by R. Rex Stephenson, Ph.D.
Previously printed in "Teachers' Guide for Use in Conjunction with the Performance of Jack Tales," by R. Rex Stephenson (Hurt, VA: Artistic Printing, 1994).
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The term story
theatre, in recent decades, has taken on a broad definition and seems loosely
to include all children's theatre that uses narrative to link various episodes
together. It simply defines a style of theatre that lies somewhere between storytelling
and the acted-out play.
The form is probably as old as drama, but since Paul Sills' play Story Theatre, the style has taken on a more pronounced form wherein actors simultaneously tell and act the story. The Jack Tales differ from Sills' style by returning to both the storyteller and the balladeer, in role, to provide the narrative.
When I began collecting the Jack Tales, I was struck with the storyteller and the balladeers' ability to weave places, events, characters and local setting into a unified story. What I attempted in creating the style of the play The Jack Tales was to capture this narrative quality and blend it with the basic elements of theatre: dialogue, sound, movement, and improvisation. I never wanted to restrict the storyteller or the balladeer to the role of getting us through parts of the story that seemed difficult to dramatize, but to provide a method in which the storyteller's traditional approach to the material could be an intricate and a complementary part of the dramatization.
Another reason for the narration to take the form of a character portraying a traditional storyteller is to take advantage of the past-tense quality of folk tales. Since folk tales always have happened, children are not harmfully frightened by Ol' Greasy Beard, for example, because the storyteller is recounting only the past and we know that Jack must have come out unscathed or the storyteller would not be sharing this incident with us. The storyteller in The Jack Tales performs a special outside/inside dual role: while he or she introduces the characters and situations that could cause the audience to be frightened, the children are aware that no matter how scary the incident is, they are safe because the storyteller has survived to tell the tale. Furthermore, although a bond automatically develops between the storyteller and the audience, it is both solidified and strengthened by Jack's constant triumphs over the forces of evil. Therefore, frightful incidents can be dramatized, thus keeping to the spirit of the tales in their original form.
Observations by college students in English 207, World Folktales and Literature, March 2006:
"The Jack Tale Players ... used very few props; at the most it looked like they used three items, which were two chairs and a hammer or ax made out of wood. Also people were used as a kind of prop to give the audience better ideas of what is going on....What I have learned about dramatic methods of adapting folktales is that the storyteller or narrator plays an important part in taking the audience through the story. It is also important that the narrator takes on the role of being a storyteller to keep with the folktale tradition. The storyteller builds a bond with the audience and that bond is important because it helps keep the interest of the audience and it helps reassure that the good guy/girl is going to win. My view on the performance is that it is another version of a loved tale and they did a good job on it."
"It is better to see it performed with actors because you get a sense for how wicked John really is. When you actually see him yelling at the Devil, it creates a better visual than the [written] story.... Using little props, the Jack Tale storytellers convey an image well. For instance, they use a man as a bush but the viewer still grasps the concept that a demon is being trapped in the bush. Also, going downstairs to represent Hell lets the viewer follow what is going on. Also, sound effects made by cowbells when someone falls down help the viewer to understand the tale. The Jack Tale Players do a great job of bringing folktales to life."
For other photographs of Jack Tale Players' story theatre performances see, for example, a scene from "The Three Old Women's Bet" with narrator on left and main characters in center, "Hardy Hardhead" photos, and other performance photos. AppLit also contains drawings by school children who saw performances of tales such as "Mutsmag." Ferrum Performers Keep Jack Tales Alive contains two photos and a 3rd grader's drawing.
For more information, see
Stephenson, R. Rex. The Jack Tales: Folk Stories from the Blue Ridge Mountains. Schulenburg, TX: I. E. Clark, 1991. Dramatic adaptations as performed by Ferrum College Jack Tale Players. Contains "Jack Fear-No-Man," "Wicked John and the Devil," "Jack and the Robbers," "Foolish Jack," "Jack and the Witch’s Tale," and "Jack and 01' Greasy Beard."
Stephenson, R. Rex. "The Jack Tales," in Eight Plays for Youth: Varied Theatrical Experiences for Stage and Study, edited by Christian H. Moe and R. Eugene Jackson. New York: P. Lang, 1991.
McCaslin, Nellie. Creative Drama in the Classroom and Beyond. 7th ed. New York: Longman, 2000. 8th ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2005.
McBride-Smith, Barbara. Tell It Together: Foolproof Scripts for Story Theatre. Little Rock, AK: August House, 2001. Described at this School Library Journal link along with other recipients of the Anne Izard Storytellers' Choice Award.
The Jack Tale Players Web Site
Bibliography of Dramas and Tales by R. Rex Stephenson
30th Anniversary of Jack Tales to be Celebrated Dec. 9th ( press release; anniversary performance was postponed until Dec. 12). The story theatre dramatizations by the Jack Tale Players are the longest-running dramatic production for children in the U.S.
This page's last
update:
05/27/2006
Links checked 5/27/06
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