Life Stories

Discover how drama at the heart of life stories helps participants express their histories through acting, build confidence and communication, strengthen community, and yield artistic and therapeutic benefits.

Life Stories invites students to re-examine past choices through art as a lens, evaluate future decisions, and change the ending by taking charge of their narratives.

Identify participants in the Life Stories program, including seniors, and tailor approaches to their strengths and needs, tapping into their stories while setting safe ground rules and ensuring reliable attendance.

Begin with the end in mind to structure a life stories program, choosing among informal sharing, scripted performance, and film production to fit your group and final product.

Explore three life stories models—informal sharing, scripted performance, and film production—and learn how to pair the right model with your group’s needs, attendance, and goals.

Define partner responsibilities via a memo of understanding that clarifies teaching, materials, space, and safety, and requires a dedicated staff member to oversee life stories on-site.

Learn how nonprofits can access foundation and government funding, assess 501(c)(3) status options, and partner with organizations with 501(c)(3) status to submit joint proposals to teach life stories.

Partner with organizations to recruit participants for life stories by advertising with flyers and hosting informal meetings with snacks; address movement, privacy, and comfort with video to set expectations.

Establish a safe, inclusive atmosphere by communicating clearly, getting to know participants, and finding common ground through stories, circle seating, and shared expectations.

Select different exercises for each session, start with a warmup, then move into exercises, and end with a reflective question or homework to connect the sessions.

Begin with physical and vocal warm-ups to loosen the body and reduce inhibition, then build readiness through eight hops, breath work, and playful, relaxed group exercises.

Engage in eye-to-eye contact and a mirrored, slow-motion movement with a partner to stay exactly together, where leading and following nurture mutual care and inner connection.

Develops more complex, multi-person stories using toolkit examples such as 'once upon a time' and the 'I am from' poem; guides participants through collaborative storytelling in the next video.

Discover how the 'I am from' exercise prompts participants to open up about upbringing and commonalities, improvising from lists of places, foods, and people to reveal universal, meaningful connections.

Rehearse life stories by exploring discovery, improvisation, and clear actions and objectives, transforming participant material into monologues, scenes, or choral performances.

Group rehearsals turn a woman's story about her son's drug problem into a performable piece by exploring actions and objectives through notes, positive prompts, and experimentation.

Collaborate to select material, identify keepers, and map a 45‑to‑60‑minute show on a big board. Support self‑selection and roles while surfacing themes like parenting and turning points for post‑performance discussion.

Prepare and rehearse informal life story sharing by structuring monologues with fitting bookends, exploring essential details and audience impact, and coordinating group or choral pieces for a cohesive performance.

Explore storytelling techniques through a playback theater approach, rapidly developing characters and sharing personal stories with intergenerational audiences to build empathy and connection.

Investigate the shift from improvisation to a memorized script by reconnecting actors with their motivations and objectives through rehearsals, casting decisions, and off book milestones.

Coordinate space and technical needs for a scripted performance by communicating with the venue, planning lighting and sound, and marking the stage for rehearsal.

Coordinate with a videographer to edit hours of life story footage into a 40-minute film, aligning the storyline with participants’ interests and applying transitions, music, and final cuts.

Screen the film to help participants reimagine their lives and present artists' work. Start with participant or peer screenings, then a talk back that protects artists and fosters discussion.

Manage a life stories program by assessing resources, challenges, and your logic model, budgeting, securing partnerships, and evaluating teaching quality and outcomes, while pursuing diverse funding and formal agreements.

Evaluate the life stories program by journaling insights, gathering participant feedback with guided questions, and using evaluations to identify what works, what could be fixed, and how this informs funding.