Kinds of Storytelling

[tuttifrutti]

Hey guys! Thought I'd start off this forum...do any of you do specific storytelling in your shows, as in balloon storytelling like Sandy Snay or puppet shows? What about when doing magic? I do a magic show and because I'm a writer I'm always thinking about the sequence a lot more than other magicians, with a clear beginning, middle, end and transitions. I've found those skills really work well in tying all of the different types of entertaining I do together.

Alexa

[whowe82]

When I do Saw (Thread Through Neck Magic Trick) for people, I always start off by telling a story about how my wife likes to sew and how it got so bad she sews in her sleep. Then one morning I woke up like this. I don't do this one for kids though. When blowing up balloons for anyone though I like to make things up and names, just random entertaining stuff, seems to get a good reaction. For some great one liners about balloons check out balloonhq.com

[Gladman]

I often tell a story to a kid's group called "the prodigal hen", but it's kind of long.

[OkiDoki]

I find (next to oneliners, jokes, singing childrensongs, just acting stupid etc. ) storytelling a very powerfull tool to bring balloontwisting to a higher level than just being a balloontwistingmachine. Or of course the other way around balloontwisting is a very nice extra to make the storytelling more interesting. A favorite story of mine is based on "Little Beaver and the echo" by Amy MacDonald in wich little beaver hears a answer from the other side of the lake to his call of being alone. He starts to look for the lonely person who answered his call but won't find him. On his whay though he makes friends with a lot of other animals.

I sometimes use a ventriloquism-doll, not really for storytelling but I find it sometimes very usefull to get a performance more interactive. The doll can react on me when the audience is to shy, and can interact with the audience in a different way I can, especially with younger children

[saphireSue]

I have two vent. puppets and I do occasionally use them for story telling, but I tend to use them more in skit format. Sallybangs my Auguste is the story teller, telling old tales of the south. Any one looking for old folk tales, legends and lore of the south check out www.themoonlitroad.com

[Chance Marmalade]

My original concept for a clown was a completely silent one but I may not be sticking to that idea as adamantly as I was. I am writing a lot of my own vaudeville material and not talking holds me back from it.

I do want to incorporate story telling into a kids show. There is a really great story called Moonbeam Bear. It's a children's story about a baby bear who loves the moon so much he lassos it out of the sky. His friends all wonder where the moon has gone and they finally find him having dinner with it and talk him into putting it back.

For some reason I am completely enchanted by the Moon (hence my website www.climbthemoon.com) and this is a great story. I imagine it would be copyright infringing to perform it for kids but man I love it. If it was possible I would definitely incorporate it into an act for kids.

[Kiki-the-disaster]

Kids at around 4 to 6 love having stories with their names in them. Princesses and magic are good.

[Kiki-the-disaster]

If you have time before a kids party, make a 'book' about them. they'll love it

[Fitzwilly]

Originally Posted by Jeremy

I am writing a lot of my own vaudeville material and not talking holds me back from it.
I do want to incorporate story telling into a kids show. There is a really great story called Moonbeam Bear. It's a children's story about a baby bear who loves the moon so much he lassos it out of the sky. His friends all wonder where the moon has gone and they finally find him having dinner with it and talk him into putting it back.
I imagine it would be copyright infringing to perform it for kids but man I love it. If it was possible I would definitely incorporate it into an act for kids.

Since you are writing your own material why don't you rewrite the important bits of the story that really appeal to you? For example: A stuffed bear sees the moon out the window every night after his person goes to sleep. He befriends an owl who carries him up to the moon and they bring it back down with them. But with no moon in the sky the owl can't see to fly and they decide that it might be better to return the moon.
Different but similar. Feel free to use and/or change this in any way.

[Fitzwilly]

I didn't think this thread would die out quite so fast. Doesn't anyone have a few thoughts for this one? Anybody hear from Jeremy lately? I was wondering how his gig went.