Innervision and Innertext: Oral and Interpretive Modes of Storytelling Performance

Abstract

"Within the past twenty years there has evolved a national--even, to a limited extent, an international--community of performers who position themselves under the sign of a self-conscious revival of traditional storytelling. Although their actual practices cover a wide range of performance conventions--from a variety of ethnic traditional storytelling styles, to standup comedy, to theatrical impersonation, to autobiographical performance art, to oral interpretation--these contemporary performers share in the invocation of ancient traditions and roles as a common signifying framework."--Introduction.