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Limited numbers of characters Look for stories where the number of the characters is limited to about three
or four which is ideal for the beginners. A beginner storyteller should not try to use different voices for many characters, as this might be difficult to do until the story
finished. Try to vary the strength and tone of the voice for different effects. 5
Repetitive pattern Stories which have repetitive pattern are easy to tell. Repetitive pattern gives
emphasis to the events in the story as well as an opportunity for audience participation. The recurring phrases or events also act as aids for understanding and
memory, for both teller and listeners. 6
Satisfying conclusion A satisfying conclusion is most appreciated by young listeners, who like to
see justice; they do not like stories that leave the problem unsolved. In some stories, audience may need time to assimilate the ending.
7 Different version
Look for different ways of telling the same story in order to find the version with which you feel most comfortable. Some traditional stories seem ordinary when
they are read, but when we tell them orally they come alive. Moreover, the storyteller’s ability to interpret the story gives color and life to the story itself.
c. Checklist for story presentation
Mallan 1991: 53 talks about some aspects that the storytellers need to be aware of in order to prepare the story presentation such as: the story, the story
structure, and the storyteller. The followings are the discussion on those aspects. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
19 1
The Story There are some aspects about the story that are important to consider, they
are: a
Is it interesting? The storytellers must master and love the story they want to share to the
audience. When the tellers are not ready, they will not be able to convey the story successfully.
b Is it appropriate?
The storytellers must be aware of the content of their story. They must be sure that the story is appropriate to the tellers’ level of experience and to the age and
interest level of the audience.
c Does it appeal to the senses?
The storyteller needs to consider whether the story really makes sense to the audience’s interpretation. Furthermore, the storyteller needs to master the ability to
convey and deliver the story when it seems to be abstract for the audience.
d Length
The storyteller needs to be aware of the length of the story. The basic consideration within that are the audience’s levels of enthusiasm in following short
or long story and also the storyteller’s capacity in dealing with the length of the stories, whether it is short or long
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2 Story structure
Stories usually have structure. The structure is an organizational framework of the story. A clearer explanation is shown in the Table 2.1 about story structure.
Table 2.1 Story Structure Mallan, 1991: 34
Beginning • Setting and characters
• Introduce problem
Middle • Event sequence
1. ………………………………………….
2. ………………………………………….
3. ………………………………………….
• Resolution of problem End
• Conclusion • Moral values
a Beginning
The storyteller needs to give strong and confident beginning in order to grab audience’s attention. The beginning includes the introduction of characters and
setting applied in the story. The teller also begins to bring in the problem or conflicts of the story.
b Middle
The storyteller should maintain the plot sequence within the story and keep it in the right order so that the audience can follow the story easily. The ability of
audience to visualize and tag along the story is the indicator of success of this part. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
21 c
End When the storyteller succeeds in bringing good beginning of the story, he
should also deliver excellent ending for the story. This part gives chance for the storyteller to send the conclusion and the moral values reflected from the story.
3 The storyteller
Mallan 19991:54 suggests some important aspects which need to understand in performing as a storyteller, they are:
1 Voice
A teller has to explore full potential of hisher voice. The voice involves the aspects such as: expression and correct pronunciation of words, tone, volume and
effective use of pause and timing. 2
Face A teller with an expressive face, which reflects the mood of the story, will
convey the story more effectively than the one who convey the story with strained expression and reflect intense concentration.
3 Eye contact
This is a very important item because sometimes the teller tends to tell the story to the floor, the back of the wall or the ceiling. When the tellers maintain eye
contact with the audience, they are indeed giving the story to the listeners and as the result, they will be more confident to tell the story.
22 4
Gesture The gesture can enrich the characterization and dramatic impact of the story.
The teller can move hisher head, hands, body and eyebrows. 5
Familiarity with the story The storyteller should be very familiar with the story that heshe feels
confident to tell in hisher own way, using hisher own words. 6
Posture The storyteller needs to be comfortable with their body posture and position
whether they choose to sit or stand or move expressively.
4. Learning Activities
