Working Stories: New Performance

PROVIDENCE, RI — A collaborative effort between young and old, 'A Story Showcase,' will premiere May 24 at Laurelmead Cooperative Center.

Since November, School One has been offering this rare and unique program for high school students. Once again, this spring a team of professional teaching artists worked with a group of students aged 15-89 to learn the craft of storytelling. Each session of Working Stories pairs older adults with high students to create a series of stories that reflect personal and professional experiences.

Working Stories participants meet for two hours each week to write about their working lives, talk about history and practice performance techniques. They learn, side by side, from three teaching artists: Diane Postoian, Eve Kerrigan and Phil Goldman (creator of Providence’s Live Bait). Diane, Eve and Phil, provide story prompts and feedback on stories. They even make participants do tongue twisters and vocal exercises.

One of the teaching artists, Diane Postoian, is a performer and educator with decades of experience working with students of all ages. She believes everyone has a story to tell even if the idea of telling or performing it is daunting.

“Working Stories inspires our teens to think about their future paths by hearing first hand of the well-traveled paths taken by the elders," Postoian said. "While they are so willing to share their stories, the elders are sometimes not aware of the profound impact they are making on our teens. As a professional storyteller and one who loves being around teens and elders, Working Stories is an inter-generational gift to me."

Working Stories: A Story Showcase and Performance will be performed on Wednesday, May 24th at 6pm at Laurelmead Cooperative. Tickets are free but seating is limited.

Courtesy Photo Caption: Jasper White listens to Janice O'Donnell, of Barrington, talk about her experience as a veterinary assistant.