Nicolo The Jester

This evening, at the Germantown, Maryland library, I experienced another side of Storyteller Nick Newlin as he brought to life his alter-ego Nicolo the Jester. 

And what fun he was!

The room was heaving with dozens of tiny toddlers, their older siblings and watchful adults and Nicolo kept them all entranced with his juggling, his audience participation stories, his vivid costume, his poetry and his delightful joie de vivre. 

Although I don’t normally like someone telling me what to do from the stage (a stubborn reaction from too many years of preacher’s saying “turn to your neighbor and tell them…”) I found myself joining in all the silly songs, and every “repeat after me” – and what’s more thoroughly enjoyed doing so! 

Perhaps the difference was that Nicolo didn’t take himself too seriously – and that he didn’t talk down to his predominantly pint-sized audience. 

For one glorious hour we were all equal citizens of Never Never land where anything was possible – little girls became queens, seven year old boys became princes and all volunteers were awarded temporary custody of glorious hats denoting nobility in the kingdom and were instantly able to juggle!

At the end of the evening Nick knelt down and became the Pied Piper as children swarmed him. 

They asked him questions.  They posed for pictures taken with him by doting adults.  He gave each one focused attention and shook their hand.   

The evening was a delight! 

If you need a juggler or a jester for anything – especially a children’s event – choose Nicolo.

The children left with magic in their eyes.

And so did this adult.

Destination? Slammer! Has Been Recorded!

I am delighted to report that the recording of my one woman story show “Destination? Slammer!” on Sunday evening was a great success.

Thank you to all who came out.  Thank you to all who prayed. 

Thank you Lord for answering those prayers!

Beans in the Belfry, a defunct Brunswick, Maryland church, now a delightfully quirky coffee shop was the perfect choice for the venue.  The place oozes with character and on Sunday it was packed with people and the applause and laughter were loud and frequent.

Three days after the event I am only just landing after being afloat in a bubble of “once upon a time” delight! 

My euphoria was enhanced by the comments of attendees.  Bruce Saunders, a friend and excellent professional communicator who attended the show with his family, wrote on Facebook:

“Not many people can use words effectively – you are a masterful story teller. I think all in the room ended up on your magic carpet, taken to other times and experiences.  Really loved the wry and gently humor and the way you brought things back around to points of growth and life lessons for each vignette.”

Another review was written by Chuck Tressler, the founder of the North Eastern Storytelling Festival, He wrote:

Buckley A Hit! 

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Approximately 20 members of Redeemer International Family Church and dozens of others experienced the taping of Geraldine Buckley's first CD at Brunswick's Beans in the Belfry coffee house Sunday evening, the 25th.

In a word, Geraldine was sensational.  Thoroughly entertaining...in not only words, but in her gesticulations and presentation as well...she regaled the audience with stories of an incredibly varied and altogether fascinating life.  A life that spanned Nancy Drew-style capers in Catholic boarding school to serving sangria to nuns in Spain to suppers with Lady Bird Johnson (yes, the President's wife) to years in prison (buy the CD and find out what that means!) Oh, and her British accent added to the charm.

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Enough! 

Enough tooting of my own horn! 

It is back to reality...

Editing and packaging are the next tasks.

I am hoping that the CD’s will be ready by the beginning of September.  I will let everyone know as soon as they are available.  Indeed you might not need to have access to this blog, Facebook or your email to receive the news.

If you listen carefully you might well be alerted to the arrival of the finished product by my nation-spanning squeals of delight!

Yea God!

Awash With Words

The last ten days – all oppressively hot - swirled past me crackling with creativity.

A SpeakeasyDC open mike; as many Capital Fringe shows as I could stuff into my schedule; rehearsing my upcoming show “Destination? Slammer!” and discussing plans for another show, a possible collaboration with Storyteller Ellouise Schoettler, have kept me deliciously immersed in the creative process.

Followers of this blog will know that I am a sold out fan of the Washington DC biographical storytelling organization, SpeakeasyDC – so it was a joy to be part of the lineup for their monthly gathering on July 13^th. 

The theme was “Lonely Planet: Stories About Road Trips, Travel And Being Away From Home” and the tales were gripping – each one a gem. 

Top notch storytellers told tales that ranged from reaching international accord on the ice flows of the Artic, discovering a true calling while at a Grateful Dead concert and a malaria-induced change of philosophy. 

I shared about going away from home at eleven to attend a convent boarding school, longing to have a midnight feast and the subsequent ensuing adventures.

The audience loved it and I had such fun in the telling! 

Part of SpeakeasyDC’s success is having Education Director, Stephanie Garibaldi, give each participant a compulsory one hour telephone coaching session before taking the stage. As always the finished result was an excellent evening.

The Capital Fringe ends on July 25^th and I managed to see six shows (next year I’ll plan to attend many more.)  One of those I saw twice and three were packed into the same day! 

