Kids Storyteller: An Interview with Kristina Wenger
What made you want to become a storyteller?
I would have to pin my initial interest in storytelling on my Dad. He is an excellent storyteller. Listening to him speak in public settings, where he often uses stories to illustrate or make a point, as well as at home, where he tells jokes, made me love a well-spun tale from a very early age. I remember as a girl, trying to learn a joke as well as he told it, and mentally measuring if I could tell it better... The next part of my journey to storytelling would be the plays and musicals I participated in at school. In elementary, middle, and high school, I took part in every opportunity that I could to sharpen my dramatic skills. But it wasn't until I became an elementary school teacher that I really realized how much I enjoyed the storytelling parts of my lessons. It was almost like a "lightbulb moment," one day when I realized, "Hey- I really like telling stories!"
Was the journey difficult? Any help? Any obstacles?
Has it been difficult? Yes, sometimes! Between the challenge of sorting through miles of folktales to learn to tell, researching cultures to tell them accurately, and still attempting to maintain a somewhat normal life for our family, this journey has had its moments. It's one thing to learn the stories myself and tell them by myself. However, scripting and rehearsing as a family is different: it is fun, but also a challenge. It can be hard to be serious and knuckle down to rehearse when it's "just family!"
We have had wonderful help along the way. I began as the main storyteller for Kids and Cultures, but within the last year, my husband and children have joined me. All three of them have a flair for the dramatic, and have added much to the shows. We have also had outside help from two outstanding professional children's performers. Kitty Jones, of Kit's Kaboodle, a fantastic storyteller whom we have had the pleasure of seeing perform several times in our local public library, has spent time on various occasions offering her words of wisdom and advice. Steven Courtney, a talented musician and children's performer, has lent not only his advice and support, but also his recording studio, vocal talent, and songwriting skills for various shows we've created.
What were some of your favorite stories growing up? What made those stories so special?
There's the one about my dad, as a boy, trying to catch a skunk "for a pet, because they were so cute!" while wearing a brand new coat... The one about my then-high-school-aged mom hiding in the closet of her friend's dorm room when the dorm mother came through after visiting hours were over, and not getting caught... The one about the time when my then-2-year-old sister came home from our Guatemalan neighbor's house, evidence of black beans from ear to ear, declaring that she had not eaten anything - as instructed - while there... So many family stories which I loved to hear again and again. I remember driving my parents crazy, asking "Tell me a story about when you were little." When they'd reply "I can't remember any right now," I'd declare to myself that I was going to remember EVERYTHING so that I would never answer my kids that way! Now that I'm a mom, it's payback time. My son especially likes to hear stories about my childhood, and despite my best efforts, I am ever forgetting what happened "back then!"
I read and re-read (and still read) a lot of books, including all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books, which fascinated me because of the simplicity with which her family lived. I also was completely taken by C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia. I was - and still am - enchanted by the beautiful descriptions of life in Narnia, enamored by this masterfully written fantasy, and ever craving any written work that has more meaning than its surface value, where good triumphs over evil. These stories I read again and again, as the characters became old friends which I love to re-visit. (And every time, I wish to tell Laura, "Don't put that last pebble into your pocket - it'll tear!" Or to tell Edmund, "Don't even speak to that woman! And, by all means - just this once - don't eat her Turkish Delight!" But, of course, true to themselves and their story, they always go about business as usual, making the same mistakes and teaching me the same lessons about self control and who to trust....)
Is there a difference between writing a story and telling a story?
While I do not write stories often - only for my children - I would have to say that yes, there is a difference. Written stories can be re-visited and edited and more carefully worded and thought through by the teller. They can be re-visited by the teller until the teller has "broken them in"and is ready to share them. Written stories can also be revisited by the reader, slipping into them like comfortable shoes, whenever the need for such a story arises. I enjoy writing stories for my children, and have occasionally done so for special occasions like Christmas, but - mostly because I do not enjoy the editing that written stories require, telling stories is my favorite method of story sharing.
Spoken stories have a different sort of magic: they are once-and-done affairs, different every time, a "word of art" freshly woven in the tapestry of the listener's imagination. Told tales are more challenging both to create and to receive properly, as every word counts. If the teller should stumble over a word or the delivery, it mars the picture. Similarly, if the listener misses part of the story, the tapestry is incomplete. There's no going back over the story, to reword it or to reread a missed part.... One of the beauties of told tales is their need for group participation: a told tale is just a heap of spun threads if it doesn't have the "warp" of a listener's attention on which to be woven. Also, despite a single teller, as many pictures as there are listeners are created, each unique to the listener and his/her imagination.
