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In my classes, I speak a lot about practicing presence, with
our bodies, breath and feelings. For me, this simple
practice has become my spiritual path. I see Solo
Performance and Monologues as a kind of "Theater of Now"
because it is all about showing up fully in our humanity.
Unlike traditional theater, there no artifice in solo
performance. Even if we are portraying another character, it
has been created through us and in this way it lives deeply
inside us.
The stories come through fusing our life experience with our
artistry and in this process, we find the deeper and richer
meanings in the stories that we carry, in the stories we
have lived. It is an exciting time to be alive and working
with the Art of Stories, both in theater and writing.
I predict that in the next 10-20 years Solo Performance will
step up to it's rightful place at the table beside all other
art forms. They have been an underutilized, yet supremely
powerful vehicle for performers who want to be artistically
limitless. And, they continue to be a wild ride for
audiences who connect with a rare sense of intimacy and
immediacy inherent in the form.
I also predict that Group Monologue Shows (Storytelling on a
particular theme) will evolve into a form of Art Therapy. It
makes so much sense to me that if Psychodrama, Art (Painting
and Sculpture), Sand Tray and Dance Therapy are all being
utilized to heal; that monologues and storytelling in public
venues will also be seen for what they are.
For the past seven and a half years, I have devoted myself
to presenting this form to as many people as possible
through the monologue shows that I have produced. I feel
like I am in a new phase of my own creativity and am
currently looking forward to starting the three, year long
classes that I teach, "Creating Your One Person Show" and
"Writing You Non-Fiction Book/Memoir". Two of my classes are
full but I am still accepting people into my second
"Creating Your One Person Show" class every other Friday
afternoon (with summers off)
Lastly, we have a new feature on our site. You can watch one
of this past year's performances on the
home page of the site and lots more on You Tube at
http://youtube.com/projectlifestories
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