Students to perform “Folk, Fantasy and Fabulous Tales”

The Strayer-Wood Theatre will host a weekend of free storytelling as the Sturgis Youth Theatre and the University of Northern Iowa Theatre Department presents "Folk, Fantasy and Fabulous Tales: Classical to Contemporary."

The performances feature UNI Theatre students and provide a wide range of stories for children. This weekend marks the beginning of a three-week tour of area elementary schools in Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Parkersburg, Hudson, New Hartford and Independence.

"Folk, Fantasy and Fabulous Tales" is the culmination of all the work done in the course Stories in Performance, which is instructed by Gretta Berghammer, the artistic director for the Sturgis Youth Theatre.

"In this class, we're exploring the art of storytelling," said freshman theatre major Jessica Baumeister. "It's been a lot of fun learning more about storytelling because it's not typically part of a theatre education, but it's a very valid aspect of theatre performance."

The students each spent weeks reading tales and eventually chose three stories to perform. The class is an opportunity for the students to develop the craft, which Baumeister believes complements their acting training.

"I think the biggest challenge is the solo work component of the art form," said Berghammer. "Just the teller, the stage, perhaps a single prop, and the audience ... This is about as basic as you can get."

Berghammer feels that the performances are also a great opportunity for children.

"Elementary students will get a chance to see and experience live storytelling, an art that is a rich part of the American folk art tradition," she said. "The students will not only be exposed to a wealth of great stories from around the world, they will get a chance to work on their listening and comprehension skills."

Children are the focus of the Sturgis Youth Theatre, whose stated mission is to provide quality productions, meaningful production experiences and varied theatre study opportunities for the youth of Cedar Falls and the surrounding communities.

"I am looking forward to the smiling faces of the kids," said sophomore theatre major Nick Chizek. "I think that the audiences we will have will love the chance to hear these outrageously awesome stories and be as excited as I am."

The tour and the performances are completely free thanks to the support of the UNI Theatre Department and a grant received from the Black Hawk County Gaming Commission.

"We are incredibly grateful for this funding," said Stories in Performance tour manager Anna Marie Wilharm. "It will allow us to maintain the production values of the performance as we take Stories in Performance on the road"

The performances for "Folk, Fantasy and Fabulous Tales: Classical to Contemporary" will take place in Room 1 of the Strayer-Wood Theatre today at 7 p.m., tomorrow at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.