Workshop 2026 Schedule

Explore the Art of Storytelling each month with hands-on workshops designed to strengthen your storytelling skills and deepen your understanding of the craft. Below is a calendar of topics for the year, with dates, times, and RSVP links for each session. All workshops are held via Zoom.

This calendar will provide participants with a structured and engaging approach to mastering various storytelling skills throughout the year. Each session offers unique insights and hands-on practice to help you become a more skilled and confident storyteller.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

2026 Monthly Workshops

JANUARY 22
Long Tales

Presenter: David Thompson

Dive deep into the structure, memorization, and performance techniques required for telling stories that span more than 20 minutes. Learn to keep your audience engaged from start to finish.

Learning Objectives:

  • Analyze story structure and plot pacing for narratives exceeding 20 minutes.
  • Develop effective memory techniques for recalling long-form content.
  • Practice varying vocal dynamics and character voices to sustain audience engagement.
  • Identify and utilize transitional devices for moving smoothly between story segments.

FEBRUARY 26
Storytelling Activities: Playtime to build your skill set

Presenter: Dr. Hank Roubicek

Designed primarily but not exclusively for those who train, teach, and lead workshops in storytelling for any demographic. Also, an essential masterclass for anyone looking for guided practice on storytelling principles and methods. The exercises demonstrated in this class are a curated collection inspired by communication/storytelling research and have been implemented by many educators and trainers with great success. This class is interactive and will include a comprehensive handout containing exercises complete with objectives, instructions, and discussion questions. Student critique samples and assignments will also be included.

Learning Objectives:

  • Participants will experience new methods for assessing and improving storytelling principles by contributing actively to class activities.
  • Participants will debrief the importance of the exercises by probing unique discussion questions.
  • Participants will review a list of specific objectives intended for each exercise to ensure clarity and focus.
  • Participants will enjoy a variety of storytelling “drills” to help freshen their own set of skills and/or for those in their own classes and workshops.

MARCH 26
Historical Stories

Presenter: Tony Hardman

Discover how to transform facts, dates, and historical events into compelling, personal narratives. Learn to research and weave historical accuracy with engaging storytelling.

Learning Objectives:

  • Integrate historical facts and detailed research seamlessly into a compelling narrative arc.
  • Learn to personify historical figures to create emotional relevance and relatability.
  • Develop research strategies for authenticating and utilizing complex historical details.
  • Structure a story that effectively moves from broad historical context to a specific, focused event.

April 23
Trickster Tales

Presenter: Eldrena Doma

A playful workshop focused on the mischievous characters and clever plots of Trickster Tales from around the globe. Learn timing, voice, and physical comedy to bring these stories to life.

Learning Objectives:

  • Master the comedic timing and development of suspense required for classic trickster plots.
  • Develop distinct vocal and physical characterizations for the trickster and their foil.
  • Analyze the moral and social commentary often embedded in trickster narratives.
  • Incorporate calculated audience interaction to enhance the trickster’s playful and mischievous energy.

MAY 28
Adapting Fairy Tales

Presenter: Debbie Waddell
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg

Description: Join Debbie Waddell to learn techniques for taking classic fairy tales and giving them your own unique spin. We will cover modernization, character deep-diving, and thematic interpretation.

Learning Objectives:

  • Deconstruct classic fairy tales to identify their core themes, plot points, and archetypes.
  • Apply various adaptation strategies, such as modernization, localization, or shifting perspective.
  • Create a clear, distinctive storyteller’s voice that is separate from the original textual tone.
  • Reimagine traditional, sometimes problematic, endings to create contemporary relevance.

JUNE 25
Adapting Literature

Presenter: Tony Harmand
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uGJScZU0TVCN_du5arlTjg

This class focuses on turning prose, poetry, and short stories into captivating oral narratives. Learn what to keep, what to cut, and how to maintain the spirit of the original work.

