Author Archives: Darlene Green

Children enjoy seasonal stories and strawberries with cream because they are as sweet as strawberry ice cream! I am the Storytelling Queen, and I love to tell a children’s story with a seasonal scene. Our company, D. Green Storytelling, believes it is important for our children’s stories to change with and reflect the current season. While performing as a children’s entertainer, I have a plethora of original stories that are highly enjoyable any time of the year. I also have created numerous stories that are more appropriate for certain times and seasons. I take pride in performing stories with seasonal themes, which helps children form close connections with the story characters, as they experience, interact, and learn about seasonal objects, foods, events, etc. that come alive in these characters and stories. For example, when I was one of the featured performers at the Strawberry Festival, I wrote a story about strawberries. Children at the festival were thoroughly entertained during the storytelling. Even though this particular story was created for and introduced at the Strawberry Festival, I currently continue to present the story for other events and audiences during the spring and summer because of the great joy young listeners experience while the story is being performed.

My strawberry story has become a favorite among many age groups, and I get numerous requests to perform the story at various events during strawberry season, which generally ranges from late April to August. Children can easily relate to the main characters in the story (who are strawberries!) because many of the children are eating strawberries alone or combined with other foods at home, school, amusement parks, fairs, daycare centers, etc. during the strawberry season. For example, when I recently used the strawberry story during a show for a wonderful group of youngsters at a daycare facility, they were excited and made immediate connections with the strawberry characters in the storyline (and the strawberry products). It was evident that the children immediately bonded with the strawberry characters because, once they saw the characters, they were instantly engaged and focused on them throughout the story, which was the goal. During the story, the children formed a special friendship with the characters, which allowed them to share the characters’ happy feelings, as solutions to problems were presented during the story’s grand finale. In addition, because of the strong connection the children made with the story characters (the strawberries), it was easy for them to learn the valuable lessons that their friends, the strawberry characters, also had learned.

Even though an audience can enjoy the strawberry story any time of the year, I have noticed that special connections are made with the main characters during the actual strawberry season, which allows the children to increase their literacy skills by experiencing story engagement and story comprehension on their highest levels.

Just as children relate more to strawberry characters during the (spring and summer) strawberry season, likewise, in the fall, my stories with pumpkins and turkeys are always a big hit. Obviously, pumpkins and turkeys are popular symbols of fall, as students across the country take numerous trips to pumpkin patches and look forward to having a Thanksgiving feast, which almost always includes a turkey. After telling the story with the turkey character, I was honored when students said that they were thankful for my turkey play. Our fall collection also includes stories with “The Wacky Witch (Halloween Connections),” “Veteran’s Day Awards” etc.”

Another example of a seasonal favorite is our storytelling show with Mrs. Claus, which is highly requested during late November and December (because of the obvious connection to Santa Claus). Audience feedback indicates that the children are grateful to learn meaningful lessons and why it is important to give during the holiday season. We are always motivated by the audiences’ reactions to share our special messages through the character of Mrs. Claus with young audiences during the season of merriment and giving.

In January, our Martin Luther King show is preferred by many, as they like this unique method of receiving knowledge about Dr. King, which includes learning the meaning of his “I Have a Dream” speech. In February, in addition to our Black History shows, it is our pleasure to present shows with valentines as the main characters. On March 17 of this year, we were thrilled to introduce our interactive St. Patrick’s Day show, which delighted the audience as they anxiously became part of the storyline and helped Lucky Leprechaun and his friends solve problems. Our spring shows also feature fun bunny tales, in which students easily and excitedly connect with the bunny characters as well as the popular strawberry story. Our stories with patriotic story lines (“Go USA”) are requested throughout the year for special events that occur on or near Memorial Day, Flag Day, July 4^th, Labor Day, Veterans’ Day, Presidents’ Day, etc.

Customers enjoy selecting packages, which feature combinations of our original stories (that can be enjoyed any time of the year) with holiday/seasonal stories or exclusively seasonal stories. We feel that it is important to continue to create a large variety of stories that coordinate with the seasons. Children learn about and experience seasonal changes and the world around them in many forms. We are proud to use the performing art of storytelling as a valuable literacy tool that reinforces the enjoyment and knowledge of seasonal changes as children engage in audience participation and experience live entertainment. Experiencing the presentation of seasonal storytelling concerts can be compared with delicious strawberries—they are both seasonal treats with numerous benefits that are good for you!

