Author and Poet Gloria Munoz speaks at the Stories, Poetry and Motion event held at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. Courtesy of Chris Zuppa
By Kelli Carmack
Your Real Stories Inc. is a local organization dedicated to promoting storytelling through theater, dance, poetry and various other mediums. They call it theatrical journalism.
Lillian Dunlap, co-founder of Your Real Stories, attributes many factors to her starting the organization. With a background in television reporting, Dunlap said she never really had time to actually listen to people’s stories due to intense deadlines. Dunlap also worked as a diversity coach and consultant in places like South Africa, Serbia and the United Kingdom, which she says helped her grow tremendously as a storyteller.
“It gave me a lot of information on how people feel and how they resonate … I’m convinced that you cannot have an excellent story without adhering to the principles of diversity,” Dunlap said.
One of Your Real Stories’ most highly anticipated events is its annual week-long festival, “Story Days in Tampa Bay,” which won the 2017 Creative Loafing award for Best Mix of Theatre, Storytelling and Activism.
This year’s “Story Days” runs from Oct. 1-6. There will be a total of 12 events throughout the week, including:
Irma & Maria: Hurricane Stories, One Year Later. This event will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Poynter Institute.
We all remember the fear felt and tragedy caused by hurricanes Irma and Maria, and Your Real Stories Inc. is letting people talk about just that. Jaye Sheldon, co-founder of Your Real Stories and the main event programmer of “Story Days,” says she’s most excited for this event.
“We’ve been given the opportunity to hear the stories of people who have experienced these hurricanes … and I think it’s important for people to hear,” Sheldon said.
Short Film Screening: The Visual Narrative. The Dali Museum, 1 Dali Blvd., will host this event from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 3. Tampa Bay Times photojournalists will screen their short films for their series: “Everyday Tampa Bay.”
Stories, Poetry & Motion. This event will take place on Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. at the Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE.
Published author and poet Gloria Munoz’s poetry will be showcased through dance by four performers. Munoz says it was the use of image, sound and rhythm to convey an image and feeling that drew her into poetry.
The themes in Munoz’s featured poems at the event will range from the female body to feminism and what it means to be “an other.” Munoz believes “Story Days” is absolutely crucial to St. Petersburg.
“It does an incredible job of getting different people together,” Munoz said.
When asked what they hope people get out of “Story Days,” Sheldon hopes people are exposed to something new and Dunlap said she wants people to have a good time and to just enjoy themselves.
Along with co-founding Your Real Stories Inc. and helping Sheldon prepare for “Story Days,” Dunlap is also an adjunct professor at USF St. Petersburg, teaching Creative Storytelling, a journalism elective in which students produce stories through various mediums and work closely with the performers and collaborators of “Story Days” for inspiration.
Emily Vsetula, a senior mass communications major, is enrolled in Creative Storytelling with Dunlap.
“The professor’s enthusiasm and sincere love for Your Real Stories is what gets me excited … I really appreciate the way I’m encouraged to be myself … and to create a story that I’m passionate about,” Vsetula said.
Vsetula says she’s most excited for the Choose Your Own Adventure: Live event, which will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 4 at Iberian Rooster, 475 Central Ave. N.
“Lately I’ve been doing a lot of creative writing and I can’t wait to interview the performers in that skit and learn about how they improvise so quickly,” Vsetula said.
To learn more about the events and Your Real Stories Inc., go to http://www.yourrealstories.org.
