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→ Programs

Thomas Doty – Storyteller

Performances & Talks

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Doty & Coyote: Stories from the Native West

Thomas Doty's storytellings are presented as Performances or Talks. Each program is 45-90 minutes long and recommended for ages 5 and older.

Performances are steeped in the native storytelling traditions of the West. They include Old Time myths from Doty's homeland of southern Oregon and northern California as well as stories from neighboring tribes. Traditional stories are framed with modern Doty & Coyote stories that provide present-day insights into ancient cultures ... a dramatic bridge between the present time and the vibrant Old Time world of native people.

In his Talks, Doty blends his storytelling skills with decades of living, researching and writing about his native culture. Talks include traditional and original stories, readings from his Doty & Coyote books and discussions with the audience that are engaging and vibrant. Each talk goes into depth on a specific topic. Topics include "A Native View of Homeland," "The Foolish Wisdom of Tricksters," "Remaking Our Mythology," "Mister Bear's Dance of the Seasons," "Rock People are the Oldest Storytellers," and others. Talks can be booked individually or as a series.

           

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Thomas Doty's one-man storytellings are staged simply: no set, no props. They come alive with movements, gestures, expressions, voices and words.

Imagine this scene a thousand years ago ... or right now: Storyteller and listeners eye each other. The teller inwardly gathers the tools of myth. The room breathes deep, and....

Movements create the sun and moon. Creatures tread lightly. Time becomes Mythtime, the breath of words connecting listeners to storyteller.

"Listen and watch and I'll tell you a story from a time when animals and people were not so different. I will tell how how it was one night in September in the Klamath country when stars flared, and a quarter moon tipped sideways across the sky, spilling light."

"I'll tell you how it went with my old friend Coyote as he traipsed through the shadows, pulling in breaths of night air and eyeing sparks of the night stars. Coyote loved watching the stars...."

Stories circle through humor and drama and back to the stillness. Like firelight dimming to old coals, the earth is quiet and listening, quiet as smoke.

But the stories live on. Storyteller and listeners feel full of pictures and ideas, laughter, compassion ... full in a good way.

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