How interesting that, on New Year’s Day, cornbread is so popular because it is the same color as gold.  In 2016, I will nourish my audiences with plenty of golden cornbread in the performing art of storytelling.  2016 is also an Olympic year—the world’s greatest athletes will gather in Rio and will be “going for the gold” because gold medals represent the highest standard of excellence.  Most athletes train for years to attain their dreams of earning such a medal.  Like the Olympic athletes, I will be going for the gold during each storytelling performance, as I aim to present the highest-level storytelling shows for our world’s true “gold”—our future, our children.

Storytelling, as an art form, can be compared with gold.  Just as gold is one of the most precious metals (used to make priceless jewelry and other irreplaceable items), which has been known to exist before recorded history, storytelling is one of the oldest forms of communication and entertainment, which also has been available and used by mankind before recorded history.  Thus, storytelling and gold have passed the test of time and are as valuable today as they were in the past.  How splendid that, in this modern time of digital devices and large-scale entertainment budgets, the performing art of storytelling consistently remains a highly favored method of children’s entertainment.  The true “gold” that the skilled storyteller delivers is the valuable message that is gift wrapped as entertainment through live story characters, props, voice alterations, etc.  For example, during our recent “Storytellings with Mrs. Claus” shows, the children in the audience bonded with the main characters; this connection allowed the children to share the feelings of the animated story characters (such as sadness when problems occur and overwhelming joy when the characters experience victory, as their problems are solved at the end of the story) and learn the same lessons that the characters learned.

As one holiday season comes to a close and a new year begins, it’s always a good time to reflect on the special moments and events that have taken place over the past few weeks.  Often times, the true meaning of the season can get lost in all the commercial hype and focus on buying and receiving gifts.  However, I have found storytelling to be a golden vessel to deliver engaging lessons to children of all ages during the holiday seasons.  Even though some may view Santa Claus as the ultimate symbol of the commercialism for the holiday season, my “Storytellings with Mrs. Claus” focus on giving rather than receiving during that time of the year.  Our plays are well received by attentive audiences who leave the shows with a sense of wanting to serve their communities.  What’s amazing is that our audiences consist of children from all types of backgrounds, which helps the children develop a sense of giving at a young age.  The lessons learned and the meaningful messages received while experiencing the gift of storytelling can be as priceless as gold.  These lifelong lessons stay with the children long after the shows are over.  The key is to make the shows entertaining and enjoyable because children (as well as adults) learn best in times of joy.  I look forward to sharing our golden standards of excellence shows with our youth this year!

One of the most satisfying rewards of being a children’s storyteller is having numerous opportunities to create a positive future by making powerful stories come alive for young audiences. Recently, one such opportunity was presented to me when a Girl Scout Brownie troop leader requested a special storytelling show for her girls. She wanted her Brownie troop to experience a story that would get them to think about ways they could have an impact on the world. I sent her the story’s main ideas, which she thought were perfect.

On the evening of the storytelling, at a church in Virginia Beach, I explained to the girls that I (The Storytelling Queen) have many crowns and why I selected the crown for that evening. My crown resembled the headgear worn by the fictional superhero, Wonder Woman. I chose the “wonder” crown with the red star in the center because, when I share motivational stories with youth organizations, I feel just as powerful as Wonder Woman. (At previous storytelling shows, audience members described me as “the superhero of storytelling, with supernatural powers that bring superb stories to life.”)

The title of the show for the Girl Scouts was “Truly Beautiful Girls.” As the story characters were vividly presented (through my usual alternating voice interpretations, props, and stage settings, etc.), I could see and feel the girls making a connection with those characters. I was delighted because the goal of the presentation was for the girls to form a link and identify with the story characters and actually see themselves in the characters. Thus, as the story characters had a powerful global impact, so could the Brownies.

The Brownie troop (and their leaders) remained attentive and appeared joyful during the performance. I was excited by their reaction because I truly felt how significant my role as the storyteller was in reinforcing character and self-confidence in the girls, which will help them to set high goals for themselves. When my stories inspire youth groups, such as the Girl Scout Brownies, to set standards of excellence and aim to reach their highest potential, I am touching the future in an amazing way, and I am thrilled to be able to do this by telling exceptional stories that serve as vessels for the creation of achievable dreams.

After the storytelling, the Brownies and their troop leaders expressed their appreciation. In addition, they were complimentary and said the story was great. After thanking them for their commendations, I began to think about what really makes a story great. When hearing a great story, in addition to being thoroughly entertained, a meaningful message(s) is received that has a profound influence on the listeners and/or audience members. I felt humbled that the Girl Scouts had given my story the title of “great” because this was evidence of the positive effect that the story had on them.

