Storytellers

By Dianne de Las Casas
published on web October 2003

His voice is a poetic whisper over the phone. In fact, Jay O'Callahan, a master storyteller, recording artist, and performer whose very voice fills entire theaters, is a soft-spoken soul. When I interviewed Jay, I had to listen. Really listen. And isn't that the mark of an effective storyteller — to inspire your audience to listen?

Jay was 14-years old and a freshman in high school when he began telling stories. No, he didn't start out performing on stage. He began telling stories hand-to-hand. His brother, Chris, and his sister, Nicki, were very young at the time. Big brother Jay began telling them stories holding their hands. He would look them in their wide eyes and make up a magical world just for them.

From the beginning, Jay's journey into the world of storytelling was personal. It was full of the warmth that is so characteristic of Jay's presence –it envelops you- even when you are 1500 miles away and talking on the phone. Jay says, "Stories are like dreams — playing with the images like they are feathers. Stories are like relationships; they are personal."

Jay's accomplishments are numerous: He is a multi-award winning recording artist, a recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts fellowship for performance excellence, a National Storytelling Network Circle of Excellence storyteller, and has received numerous story commissions. But in spite of all these achievements, Jay remains grounded and quite humble.

"I tell whatever has moved me in a way that audiences understand what I am performing." Indeed, his stories, shaped around his personal experiences and embellished with his imagination, contain universal themes that speak to audiences everywhere. Jay said, "I once told stories in Africa about a boy, his grandmother, and getting in trouble. They loved it because they could relate to it. Everyone has a grandmother. Everyone gets in trouble."

When working with a story, Jay spends a lot of time on the images and characters. Whether it's a personal tale, a folktale, or a commissioned tale, he "lives with the story" so that it "can grow." With personal tales, he believes it is important to "work through the personal feelings" so that the story can be related effectively. With regard to commissioned stories, Jay says, "I like to be invited into another world. I interview my subjects in their space." He does this so that they will feel comfortable and at ease. It is then, Jay is able to extract memories, experiences, and emotions that eventually shape a cohesive story full of rich characters and vibrant images and come to life as soon as the words leave his lips.

He began telling me about the interview process with his story "Pouring the Sun." It is the story of the struggles and triumphs of an 18-year old Polish immigrant, Ludvika, who lived in the steel-making city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The story was three years in the making. Jay sat in the kitchen collecting pieces of the story from Ludvika's children, who were in their 80's at the time. Over this period, Jay became "one of the family." Jay says, "Pouring the Sun" is a tribute — a celebration of their lives."

I asked Jay if he had any advice to storytellers just beginning their careers. He paused for a moment and churned out these words of wisdom:

• Cherish the images.
• In the words of my friend, Ray Hicks, "Storytelling is the best thing there is."
• The telling is really important.
• Imagination really is a wondrous thing.
• Tell to children, including your own children. We learn through our children's eyes. Children are our teachers.

As a person, Jay believes his greatest achievement is "being a husband and a father." He has been married to his wife, Linda, for 34 years. They have two children, Ted and Laurel. Jay lovingly attributes much of his success to his family and especially to Linda, "a very earthy woman." As a 25+ year veteran storyteller, he is proud of the characters he has created.

Jay is currently working on a novel, which is in its second draft. His goal is to have the book published. Chuckling, he said, "I don't know if these stories can live in the quiet of a book."

The only difference between 14-year-old Jay O'Callahan and Jay O'Callahan now is that he no longer holds his audiences' hands, he holds their hearts.

Please note and check it out:  This article is reprinted by permission of Working Smarts, an e-mail magazine for professional children's artists.

http://www.workingsmarts.com