Gerald McDermott Trickster Tales – A Foundation for Oral Storytelling…and Dance

Hi. My name is Chrissie DiAngelus and I own and run a performing arts agency, Piccadilly Arts. I represent several imaginative dance and theatre companies that create programs specifically for families and young audiences. One of my artists, The Treehouse Shakers, is a dance theatre company based in New York City. They create dance plays that introduce young audiences to the language of movement and modern dance through meaningful storytelling. Modern dance can be tough to comprehend, even for the experienced art goer and trained dancer – so how fortunate that the Treehouse Shakers have choreographed imaginative dance plays around cultural folklore – fables and folktales that each of us knows – so we might be introduced and grasp the communal nature of dance.

The Treehouse Shakers take centuries old trickster tales and script them out into a play and present them onstage as narrations. They easily tie into the many Gerald McDermott stories. One of my favorites is the story of Coyote, a trickster tale from the Native American Southwest. In Gerald’s story, Coyote is a trouble maker. He has a nose for trouble! He sees the crows and wants to be like them – flying freely. The crows agree to teach him to fly but when Coyote learns, he becomes full of himself, bragging and boasting. The crows decide to teach him a lesson.

The “trickster” in the stories is personified and takes on human traits and characteristics. They remind us of our own quests, successes, failures, and lessons. It is how and why we can all relate – to Coyote’s desires, mischievous ways, pride, fall, and of course, many lives.

McDermott writes, “The trickster has special appeal for children because of his ability to triumph over larger foes not by physical strength but by wit and cunning. In addition, tales of the trickster still speak to us in a gentle, humorous way about the strengths and weaknesses of humankind.”

This book is beautifully illustrated in a very Southwest style: Bold colors, harsh angles, and a Native American landscape mark the layout.

The Treehouse Shakers bring the story to life on stage with gorgeous handcrafted costumes, live percussion, and a play that stays true to the nature of storytelling. The essence of true (and good) storytelling is the ability of the storyteller to orally create the scene – the setting – and lead us via narrative – beginning, middle, end – through the journey. Of equal importance is the ability to evoke suspense and surprise. Stories need to be set up, need a character, need a quest, a conflict, and a resolution. Trickster tales like Gerald McDermott’s are perfect for oral storytelling and stage adaptation. And the best stories are challenging ones, the ones that speak to the human condition.

Gerald McDermott books are available in your local library or online at Amazon.

Chrissie DiAngelus is an Artist Manager and Communications Consultant. She founded Piccadilly Arts in 2006 as a freelance marketing and branding consultant to small businesses and nonprofits. Since 2010 has grown the company into a performing arts agency that specializes in managing the careers, tours, and projects of family focused theater and dance companies. For the 12/13 season, the roster includes imaginative artists Do Jump! Extremely Physical Theatre; The Treehouse Shakers; The VonOrthal Puppets; and Zany Umbrella Circus.

Piccadilly Arts values imagination, community, experience, and social change, particularly as it relates to art and education. We envision a better model of family, youth, and children’s programming: one that embraces sophisticated, thought-provoking and imaginative productions that are artistically and technically proficient as well as emotionally and intellectually challenging. Our mission is to raise the visibility and status of family programming in this country by embracing our values and seeking meaningful relationships, collaborations, tours and residencies, and opportunities with those that share our vision.