SPARK Storytelling

06/08/2022

04/28/2022

We're SO excited because tonight is our first SPARK Storytelling workshop! We can wait to see our 10 storytellers on Zoom, learn more about them and help guide them toward discovering their stories.

04/12/2022

Thank you to all the storytellers who volunteered to participate in our inaugural storytelling event on June 11!

You'll hear from us soon!

PS: We still have a couple open spaces. If you, or someone you know, would like to participate in our storytelling workshops and event, please tag them in the comments!

03/18/2022

Good afternoon!

SPARK Storytelling is accepting submissions for our first ever storytelling event! The first event's prompt is: "Home, or something like it."

If you don't have a story in mind, don't worry! Part of the workshopping process is discovery. Our professional storytelling coaches will help you find your story and craft it!

Please visit our website for more information.

We're accepting submissions for one more week, so sign up quickly!

Stage Left's SPARK storytelling series seeks to bring the community together through the telling of personal stories that excite, entertain, touch, teach and pass on the unique culture of the Rust Belt and the Ohio River Valley.

03/01/2022

We're now accepting submissions to our SPARK Storytelling program!

Remember, this event's theme is: "Home, Or Something Like It."

You can get more info, and fill out a simple form on our website.

Happy telling!

Stage Left's SPARK storytelling series seeks to bring the community together through the telling of personal stories that excite, entertain, touch, teach and pass on the unique culture of the Rust Belt and the Ohio River Valley.

02/25/2022

The final coach we'd like to announce is . Will recently moved back to Northeast Ohio from Phoenix. Shortly after settling in, he conceptualized SPARK as a way to help folks from the Rust Belt, Upper Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley tell their stories.

https://www.stageleftplayers.org/spark

02/24/2022

Thanks for publishing this, Mahoning Matters!

“SPARK storytelling series seeks to bring the community together through the telling of personal stories that excite, entertain, touch, teach and pass on the unique culture of the Rust Belt and the Ohio River Valley.”

02/24/2022

Our second coach is the well-known Michael Dempsey! Michael has been a staple in Northeast Ohio performing arts for years. He's an author, an actor, a playwright, a screenwriter, a teacher and so, so many more things.

Happy to have you, Mr. Dempsey! We're so excited that you chose to share your talents with our storytellers.

https://www.stageleftplayers.org/spark

02/23/2022

We're so excited to announce the wonderful Regina Rees as our head storytelling coach. For 20 years Regina has helped storytellers hone their craft. We can't wait to see what stories you all tell with Regina's guidance!

Thanks, Regina!

Stay tuned, our other storytelling coaches will be announced soon!

https://www.stageleftplayers.org/spark

02/22/2022

IT'S OFFICIAL! WE'RE LIVE!

Stage Left Community Arts Center to produce two community storytelling events in Lisbon, Ohio, after receiving a grant from the Ohio Arts Council.

The Ohio Art Council in late 2021 awarded Stage Left Community Arts Center a $14,000 project grant to present SPARK Storytelling, a series of storytelling workshops featuring local artists and guest performers culminating in two live community showcases in summer and fall 2022.

Each themed storytelling event will feature 10-15 community storytellers coached by a team of professionals in five virtual storytelling workshops. The community is then invited to watch the storytellers live, on stage, perform their stories alongside a visiting professional storyteller.

The first theme is "home, or something like it."

"We're so grateful to the Ohio Arts Council for recognizing the value of the stories in our community. Stage Left has brought so many stories to life over the past thirty years, adding live storytelling events to our season just feels natural," Artistic Director Kandace Cleland said.

"It took years for Stage Left to find a permanent home at the Trinity Playhouse, so choosing 'home' as our first theme not only pays tribute to our journey, it also shines a spotlight on our part of the world. It's time to tell the true stories of the community which has embraced us."

SPARK begins accepting submissions on March 1, 2022. For more information, visit www.stageleftplayers.org/spark.

SPARK's mission is to build community through the telling of personal stories that excite, entertain, touch, teach and pass on the unique culture of the Rust Belt, the Ohio River Valley and Upper Appalachia.

Stage Left's SPARK storytelling series seeks to bring the community together through the telling of personal stories that excite, entertain, touch, teach and pass on the unique culture of the Rust Belt and the Ohio River Valley.

02/06/2022

Hello, SPARKers!

I'm Will Flannigan, SPARK's producer and one of its storytelling coaches.

I just wanted to let everyone know I'm incredibly excited to help bring folks in Northeast Ohio together through the art of live storytelling.

I also want to give everyone an update on how things are going behind the scenes!

This update will be the first of MANY to come.

Just a few days ago, SPARK unveiled its logo. Pretty spiffy, hm?

When the graphic designer asked me what I had in mind, I said I wanted something that captured the glory days of the Rust Belt.

I think he nailed it.

It's in the art deco style, the design style that was in-vogue during the Rust Belt's heyday. In fact, many of the skyscrapers and other buildings in Pittsburgh, Youngstown and Cleveland were built in the art deco aesthetic.

Over the next couple of weeks expect the following:

1. The unveiling of our first event's storytelling theme.
2. A roadmap and outline for storytellers.
3. A call for submissions.
4. An announcement of our visiting storyteller.

Thank you all so much for following along as we bring this project to life!

Cheers!