The figure of the cantaor is found within two great lines, the arc of the sky on the outside, and on the inside the zigzag that wanders like a snake through his heart.

Federico Garcia Lorca

The great Spanish writer of the 20^th century, Federico Garcia Lorca, wrote extensively about this “mysterious power which everyone senses and no philosopher explains,” which is the Duende.

In this three-session workshop we will seek that Duende by tapping in to our soulful reservoir in order to realize the stories that we are passionate to tell.  Marissa Chibás will share exercises and prompts from the solo performance section of her book, Mythic Imagination and the Actor, in order to bring to light these powerful creative expressions.  Stories come to us because they need to be told. What we need to do is wait, listen, and be receptive. With the help of the Mayan God of writing Itzmana, and the Greek Goddess of the arts and memory, Mnemosyne, we will delve in to the images and sounds stirring in our psyches and bring them forward to witness what they offer us.

We will look at the work of actor/writer Kalean Ung, who will join us as a special guest for session two, and her journey creating her solo performance, Letters From Home, about her Cambodian father, Dr. Chinary Ung, an internationally renowned composer, and stories about her relatives who were refugees from the Khmer Rouge/ Cambodian Genocide.  Through this work we will see the power of going to the heart of a painful family history and offering community healing through storytelling.[/fusion_text][/one_full][four_fifth last=”no” spacing=”yes” center_content=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” hover_type=”none” link=”” border_position=”all” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” animation_type=”” animation_direction=”” animation_speed=”0.1″ animation_offset=”” class=”” id=””][fusion_text]Some of the questions we will be inviting are –

• How are the stories we craft connected to our soul’s purpose?
• What stories and themes have stayed with me?
• How do I connect with my inner oracle to guide my process?
• How can sharing our stories be a portal to alchemy and healing?

The tools shared in this workshop can be of support to therapists, artists, and anyone eager to deepen their creative practice.