's just them, a simple spotlight, and a roomful of folks having a glass of wine, enjoying the free food, and listening. Listening to stories that they see themselves in, returning to places in the heart they've been before, and recognizing those experiences we've all had. It's intimate. It's connecting the community from the inside out.

 

On April 1st Urban Tellers features eight storytellers with eight short stories: Niko Moe, university student, Tamara Owen, mental health nurse practitioner, Beth Rogers, homeschooling evangelist, Brad Clark, artist, author, and owner of The Naked Sheep Knit Shop, Robert Fish, teacher and public speaking coach, Nicole Peltz, mental health practitioner, Lori King, magical thinker, and David Chott, human being.

 

About Portland Story Theater. Portlanders are passionate about stories. And live theater, and shared experiences. Portland Story Theater shares this passion. We use a unique collaborative approach to produce shows where people perform stories drawn from real-life experiences.  We offer workshops and one-on-one coaching for people who want to learn how to tell personal narratives. Portland Story Theater is driven by our core values: We are stewards of the oral tradition and authentic performances, we are catalysts for community relationships and alliances, and we are advocates for diverse narrative artists and the loyal audience that supports our work.

 

NW Narrative, features celebrated Northwest artists and actors and other unique storytellers whose narratives are developed using Portland Story Theater’s unique collaborative process. Some of our favorite story shows have been Love Jones, Seven Minutes in Heaven, and Devilishly Good.

 

Armchair Adventurer, every January audiences are mesmerized by stories of man against nature; fighting freezing temperatures,  80 mile-per-hour winds, loneliness, grief, madness and starvation. Shackleton's Antarctic Nightmare, Mawson's Mettle, and Polar Opposites have been featured stories since the series began in 2008.

 

Singlehandedly!  is a solo performance festival that takes place each Spring and spotlights Portland Story Theater's commitment to the narrative arts.  Gaining momentum every year, this festival began in 2009 and was an immediate hit with the fans, friends, and followers of Portland Story Theater.  2010 was terrific and this year’s festival features some Portland Story Theater favorites like Ryan Wolf Stroud, premiering his first feature-length show, Lawrence Howard of Shackleton fame, and auGi, Portland’s own SexyNurd, along with Slash Coleman, best known for his PBS special and Off-Broadway one-man show, “The Neon Man and Me,” and many others! Every night is different and all the stories are true, told live on stage without scripts, notes, props, or accompaniment.  

 

Halloween Event at The John Palmer House, an evening of scary stories in honor of All Hallows Eve that celebrates our community, the art of storytelling, and brings crucial funds to Portland Story Theater and the community. Last year we shared the loot and donated over $1,500 to Our United Villages for The Rebuilding Center on North Mississippi.

 

The Art of Personal Narrative. This workshop series gives people an opportunity to discover and craft their stories so that they flow through them, seamlessly in their true form, without any barriers: open, fresh, revealing.

 

Urban Tellers. People from all walks of life deliver the personal stories developed in The Art of Personal Narrative workshop. It's not acting. It's not writing. There's no script. This is narrative, spoken straight from the heart. Real. True. Stories.