By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Artchange director Ellen Frankenstein says bringing people together through live storytelling events is still possible during the pandemic - and maybe more important than before it hit.
“We’ve been through a time of being isolated, of polarization and separation, and stories connect us,” Frankenstein said. “And when we listen to our neighbors, it impacts how we see each other and it brings us closer together.”
Artchange Inc. presents another edition of Sitka Tells Tales. The live event is 8 p.m. tonight on KCAW-FM, and/or streamed live on kcaw.org.
The theme is “It’s Not Me. It’s You: Stories of bad jobs, horrible roommates and broken hearts.”
Unlike other Sitka Tells Tales events, due to COVID precautions this one is available only online and on the radio, not in local performance space, with food and drinks. Selected stories are available later on the Artchange website.
Although Sitka Tells Tales customarily offers five to six storytelling events a year, the organization took an 11-month break during the pandemic, coming back in late February with “Foot in Mouth” as the theme.
“As someone who’s made a lot of social issue films, sometimes these themes seem really light but I realize we need to laugh and cry together,” Frankenstein said this morning. “One of the really fun things about Sitka Tells Tales is when we do these rehearsals of the tellers and we’d go over stories as a group. It’s just really wonderful to hear people in the community who don’t know each other, talking about their lives and talking about the universal elements in each story. Like, ‘I relate to what you just told me. I’ve had that loss. I’ve had that bad roommate. I’ve had that job I couldn’t stand. I’ve gone on a trip where I didn’t know what was going to happen.’”
Sitkans take the mic at the Beak Restaurant during a Sitka Tells Tales event in 2019. (Sentinel file photo)
Storytellers in the one-hour event tonight are Robin McNeilley, Andrew Scorzelli, Blossom Teal-Olsen, Nicole Fiorino and Aaron Minks.
Frankenstein works with each of the storytellers to help them prepare their six-minute tale, and tries to pick a theme that can be interpreted in more than one way.
During the event, the storytellers are together on Zoom, and can see one another tell the story, and clap afterwards. The audience is not on the Zoom call and listens to the live event on the radio or streaming.
“(At the last Zoom event) every time someone finished a tale in the chat, there was all this support for each other, like good job, well done,” Frankenstein said. “I liked that part – it was really fun to see this ‘mini-community’ - like you do with a play or any other art project.”
Frankenstein enjoys the collaborative aspect of the storytelling and the event, as well as seeing the nonprofits come together and contribute toward a successful evening, including Raven Radio, the Uncommon Music Festival, Greater Sitka Arts Council and Americorps. Artists in the community have shared poetry and music at the events as well.
“We’ll go back to being live, but we don’t know when that’ll be,” she said, noting COVID precautions. “I’ve always liked Sitka Tells Tales to not be in a big venue, because I like when it’s intimate – the BEAK or the bottom of the Mean Queen or Fisheye.”
But she said using the airwaves as a venue still “gives people the freedom to listen to it.”
“It just reminds me the arts are important for that, arts and storytelling and the community process,” Frankenstein said.
Quoting Elise Pepple, who started the local live storytelling event 11 years ago, Frankenstein encouraged those listening to still take part: “She said, ‘It’s the job of the audience to root for the tellers because it takes guts to share your story and to be human and vulnerable.’”
McNeilley said she’s making final preparations by telling her story to herself in her car, and is still working on getting it within the time limit. She has told stories before at a live storytelling event, and had her name pulled out of a hat for a spontaneous three-minute tale. Her story tonight will be about “having roommates.”
McNeilley said the most challenging aspect of live storytelling is, “Incorporating all the details that you want in the time frame allowed and keeping it witty.”
Blossom Teal-Olsen is also a storytelling veteran, and will tell a story about growing up in downtown Fairbanks, where her family had a number of interesting neighbors. She said preparing with the other storytellers this time took place on Zoom, and she missed meeting in person with Frankenstein and others, adding, “It was fine, but I’m so over Zoom.”
The next theme is “Sleepless in Seattle: Stories of Being Awake in the Night.” Frankenstein is always looking for new storytellers, and can be reached at 738-2174.
Tonight’s event is broadcast on KCAW 104.7 and 90.1, and can be reached from the kcaw.org website by using the “Listen Live” tab.
