Storytelling is in the air this weekend. While all artists, regardless of the medium, tell a story through their art, this weekend’s arts offerings in San Diego seem extra inclined to celebrate stories.
Storytellers of San Diego at Lux Art Institute
Storytelling, Visual Art
Lux Art Institute began partnering with Encinitas-based Storytellers of San Diego since the beginning of this season, starting with Fabiola Jean-Louis’s residency. The way it works is this: storytellers are given the freedom to pick a piece of work from the current artist-in-residence’s exhibition at Lux, or work from the entire body of work in the exhibition, and then they write. Stories can be either fiction or nonfiction, prepared in advance and rehearsed as performance pieces.
The current exhibition at Lux is Cammie Staros’ “How neat the fold of time, How easily the crease forgotten,” which is currently on display online and via the Lux Art Institute app.
Lux suggests that the stories are intended for adult audiences.
Details: Tune in on Friday at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Free, but advance registration is required to receive the streaming link.
Made to Make: Healing Through Poetry With Gill Sotu
Poetry, Workshop
Inspired to try your own hand at telling your story? In a free workshop, San Diego poet and performer Gill Sotu will help participants communicate their “ideas, emotion and wisdom" through poetry. Sharing poetry is, according to Sotu, about connecting with your audience, so he’ll also teach you how to foster that connection through writing and performance. And this class is specifically geared to explore how sharing poetry can be healing. No prior experience in writing or poetry is necessary, and all you need is something to write with.
If you missed our recent interview with Sotu, you can catch up here.
Details: The workshop takes place on Zoom on Sunday at 6 p.m. Free, but registration is recommended.
’Romeo and Juliet’
Theater
The Old Globe ran their application-based Pam Farr Summer Shakespeare Studio program for high schoolers and recent graduates virtually this year. Sixteen teens from schools across the county participated in the intensive, three-week acting program that specializes in the unique performance, reading and foundational skills associated with Shakespeare, storyteller extraordinaire.
Along with a team of Globe teaching artists and staff, the cohort put together an adaptation of "Romeo and Juliet," presented and performed in video format by the students. It'll be aired as part of the program's final presentation this Saturday.
Details: Saturday at 1 p.m. on the Old Globe YouTube channel, Facebook Live or the Old Glove Arts Engagement Instagram Live. Free.
Spreckels Organ Pavilion Webcast and Live Chat
Music
San Diego's very own civic organist, Raul Prieto Ramirez has been recording organ music at Balboa Park's organ pavilion in relative secrecy, and the Spreckels Organ Society has been airing a webcast of the performances, plus a discussion, background stories, behind the scenes info and more with Ramirez, throughout the pandemic.
Starting in August, however, Ramirez will take some well-earned time off, so this Sunday, they'll broadcast some of the hits from the last few months.
Details: Sunday at 2 p.m. on YouTube or through the Spreckels Organ Society website.
TwainFest
Literature, Theater
TwainFest usually takes over Old Town each summer with not just Mark Twain's stories but a wide variety of 19th century literature, with special events, readings and performances by local actors. This year, the group will spread out the literary goodies online, over sixteen days, beginning Saturday.
Each day, a new episodic-style work will be released, featuring readings of works by Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson and more, plus some themed episodes and author salons.
If your pandemic reading list needs a dose of vintage storytelling, or maybe your "to-be-read" pile is insurmountable, it's the perfect time to let the pros read some classic hits aloud to you.
Details: Sign up to have daily readings emailed to you, beginning Saturday. Free.
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