OPINION

McCullough: Storytelling series returns to Battle Creek

MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH
BATTLE CREEK ENQUIRER
Sean Washington was master of ceremonies for Tuesday night's Mosaic Storytelling Showcase at the Warehouse.

It’s a Saturday, and it’s the first day of my spring break vacation, but I have one more thing to do before I go. And besides, it’s snowing outside.

The thing is simple enough: Remind you that in about a month, the Enquirer will host the second of its Mosaic Storytelling Showcase concerts. We want a lot of you to be there, and judging by the success of our first event, we expect a lot of you will be.

But just to be sure, we’re making a couple of adjustments.

First is the location. Our next concert will be at 6 p.m. May 3 at the Burma Center, 765 Upton Ave. in Springfield. There’s a lot to like about the Burma Center. It’s a beautiful building that has become a hub of community activity and creative expression. It’s a great fit for our concert.

We chose the center, however, primarily for its capacity and its ample parking, two things that might have derailed the first concert had it not been for the abundant talent on stage and patience in the audience.

Mosaic storyteller Nicole L.V. Mullis

Mosaic storyteller Rose Miller

Mosaic storyteller Sean Washington

Our first event at The Warehouse exceeded all expectations. We packed in more than 200 people for a standing-room only event that started late and was interrupted once so people could rescue their cars from the tow-truck operator. Yikes.

Yet even with those rough edges, we had people clamoring for tickets to the next concert — we sold 40 within a week.

It was a tough decision — we really enjoyed The Warehouse and its atmosphere, and the folks there were terrific hosts — but we’d already outgrown the venue.

The other adjustment is simply refining the planning process. Organizer and consultant Michelle Frank and storyteller Dick Strader worked magic for the first event, pulling together an eclectic group of performers, most of whom had never told stories before an audience. It was amazing.

Mosaic storyteller Crystal Hernandez

Mosaic storyteller Martha Thawnghmung

What came together pretty much on the fly last winter, however, is looking a lot more like a script. Strader, an exceptional teacher, is gearing up for the first storytelling workshop on April 12. This is where Strader introduces performers to the craft of storytelling.

The workshop is followed by two more meetings — a “story swap” and a dress rehearsal — where teacher and students use “kudos and questions” to help tellers draw out their stories.

The idea of being on stage and telling a story can be intimidating, but Strader has a knack for putting people at ease and helping them unwind the story already inside, just waiting to be told. Strader tells his performers, “We tell stories by heart, not memory.”

Our second concert focuses on the theme of “food.” Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Food Bank of South Central Michigan.

Speaking of tickets, you can buy them right now at tickets.battlecreekenquirer.com, or you can stop the Enquirer’s offices at 77 E. Michigan Ave. in Battle Creek beginning April 11.

And if you think you’d like to be a storyteller we’d love to hear from you. For questions or to register, call me or send an email to mosaic@battlecreekenquirer.com.

Michael McCullough is the executive editor and content strategist for the Enquirer. Call him at 269-966-0670.

Gallery: First Mosaic Storytelling Showcase