This no-cost 7-session workshop provides students with an encouraging, constructive environment in which to practice live-storytelling each week and receive feedback from their facilitator and peers. Whether you're a writer seeking to fine tune your narrative skills or someone who wants the confidence and ability to get in front of people and be heard -- this workshop will provide you tools to share your stories in a concise and memorable way. Assignments and exercises to be done at home will also be part of the workshop. The theme throughout will be to explore what your Queens origin story is, what that means to you and how to verbally express that on stage that feels right to you.

​

The workshop concludes with a class performance where you will perform your personal story in front of a live, super-supportive audience. You’ll also be provided with a free video of your performance. 

WHAT WILL I LEARN?
Sessions will include reviewing footage of experienced storytellers, including BIPOC storytellers, verbal and written exercises that focus on classic story structuring, building suspense, eliciting emotion, sewing in humor, recreating drama, digging deeper into a story’s meaning, and using your voice and body to add levels to your listeners’ experience. The class size will be limited to 6 participants maximum to allow for individual attention and time for each student to practice their storytelling. 

You will leave this class with a first draft of a story that could range from 5-8 mins--  which could be an anecdote to share during a job interview, a part of a personal essay or even the beginning of a one-person show-- and the fundamentals needed to develop future stories. You will also have several opportunities to practice presenting in front of others, who are also learning, and thus build up your confidence.

WORKSHOP LEADER
Christopher Moncayo-Torres (he/him/his) is the Managing Director of Fail Better NYC and an Ecuadorian-American playwright and live-storyteller, born and bred in Queens. He will guide you on how to take personal experiences from your life and craft stories that are universal and identifiable for an audience.