Featuring: Mara Capy (shown left of Gail Herman)
Mentor, Dancer of Body & Words, Storyteller
Mara Capy has influenced Gail Herman and many others. While I never met her, I am grateful for the willingness of Gail Herman to videotape some memories as well as provide written thoughts. Through this way, I learned of Mara’s ability to dance with her body and words. While I watched Gail describe Mara, I felt like a glimpse of Mara’s spirit was within and guiding her movements.
Mara tended to tell for adult audiences while using a highly engaging method to involve these people in the folktales she told. Gail said that Mara leaned towards folktales from Ghana though loved many of the traditional tales. She enjoyed traditions or methods while interacting. Sometimes the audience would be taught to say phrases or be welcomed to take over the story for a little bit before Mara would guide the story again. She enjoyed having the audience members compliment on the efforts of other audience members to be involved.
Gail Herman saw that these techniques could be adapted with children. Gail uses these methods to this day.
You can see more details on Mara Capy’s page with the Story Artists Memorial.
If you have links to add – video, audio, articles – please share by emailing info@storycrossroads.org or commenting on this blog post.
Do you know a Story Artist who has passed on and want others to remember them? Memories? Pictures? You can submit names and memories of Story Artists who have passed on through our online form.
I appreciate Mara Capy with her way of involving the audience and feeling important in the whole story.
Mara still has a story. You have a story. We all have stories.