Storytellers Stir Grown-Up Imaginations : Dramatic Tales Offer a Compelling Alternative to Television

And the people listened, and their faces were quiet with listening. The story tellers, gathering attention into their tales, spoke in great rhythms, spoke in great words because the tales were great, and the listeners became great through them. --John Steinbeck, “The Grapes of Wrath”

There is a little bit of storytelling in all of us, a little bit of ‘I remember when . . .’ or ‘once upon a time.’. . . It’s the oldest form of communication, and it takes on as many variations as there are tellers and listeners.

In recent years, however, storytelling has been thought of as a pastime for children, something restricted to nursery schools and kindergartens. But Martha Stevens, a storyteller to both children and adults, doesn’t think that’s true any longer.

“Adults are hungry for it. There’s a personal quality, a human contact between the teller and listeners. Each person can create a deeper place, a more individual place in their imagination. That’s getting hard to find these days, “ said Stevens.

Stevens, 44, has become the unofficial leader of a loose-knit group of adult storytellers that meets every fourth Thursday at 7:15 p.m. at the Country School in North Hollywood. Originally a part of the Community Storytellers of Santa Monica, Stevens noticed that many of the participants were Valley residents.

‘here Aren’t Any Rules’

“We decided to move out here about a year ago, and it’s been growing ever since,” said Stevens. “There aren’t any rules. It’s free and open to the community and we want to keep it that way. If you feel like telling a story, you just get up and tell a story.”

Stevens told about an old gentleman who once visited the group, but was never to return again. He was a Russian immigrant in the 1920s, and he told a true story about wearing a hat into a restaurant.

“The owner demanded he take it off before he could be served,” said Stevens, recalling his tale. “In a thick Russian accent, he said, ‘What do you mean I can’t wear a hat? I came to America to be free and now you tell me I can’t wear a hat.’ ”

It was a simple tale, but full of vivid details and eloquently told, Stevens remembered. The story, as well as the man, stood out in her mind for their honesty.

“He set the mood for an evening of autobiographical stories,” said Stevens.

Two-Way Street

No two storytelling gatherings are alike because the essence of the form is a two-way street. “It’s active participation,” said Stevens. “The listener is as important to the story as the teller. Depending on the audience, a tale that was funny one evening can be sad or introspective the next.”

Imagination is the key, the bond between the teller and the listener. And, as if to demonstrate that power, Stevens began that evening’s storytelling with a Japanese tale called “The Boy Who Drew Cats.” With hands lightly waving, accenting the inflections of her voice, Stevens told of a little boy who loved to draw cats. Cats on walls. Cats on doors. Cats wherever he could draw them.

“He was training for the priesthood, but he had the genius of an artist,” said Stevens.

“Now, one of the priests told him that, if he had to draw cats, he must remember never to sleep alone in a large area with them around.”

Sure enough, one day the little boy was in a situation where he was alone with his cats. He remembered the words of the priest. “And good thing, too,” said Stevens, “for the next morning the cats had blood dripping from their mouths.”

‘Anything Is Possible’

“Anything is possible. The unbelievable can seem believable. That’s the power of individual imagination,” said Stevens.

Stevens will experiment with storytelling on videotape soon. Working with independent producer Mark Disalle, the two hope to create another alternative for parents, libraries and schools with about 15 stories, or 90 minutes, for children 5 to 12 years old.

“Storytelling is a tool for teaching,” she said. “It’s a way for children to strengthen their language and vocabulary skills.”

Although Stevens earns her living as a storyteller working with children at schools and libraries throughout the Valley and as a Music Center “On Tour” resident artist, the group is not divided between professionals and amateurs.

Adapting Yiddish Tales

Sylvia Khan, a 56-year-old child welfare worker with the Department of Children’s Services’ adoptions division, is a member of the North Hollywood storytelling group who often adapts her tales from the “Treasury of Yiddish Stories” by Moishe Nadir. Her stories revolve around the unrequited love of young Polish boys, or the courage and strength found in Eastern European peasant life. Her style is different from that of Stevens. Her voice is less animated. She uses her hands less. But she has a deep, inner calm, a strength like the strength of the intricate stories she tells.

Alan Fox, a real estate investor and owner of ACF Property Management Inc. in Sherman Oaks, first became acquainted with storytelling in 1984 through a Los Angeles Times article on the Community Storytellers. Through the Santa Monica-based group, Fox learned about the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tenn.

“My initial reaction was, ‘I can do that!’ I tell mostly autobiographical stories. I write my own and practice them until they’re just right. Sometimes I practice them as I walk to work.

Word-Scrambling Story

Fox, 45, has a lighthearted, comical approach. His “Mr. Monday and Mrs. Tuesday” is a word scrambling story about two different types of personalities: the aggressive, go-getter found in a “Type A” personality verses the calm, easy-going procrastinator of “Type B.”

As a community actor with the Whitefire Theater in Sherman Oaks, Fox took a workshop given by two men associated with the National Theater for the Deaf in Connecticut. He found that it added another dimension to his storytelling.

“Telling a story without words is difficult. You have to go inside yourself,” said Fox. “Storytelling is even more personal than stage acting because there’s no invisible screen. It’s more than words . . . and working with the deaf taught me how to incorporate body language and gestures.”

Although Lorraine Banks didn’t formally tell a story, she voiced her enthusiasm as a first-time member of the group which mets every fourth Thursday.

“I’m 61 years old. But I don’t feel 61,” said Banks.

Shut Eyes During Stories

Banks, a vibrant woman with long white hair rolled up into a bun, often shut her eyes during the stories. Sometimes a half-smile would creep across her face as she created mental images for each tale. She mumbled something about getting good feelings instantly from people and different situations.

“They get us thinking about ourselves, talking and sharing our feelings with others,” said Banks, as the meeting began to break up. “We all tell stories.”

She leaned back in her chair and relaxed. Her story was over for the time.

Librarian Annette Gershuni-Bergman has begun an adult storytelling workshop called “Communication Through Oral Tradition,” which meets at 10 a.m. each Wednesday at the Panorama City Library.

“A lot of ethnic groups have moved into the area,” said Gershuni-Bergman. “I’m hoping we can get people together through their oral traditions.”

Storytelling Historically

Jerry Cushman, a professor of children’s literature at UCLA, was the guest speaker at the first workshop. He emphasized the importance of storytelling throughout the ages and in today’s society.

“It’s a way in which a people deal with their God or gods,” he said. “It’s religion in general--people remembering their history. I’m not putting down television, but it’s depersonalizing. It doesn’t touch us through eye contact or a human voice.”

The magical flow of storytelling has long been used by non-literate peoples.

“It’s a way to look at a natural phenomenon, and it’s the poetic expression and explanation of that phenomenon,” said Cushman.

Fingers Are Props

Cushman’s natural ability and rhythm for storytelling take on many forms.

“Sometimes I use my thumb and forefinger like a prop, a talking character to divert the attention away from myself. I let my voice become real small. I let this ‘chipmunk’ character take over. You see, storytelling isn’t a performance. It’s a shared experience.”

Said Martha Stevens: “Everyone’s a storyteller. But you must truly enjoy the story you’re telling. If you’re bored by it, others will be bored too.”