Do you or someone you know capture people’s attention with tales of creative pranks, scary experiences, epic fails, grand romantic gestures and wacky relatives? Those stories aren’t just captivating; they bind us to one another. According to Jimmy Neil Smith, former Director of the International Storytelling Center, “There isn’t a stronger connection between people than storytelling.”
If it’s a storytelling community you’re craving, the 209 has one, and their mission statement says it all: “The Mother Lode Storytelling Guild connects people and communities by inspiring storytellers of all ages and abilities, lifting unique voices in the art of storytelling, and building eager audiences across cultures and generations.”
The Mother Lode Storytelling Guild was founded by Colleen Nunn and BZ Smith in 2010 and has been gathering to share stories and promote storytelling ever since. Nunn was inspired by the stories she heard while on a trip to Chile, returned to California and asked her friend, Smith, to help her start a storytelling group. Smith already had a wealth of experience as a professional storyteller with a slew of impressive gigs, recordings and awards under her belt. She grew up listening to her mother sing and tell stories while her father and his Texan family specialized in Tall Tales. “I loved the spoken word. It delighted me,” she said. Children’s theater was a natural fit for her as was becoming a Children’s Librarian in Sonora, which eventually led to telling stories professionally far and wide.
Kathy Martinez, current Chairperson of the Mother Lode Storytellers, formerly the Mother Lode Storytelling Guild, believes everybody has a story to tell. She has been instrumental in adding Open Tellings at the Jon Trickey Art Gallery in San Andreas on the first Sundays of July, August and September. All are welcome, and “if the spirit moves you, you can tell a story,” says Martinez.
Personal, fairy, folk and tall tales are all commonly told at this type of event and should be seven or eight minutes in length. If you’re a newbie, Martinez recommends listening to NPR’s The Moth for an introduction to personal storytelling and says, “You have to jump in the water and just do it.”
For tellers with a heart for prize money, the Story Slam on Oct. 12, at the Metropolitan Theater in San Andreas is the event for you. The theme of the evening is Stranger Than Fiction. Just register upon arrival at 6 p.m. and the first 10 entrants will grace the stage with a five-minute tale. Three judges will evaluate the storytelling and award first, second and third place cash prizes of $100, $50 and $25.
For more information, contact Kathy Martinez at thebaskettree67@gmail.com.
Join The Mother Lode Storytellers for any of the following upcoming events and prepare to feel connected and inspired.
Open Telling:
Jon Trickey Art Gallery, San Andreas, First Sunday of September
Open Tellings:
Little Roots Toy Store, Sonora, Third Saturdays, 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Story Slam:
Metropolitan Theater, San Andreas, Saturday, October 12th, 6:00 p.m.