Besides Ellouise Schoettler’s “Pushing Boundaries” I particularly enjoyed Slash Coleman’s thoughtful one man show ‘Chaidentity” where Slash, a Holocaust survivor’s son, learns to embrace his religious and creative heritage.  (His maternal grandfather, originally a performer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris, became a Resistance fighter after Hitler banned Jews from participating in any creative activity.)

On the opposite end of the seriousness scale was the sold out show “Logic, Luck or Love,” where two men and two women explore the thrills and heartbreak they encounter along the road to find true love.  It received a standing ovation on its opening night and garnered a fabulous review – all well deserved.

So now I am awash with glorious words! 

And I’m loving every syllable!

Showcase Showdown

I raced back down the road yesterday evening to see SpeakeasyDC’s Capital Fringe entry, “Showcase Showdown.” 

Before leaving, absorbed in an article-writing. word-induced haze, I was oblivious that I had long passed my planned time of departure. On seeing the clock I hurled myself into the car, praying furiously.

Fringe shows advertise that no one will be allowed in after the start of the performance and it would be a minor miracle if I made the deadline.

I’ll have you know I did the Saturday evening trip from my front door in Frederick, Maryland to the Navy Memorial near the Washington DC Convention Center in 80 minutes (if not a world record then certainly my personal best.)  

And no I wasn’t speeding – the traffic parted by prayer power.

Five minutes before show time I abandoned my car at a valet parking sign in front of an up-market club steps from the venue.  Blessings and thanks to the young man who took pity on me and bent the patron-only rules so that I wouldn’t miss the show. 

I knew the car would be safe with him.  His name was Emmanuel – God with us!

In the foyer I ran into fellow cast members Kriya Kaping and Laurie Frederik Meer from SpeakeasyDC’s Father’s Day show “Who’s Your Daddy?”  With moments to spare, and with me muttering thanks to the Almighty, we slid into our seats in the beautiful venue – the Burke Theatre in the Navy Heritage Center.

Directed by SpeakeasyDC director Amy Saidman, the show was worth the nail-biting journey. 

Based on game shows of the last few decades, with much audience interaction, a contestant’s row, spoof prizes and ancient commercials, Showcase Showdown’s talented cast spun stories with alternative endings, told truth or lie tales, and generally mimicked the game show genre. 

And it worked! 

The audience loved it.  I loved it – even though I missed many of the nostalgia references.

Part of cultural consciousness is the shared bond of television shows watched in youth.   Being British born and not owning a television set I was an alien awash at times - but delighted to be in a crowd of people who were reliving days spent in family dens long ago and far away.

Known for its sold out, excellently conceived and executed shows - SpeakeasyDC did it again! 

Kevin Boggs was hilarious as the slightly smarmy contest master resplendent in a double breasted black velvet jacket who had a frozen, full-on smile as he accompanied contestants back to “the listening lounge.”

Stories that stood out were SpeakeasyDC’s Education Director, Stephanie Garibaldi sharing an hilarious incident that happened while working for Seargent Shriver; Regie Cabico narrating a paranormal event that freaked a friend; Christopher Love talking about a startling roommate and Sheldon’s Scott’s description of a childhood spelling bee.  All were rich in images and humor and there was enough depth in each story to capture the imagination and leave you laughing and thinking long after the show was over.

Which was useful as an accident blocked 270 causing a two hour trip back to Frederick.

The Fifth Capital Fringe Festival has begun!

The Fifth Capital Fringe Festival has begun! 

132 shows will take place in the last three weeks of July!

The excitement has been palpable.  And now, like much anticipated rain after a long hot dry spell the Fringe is flowing theater into the streets of Washington DC.

Many of my friends are performing and I will be spending time racing down the road from Frederick to see and experience as much as I can while rushing back to rehearse my own show, “Destination?  Slammer!” which will be recorded in front of live audience on July 25^th.

Although the Fringe official opening night was July 8^th my first taste of the action was the following evening as crew for Ellouise Shoettler’s production “Pushing Boundaries” on the very plush mainstage at the Goethe Institut at 812 Seventh Street NW. 

For the second time in a week the Almighty provided a surprise soundtrack!

Ellouise was doing a one woman performance explaining how she stumbled into national politics as a mover and shaker in the second wave of the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment) movement of the 1970’s.  It is an important story, for though the bill was three states short and so was never passed, the groundwork that was laid by those pioneering women has enabled present-day women in the US to rise to heights unprecedented in previous generations.

Ellouise told her story superbly. The ending was unintentionally yet wonderfully dramatic. Ellouise had just said: " seeds that were sown then are coming to fruition now..." And the fire alarm went off !  As though a message was coming from the heavenlies -"and the candles that were lit then have turned into a modern day firestorm!"

I love the Lord’s sense of humor!

While we were waiting to discover that the alarm was a false one, tripped unintentionally by the next door restaurant, Ellouise, cool, calm and collected, regrouped everyone on the sidewalk and carried on.  And the audience was so with her and so involved in the story that they all stayed listening intently in the heat of a DC night, sharing their own stories and memories.  It was a brilliant ending to a wonderful evening.

And Ellouise scored a fabulous, well deserved review.

Icing on an exceptional cake!