What is the difference between a fable, a parable, and a fairy tale?
A fable is a short story with one phrase as its moral. A parable is a story in which the whole tale has deeper meaning. A fairy tale, in my opinion, falls nearer the "just for fun" category, although they, too, contain moral lessons and generally show good triumphing over evil. Given a choice, I would rather tell a parable or a fairy tale, than a fable because there is more room for elaboration!
If you could be one character in a story who would you be and why?
Given the opportunity to perform a character, I would undoubtedly choose to be Maria in The Sound of Music. I have wanted to play her role ever since I was a child. Her character is great with kids, gets to sing all those fun songs, and finds a way to be obedient to what she knows is right, even if it isn't easy for her.... And her story has a happy ending. I'm a sucker for those.
As far as a character in a book, however, I think I'd want to be Eilonwy in Lloyd Alexander's series, the Chronicles of Prydain. She is spunky, wise, and magical. While she is sometimes impulsive, she also maintains her cool in difficult circumstances, doesn't shy away from danger when she knows it's right to do what she needs to do, and she always manages to look great!
If you could have coffee with one famous storyteller, who would it be and why?
This is a tough question to answer - there are so many. I guess at this moment, I would want to meet C.S. Lewis, over a cup of tea. I would love to know what inspired him to write the Narnia series, and if the stories came to him all at once, or in little parts. I'd also like to ask him what his friends Lloyd Alexander and J.R.R. Tolkien were like and if they ever considered collaborating. Our family would like to see the characters from their books meet each other...
What inspires you as a storyteller?
I am inspired by a number of things. Sometimes, inspiration comes from stories from far away that I meet that are waiting to be told to local audiences. One of our family's goals in storytelling is to help give human faces to people who live far away and might otherwise be considered "those people over there" or even "the enemy," to allow the listeners to relate to the stories and learn from them just as others have learned. I am also inspired by the power of the stories themselves: each has its own point, and makes that point in its home culture's way. I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that I am inspired by the moment in the story when I look around the room and every ear is trained on the story, every eye watching to see what comes next. To quote my husband, "You had them!" That magical moment is very satisfying - and inspires me to keep telling, to see if it can happen again!
What stories are you working on presently?
Right now, I am learning and telling several stories from Afghanistan: a short story by Deborah Ellis about a boy who flew his kite during the Taliban's rule in that country, a silly Mullah Nasrudin story (it was hard to choose which one, as they all are such fun noodlehead tales), and one retold by Idries Shah about a boy who rescues a village from a melon that the villagers are afraid of. The "one book, one community" book that libraries in the region picked this October is The Kite Runner, an intense "grownup" book set in Afghanistan. Many libraries wanted a related, child-friendly activity to offer their patrons. Our organization is offering a "Mini-trip" to Afghanistan (a 75- minute session) presenting information about the country, including games, crafts, things to touch and try on, a snack, and - of course - stories!
Finally, what advice would you give kids who wish to pursue a career in storytelling?
Storytelling is a mix of literature, acting, and plain old practice. So, for now, it is important for you to read, read, read! Read aloud when possible, to practice your inflection and fluidity. (My daughter's been reading since she was four, and she is really good at reading aloud, even changing voices for different characters, because of all that practice.) Reading folktales aloud is a good place to start: after all, written folktales have been carefully worded and will give you the opportunity to rehearse the rhythm of a story without having to think "what comes next?" Because storytelling requires acting abilities, start now by auditioning for school plays or community plays, and keep trying if you don't make it. I was not in every play I auditioned for, and twice when I DID make it, there was a mix-up about my role and I ended up with bit or shared parts. Other times, I had lead roles. Whatever parts you land, however large or small, play them to the best of your ability, and learn as much about drama as you can through the experience. Finally, as you find stories you would like to tell on your own, read them and practice, practice, practice. I practice until I can see a series of pictures in my mind that tell the story. Then, all I need to do is supply the narration - in detail - to help the listeners see them, too! OH, and don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself: if you do your job well, listeners will remember the story, not how silly you were, and sometimes to do your job THAT well, you get to be pretty silly!
responses (c) 2006 Kids and Cultures
questions from www.kidschannel.ca
