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Washington Folk Festival
Jun. 2nd, 2008 05:37 amThe festival went pretty well. The performer parking was at a satellite lot, which was a bit annoying since it would have been a five minute or so walk to the park if there were sidewalks. I took the shuttle bus because I have a pretty high level of interest in not getting killed. (Yeah, you can walk along the shoulder of the road, but the area is decidedly pedestrian hostile.)
I pretty much hung out at the storytelling area before my performance, Which meant that I got to meet somebody who has been a significant presence (not generally in a positive sense) on an email list I used to read regularly. I didn't stop reading it because of him, but because of lack of time to keep up. He proved to be as strange in person as online.
The only issue I had with the space was really not with the space itself, but with people insisting on blocking off half the entranceway with strollers. I think I'll suggest them setting up (and enforcing) a designated stroller parking area next year. The other stages didn't seem to have the same issue, since most of them are outdoors. I used the fixed microphone, but I noticed some feedback when a teller later on used the head mike.
As for my performance, I felt it went okay but not brilliantly. The audience skewed a bit young for my material. Teve (my camel puppet) was a hit, though he seems to have developed a bit of a Brooklyn accent. I'm also glad I told the stories in the order I did (which I had debated about). I needed to cut out one I had planned to use since "The Tortoise and the Hare" took longer than I'd timed it at. Or maybe Michael's intro was longer than I'd expected.
After telling, I got my free lunch and hung out with some other storytellers for a while. I'd have liked to stay to hear and support some more folks, but I was tired from the late night Saturday night.
I pretty much hung out at the storytelling area before my performance, Which meant that I got to meet somebody who has been a significant presence (not generally in a positive sense) on an email list I used to read regularly. I didn't stop reading it because of him, but because of lack of time to keep up. He proved to be as strange in person as online.
The only issue I had with the space was really not with the space itself, but with people insisting on blocking off half the entranceway with strollers. I think I'll suggest them setting up (and enforcing) a designated stroller parking area next year. The other stages didn't seem to have the same issue, since most of them are outdoors. I used the fixed microphone, but I noticed some feedback when a teller later on used the head mike.
As for my performance, I felt it went okay but not brilliantly. The audience skewed a bit young for my material. Teve (my camel puppet) was a hit, though he seems to have developed a bit of a Brooklyn accent. I'm also glad I told the stories in the order I did (which I had debated about). I needed to cut out one I had planned to use since "The Tortoise and the Hare" took longer than I'd timed it at. Or maybe Michael's intro was longer than I'd expected.
After telling, I got my free lunch and hung out with some other storytellers for a while. I'd have liked to stay to hear and support some more folks, but I was tired from the late night Saturday night.
