Are you wanting to do something fun and interesting with your kids next week? Take them to Storyfest. A one-night event, Storyfest features live performances from young voices around the city of Memphis, giving audiences a peek into the lives of talented students.
Hosted by the Orpheum Theatre and in partnership with Middle College High School, students were selected from their theater class at Middle College High to participate in Storyfest. It is meant to give students, who haven’t had the opportunity before, to talk freely and share their stories in a safe space. “We wanted to create an event where anyone and everyone could have the ownership of their own story and be able to share it with the world,” says Jennifer McGrath, the Orpheum’s vice president of education, community engagement, and Halloran Centre programming.
Audiences are urged to not be quick to judge but to hone in on listening. “We can learn from [these students]. We can know what it feels like to process what they’re going through. We can understand something about them that maybe we didn’t understand before. Everybody that’s listening can learn and be able to exist in a more communal way with them,” McGrath states.
It is also worth mentioning that even though the Orpheum is known for its Broadway acts, they also provide many activities for young people to attend and participate in other than Storyfest. “We have a camp for young people who have experienced the death of one or both of their parents, and we have a camp for kids who stutter. And we do community engagement workshops. It’s important to communicate that, so that people know we want this to be a space for them,” McGrath adds.
Storyfest is Wednesday, February 26th, at 7 p.m., but doors will open at 6 p.m. so audiences are encouraged to arrive early to participate in the pre-show activities. For more information about Storyfest and to RSVP to receive a free parking pass, visit orpheum-memphis.com/events/storyfest.