Virtual Storytelling

School Residencies

This year, DLW Storyteller Inc will offer four creative drama residencies.

1 - A Day at Ellis Island

This four day residency takes students from meeting Rita who sets them up to time travel back to the 1900’s. The students create a fictional European country. Then, we destroy it. The students are forced to leave their home and travel to America. That sets them up to meet Rita again as they are checked in at Ellis Island. It is a great social studies unit where the students use visual arts, writing, journaling, video, and creative drama to learn about the forces that drove millions of people to come to America

2 - The Space Race

The world is in danger! We have detected major tectonic activity all over the world. The ozone layer is in danger of thinning, and global warming is going to make the weather so dangerous we will have to abandon the coasts! We adults are at our wit’s end. What we need are people with huge imaginations, so we have decided to gather the greatest minds we could find – our children. Where can we go and how can we get there? This is a science unit where students look at our solar system and learn about planets. They must consider terraforming, how they could get us off the planet, and come up with technologies to help us survive. Sky’s the limit for imagination!

3 - Stand and Deliver The Greek

The ability to stand up and speak confidently is a skill that will serve your students well for their entire lives. In this residency, Greek Mythology is the medium used to get students speaking, sharing, and playing with language. We share the stories, talk about Ancient Greek society, their philosophies, and their world view. You will be amazed at how your students grow in confidence and skill over just five lessons!

4 - Storytelling 101 - Basics and Beyond

Learning the basics of storytelling is a door that can lead to greater literacy. Students will learn the basics of how a story is put together, the elements that make a story scary or fun or dramatic. They will practice sharing stories in small groups, and will have the opportunity to share for the whole class. While they are having fun with stories they will also be playing with language, improving their vocabulary, communicating effectively with peers, and learning basic presentation skills. They’ll be having so much fun, they might not even notice!

One Woman Shows
I’ve told lots of stories in lots of places over the course of my three decades as a storyteller. Sometimes, I find a set of stories that work so well together, they actually get their own name!
Here are three of my favorites.

-Chairs In The Trees – My one woman show about racism in America during the Obama era!
-Relationships Gone Sideways – Stories of romance that don’t end happily ever after!
-Through Their Own Eyes – Tracing the story of African Americans in America through their folklore

Libraries
You can pick from a wide range of stories and one-woman shows that are appropriate for everyone from multigenerational audiences to teens to adults!Your patrons still need programming so that they are not too cut off from the library even in these difficult times.

Stories
- Anansi and the Liar’s contest
- Anansi and the Hat Shaking Dance
- Anansi and The Turtle
- Brer Possum and the Frogs
- Brer Possum and the snake
- Why Frog has no tail
- Why Dog Wags his Tail and Bares His Teeth
- Why Cat lives with Woman
- Tikki Tembo
- The Boy Who Drew Cats
- Fisherman and the Magic Fish
- Three Wishes
- Brother Sun and Sister Moon
- A Knock at The Door
- A Big Spooky House
- The Gunny Wolf
- Tale of a Mouse
- How Anansi Obtained the Sky God’s Stories
- The Ghost with One Black Eye
- Sody Saluradus
- Epaminondus
- Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears