You and Your Community's Story

1995, 14 pages. Roadside Theater, 306 Madison Street, Whitesburg, Kentucky, 41858, 606-633-0108.

A modest, appealing booklet, You and Your Community's Story outlines concepts and approaches often used by Roadside Theater Company in its community cultural residencies. The publication's preface states, "This is not a rule book, or a 'how to' book. It is a place to begin conversation about your story and your community's story." It introduces the role of the oral tradition, instructs a reader in ways to contemplate and organize his or her own story, and outlines a process for gathering and performing stories in community settings. While the exercises or guidelines are simple and the language in which they are presented plainspoken, the underlying principles of honoring the dignity of an individual and of a place and its history resonate clearly. "Each story is valuable and deserves attention."

Review by Frances Phillips, Walter and Elise Haas Fund