Virtual Storytelling


In the before time we would pack faculty, students, and artists into a library, gym, or media center. We’d laugh, have a wonderful time, and make art.

That was in the before time!

That doesn’t mean, however, that we can’t share stories. In fact, this is an important time to share stories. Stories keep us connected.

We are social distancing – not socially isolating!

This is a time to be sharing stories!

David Smith, Music Director at Perry Harrison Elementary, shared his thoughts on one of Donna's recent virtual performances: "Today was WONDERFUL! I am not a huge fan of the virtual performance but today blew me out of the water. Ms. Washington's performance was stellar. All I could think was if it's this good through zoom then I can't imagine what it will be like in person! I can't wait to have her come in the future to do an in-person session with our kids. I also really enjoyed getting to chat with her before the first show. Thank you again for making this wonderful experience available for our kids."

Check out Donna's virtual options below!

School Cultural Arts Performances

Are you in person? Zoomed out? Partially Zoomed in or out? We’ve got solutions!


K-2nd Grade Sets


  • Set 1
    • Epaminondus
    • The Ghost with One Black Eye
  • Set 2
    • Rumplestiltskin
    • The Squeaky Door
  • Set 3
    • Who’s in Bear’s Cave
    • La Mariposa
    • Sody Saluradus

3rd-5th Grade Sets


  • Set 1
    • Tongue Twisters
    • 4 Kinds of Trouble
    • Brer Possum and the Snake
    • Tiger Man and the Mouse
  • Set 2
    • Tikki Tembo
    • Three Wishes
    • The Monkey’s Heart
  • Set 3
    • A Knock at the Door
    • One Man, One Fish
    • Frog’s King

6th Grade Sets


  • Set 1
    • Surviving 6th Grade
    • Morgan and the Pot of Brains
    • The Lover’s Promise
  • Set 2
    • It is Greek To Me
    • The Story of How Zeus Came to Be the King of the gods
    • Phaethon
    • Arachne
    • Medea

7th Grade Sets


  • The Sugar Incident

8th Grade Sets


  • The Loathely Lady – Wife of Bath’s Tale from The Canterbury Tales
  • The Boo Hag – African American witch story

High School Sets


“If you want to know the true story of a people, don’t look at the stories other people tell about them. Find the stories they tell about themselves.” – Donna Washington

Through Our Own Words

  • The story of the African American Experience through the folklore that sustained them
    • Who were the first enslaved Africans?
    • Oloshun and the People at the Bottom of the Sea
    • The People Could Fly
  • The link between Anansi and Brer Rabbit
    • Anansi and the Pot
    • Brer Rabbit and Scarin’ Crows
    • The White Dog
  • The West Indies – A personal narrative about a time my family faced a threat, and my father used Brer Rabbit’s ways to get us out of it

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 Greeks



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!



-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!



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


Ghost Story Sets

Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? These pre-recorded sets are built to be just the right range of spooky for each age group!



K-2nd Grade Set


The Habbiyas
The Big Spooky House
The Gunny Wolf
The Ghost with one Black Eye

3rd-5th Grade Set


Taily Po
The Boogin in the Gray Graveyard
Barney McCabe

Middle and High School Stories

Depending on how scary you’d like the tale, these are some options


Mr. Fox (Spooky)
La Llorona – The Weeping Woman (Creepy)
The Lover’s Promise (Scary)
The Boo Hag (Creepy)
Wicked John and the Devil (Funny)
Dancing on the Green (Creepy)
Samurai Over My Head (Personal Ghost Story)