I believe strongly in the Girl Scouts’ mission, which includes instilling courage and confidence in girls to help them make the world a better place. I am privileged to use my storytelling skills to help the Girls Scouts achieve their objectives and earn their awards.

The best description of what a children’s storyteller does is, simply, to provide live entertainment for children. Authentic children’s storytellers use a variety of techniques to magically bring stories to life, which include but are not limited to the spoken word. For example, although talking is the primary method used in my storytelling shows, it is not my only tool. I entertain children using dramatic interpretations of different characters, alternating voices, singing, and movement, which often includes dancing. Props, puppets, and costumes also may be used in my productions. Many have used the terms “actress” and “storyteller” interchangeably to describe my performances. For example, one parent, who had previously brought her children to an event, stated that I was “a great actress.” She then turned to her companion and informed him that, “Ms. Green is an amazing storyteller.” (Of course, I thanked her for the compliments.) Another description came from a parent that I encountered in a grocery store: She wanted to know when my next play would be because she wanted to bring her children to the show. (I was happy to provide her with that information.) Thus, she described the storytelling experience as both a play and a show.

Both of these descriptions are accurate because the best way for a storyteller to bring stories to life is to perform in the role of an actor/actress, while interpreting the personalities and movements of various characters. Thus, the audience is ultimately entertained. For example, when I recently performed at Lil’ Rascals Preschool and Daycare facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, the audience of two- to four-year-old children became well engaged with the show. I also performed for the five- to 12-year-old children who were just as engaged. These responses have a positive effect on me, which motivates me to perform at my highest level. While performing as the Storytelling Queen, I am proud to provide educational entertainment for children of all ages.

I feel a great sense of achievement when the parents who attend our shows turn off their cell-phones and/or other digital devices and listen as attentively as their children, which is important because they can continue to share their positive experiences by having conversations about the stories when the show is over. One parent, who had brought her 18-month-old son to the show, informed me that he usually was not quiet during these types of events (she was prepared to take him out of the facility if he started crying and had even thought about giving her tickets to another parent). However, she was pleasantly surprised by his reaction to the stories because he quietly watched the entire show and was “truly entertained.” The mom also stated that she enjoyed the presentation as much as her infant son did and would attend future events. The level of enjoyment is determined by one’s feelings of excitement and interest while watching the storytelling shows. How amazing that, even in this digital age of profound technology, we can form a link with our ancestors’ past by sharing the common experiences of enjoying entertainment and sharing information through storytelling. The company that I belong to, D. Green Storytelling, believes that every child is a star and should be treated like a prince and/or princess. We are honored to provide royal entertainment for all of our children.

I believe that it is important for local companies to consistently maintain close community relationships. My company, D. Green Storytelling, was excited to perform at the Fifth Annual Summer Fun storytelling show for the Virginia Beach Department of Parks and Recreation kids on July 15, 2015. There is such a sense of accomplishment and commitment experienced when reaching the milestone of consistently performing (over four years) for a particular community group. Comparisons and connections can be made with other major goals, which are earned and completed in four years: a high school diploma, a college degree, a presidential (of the United States) term, etc. I like to think of my fifth summer concert (for this particular group) as the beginning of my second presidential term and thus creating closer ties with this wonderful organization. The reason I compare my fifth storytelling show to a second presidential term is because the connection and relationship within my local community is just as important to me as being the president of our great country. Although I have consistently maintained the number one/page one ranking for the global Google search for “children’s storyteller” (and experienced the accompanying benefits of the prestigious ranking) for several years, achieving a number one ranking as a children’s storyteller in my local community is just as notable for me.

The specific group of youngsters (for which the annual summer concerts are performed) within the Virginia Beach Department of Parks and Recreation community consists of first and second grade students enrolled in RISE (recreation, imagination, socialization, and education) summer camps. Although the children’s faces have changed throughout the years, the smiles are just as bright, the sparkle in their eyes is just as radiant, and the engagement level is just as high as when the original concert was presented for this community organization over four years ago. For example, the return of the original literacy action hero, the Powerful Pencil Lady (with a new sidekick), was just as thrilling for the children (on July 15, 2015) as was the arrival of the same original literacy action hero for the show’s audience in previous years. Nothing can compare with the level of gratitude that the children and staff have consistently expressed over the years. It makes my heart melt when children come to me after the storytelling concert to express thanks with statements such as “Thank you for the show” and “That was the greatest play I ever saw. Thank you.” A feeling of satisfaction is derived from giving back to the community. My company is proud to increase the cultural opportunities for our local children to experience the joy of the performing art of storytelling. I am well known as the Storytelling Queen. A true queen gives back to her community because consistent community involvement is a representation of authentic royalty.