Learning Objectives:

  • Select appropriate literary passages for conversion into a focused oral performance adaptation.
  • Condense complex literary works while preserving the author’s narrative voice and essential plot.
  • Utilize textual language (dialect, imagery) effectively for heightened dramatic impact in performance.
  • Develop techniques for transitioning smoothly between direct dialogue, internal thought, and narration.

JULY 23
Ghost Stories & Urban Legends

Presenter: Tony Hardman
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg

Description: Master the art of suspense and terror with Tony Hardman. We will explore techniques for building tension, using vocal texture, and delivering a chilling and memorable performance.

Learning Objectives:

  • Build and control narrative tension using effective pacing, silence, and misdirection.
  • Employ vocal techniques, such as whispers and sharp inflections, to maximize fear and surprise.
  • Analyze the psychological impact of specific frightening imagery and narrative structure.
  • Develop a distinctive, credible persona for delivering scary stories that grounds the unbelievable elements.

AUGUST 27
Tall Tales and Liars Stories

Presenter: Gary Whitaker
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg

Description: Celebrate exaggeration and inventive fiction! Learn how to spin a completely unbelievable yarn with a straight face, focusing on comedic timing and building to a magnificent punchline.

Learning Objectives:

  • Master the art of comedic exaggeration and effective understatement in narrative.
  • Develop a believable, grounded persona that contrasts with the unbelievable content of the tale.
  • Practice improvisational techniques to respond to audience skepticism or interjections.
  • Structure a story to peak with a surprising, yet comedically inevitable, conclusion.

SEPTEMBER 24
Myths and Fables

Presenter: Pam Pipkin
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uGJScZU0TVCN_du5arlTjg

With Pam Pipkin, explore the foundational stories of civilization. Learn to interpret and tell complex myths and simple fables, focusing on their moral and philosophical significance.

Learning Objectives:

  • Differentiate between the structural elements and functions of myths, legends, and fables.
  • Identify and articulate the universal moral or philosophical truth in an ancient story.
  • Learn methods for making epic, larger-than-life characters and deities relatable to a contemporary audience.
  • Explore ways to ritualize the telling of foundational stories to enhance their cultural weight.

OCTOBER 22
Holiday Stories

Presenter: TBA
Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg

Description: Prepare your repertoire for the holiday season! This workshop focuses on selecting and crafting stories for celebratory occasions, including seasonal, religious, and family traditions.

Learning Objectives:

  • Curate a versatile repertoire of stories suitable for a variety of holiday settings and celebrations.
  • Adapt personal family anecdotes and memories into structured, engaging holiday narratives.
  • Focus on storytelling themes of gratitude, renewal, and shared tradition and light.
  • Learn techniques for successfully engaging diverse and multi-generational holiday audiences.

NOVEMBER 26 – may be rescheduled

November 26th is Thanksgiving Day. Please check back for a possible earlier date.

If we reschedule for an earlier date in November, the topic will be Experimental Storytelling.  Explore non-traditional formats, including storytelling with found objects, sound effects, audience participation, or abstract, non-linear narratives.

Learning Objectives:

  • Develop a narrative using non-traditional tools, such as music, lighting, or physical objects.
  • Explore abstract storytelling methods beyond conventional linear plot structures.
  • Integrate movement and physical theatre into a spoken word performance.
  • Analyze the works of avant-garde storytellers to inspire new performance concepts.

December 24 – may be rescheduled

December 24 is Christmas Eve. Please check back for a possible earlier date.

Note: If we reschedule for an earlier date in December, the topic will be Legends. Delve into the legends of heroes, local folklore, and historic figures. Learn how to tell a story that feels both epic and true.

Learning Objectives:

  • Research and verify the historical or geographical roots of a local or national legend.
  • Analyze the function of legends in maintaining community identity and cultural values.
  • Apply dramatic staging and vocal gravitas suited for heroic and epic narratives.
  • Distinguish between a historical figure and their elevated, legendary persona.