Verena Tay

Areas Covered

• How to choose and adapt stories for performance
• Telling for children vs. telling for adults
• Vocal skills: speech clarity, projection, expressiveness
• Presentation skills: awareness of body language, use of gestures, working with props/visual aids
• Rehearsal skills: regarding different methods of preparation
• Performance skills: physical & vocal warm-ups, how to overcome nerves, coping with gaffes

Pre-Workshop Preparation

For Participants

• Participants who are able to communicate fluently in English are welcome.
• Please come dressed in loose, comfortable clothing so that you will not feel constricted while doing the various breathing and vocal exercises.
• Please have ready 2 stories that you would like to learn to tell or to improve the telling of.

For Organisers

• Please make available a fair-sized room that can easily accommodate all the workshop participants and the facilitator (seated in a circular formation). Please make sure that any other tables and chairs are stored against the wall or outside the room so that the participants have space to move freely about the space when they do the various exercises.
• Please make sure that the room has been vacuumed thoroughly before the workshop. The participants will be doing deep breathing exercises; thus a dusty environment would not be conducive at all.
• Please provide a large whiteboard and pens as well as access to computer/computer projection to show PowerPoint slides.
• Please make copies of hand-outs that will be emailed to prior to the workshop. The hand-outs are to be given to the participants at the end of the workshop.

Feedback

Participants’ Feedback on Verena Tay’s Beyond Storytelling 101 Course (2012)

“The tools given to improve breathing, change voice, tone and volume at the right time, articulation and intonation. Awareness of our body movements, facial expressions and body language. Exchange of constructive criticism coming from you and fellow students. Handouts with relevant information.  Useful voice and facial exercises, standing positions. Thank you very much for teaching us all these wonderful new things.”

Claudia Hyun

“Preparing our voice, using the exercise and projection of voice, warming up the body. Crafting the story, having a clear storyline. Knowing when to dramatise, when to hold back. Enjoying the story while telling! I think the last exercise, of using a personal anecdote to craft a story was an eye-opener. The workshop has been very rewarding and helpful.”

Anindita Mishra

“The correct alignment, voice observations, & exercises. The different process for storytelling, the different techniques. What I learnt is very helpful. And there’s so much more to learn.”

Corina Tennakoons

“The technique. The perspective. It opened up a new world of characters, perspectives, control & discipline of telling a story.”

Richa Shukla

“I feel that I greatly benefited from the vocal skills training training. The taught us how to explore our articulators and I have gained a greater awareness of how I can manipulate my voice for more effective telling. It was a very enjoyable series of sessions that I believe have greatly helped me hone my craft, particularly in the use of intonation, gestures and body language. It was also humbling as it made me realise how much more there is to learn about the storytelling craft, how to engage the audience and bring them into the world of story. You are an excellent coach, thank you Verena!”

Nurhidayati Yahya

Participants’ Feedback on Verena Tay’s Beyond Storytelling 101 Course (2011)

“Your frank assessment of my presentation makes me want to be a better storyteller… I am grateful and thankful for opening your resources and expertise to groom us to be good storytellers. You are a great teacher.”

Surendran Sathiamurthi

“All aspects of the workshop was beneficial but the one that struck me the most was learning to own the story and fleshing out the characters as how you see it.”

Eunice Yeo

“The technical parts of voice-making and voice using. It’s exactly what I expected for… Instructor is very observant & sharp to notice the strength and weakness of the participants.”

Geneieve Tang

“The different expressions/tone and body movements I can create with just a verb. This will definitely prove exciting for children who can imagine & create from movements. I learnt much. Thank you.”

Elsie Ng

“Experience the power of storytelling in this experiential workshop. See your story come to life.”

Lynn Yap

“Was lots of fun, thoroughly enjoyed it.”

Lisa Case

“An enlightening experience!”

Christina Tan

“The workshop was fabulous!! ... It’s been an eye opener in terms of what goes on behind the scenes to say a good story with impact. An absolute blessing to learn from a powerful storyteller like yourself !!  Thanks ever so much!”

Nandini Nagpal

What aspects of this workshop benefitted you most?

“Vocal variety. Using action to create voice. The mouth exercise.”

Lynn Yap

“Theoretical aspects. Vocal practices. Performance appraisals — self & others.”

Lisa Case

“The techniques of voice projection + vocal modulation.”

Christina Tan

“1. The Voice Modulations. 2. How to Control body movement.”

Uma Somasundarum

“Understanding the importance of character placement in the story, the thought that if the character is real for you-then he is real for the audience, the importance of voice and other exercises.”

Nandini Nagpal

“Voice technique. Variation of the voice, using your body movement. Visualising the story, & telling it from a different angle.”

Wendy Lin

“Voice warm up, modulation. Narrative technique.”

Rafiq Khader

Participants’ Feedback on Verena Tay’s Beyond Storytelling 101 Course (2010)

“I have learned the difference between theater and storytelling. More importantly, I learned a lot of new techniques: hot to change from one character to another faster within a story. The workshop structure is well organized. It’s great!”

Joanne Ongkeko

“The vocal training & correct body alignment. Using different body movements to create different voices. Valuable feedback on my storytelling style. Feel that I have met my objective. Thank you very much for the valuable feedback. It really helps.”

Tang Souw Ngo

“Using different methods to project a character. Pointing out the weak points in my storytelling style.”

Sandra Thum

“Good feedback to scenarios. Actually going through the stages instead of the shortcuts. Seeing proper situations from peers – help us reflect.”

Melissa Fernandez

“Voice (diaphragmatic), warm up, voice exercises that helps me to narrate/portray characters ‘realistically’. Beneficial for teachers and people who want to perform/tell stories. Verena is knowledgeable and talented.”

 Lin Mustapha

“Helped me to gain confidence in a way that now I can look at the audience in stead of staring at the empty air.”

Seura Park

Participants’ Feedback on Verena Tay’s Beyond Storytelling 101 Course (2009)

“Allowed to develop my own style. Patience by Verena to guide me.”

Ignatius Ng

“Some of the vocal exercises were helpful for making us aware of the need for vocal range.”

Ng Seng Chuan

“Great as it was.”

David Bok

“The vocal exercises for better clarity. Feedback given by Verena on my ‘voice dropping’ & rhythm. The personal hours for extra coaching were good. I enjoyed the course, very useful. My confidence level has improved.”

Kordial Kor

“Voice-projection. How to tell a story in a ‘performing’ style. Crafting a personal tale into a ‘tellable’ story. Very specific and constructive comments which helped improved my storytelling.”

Lim Peng Peng

About the Facilitator

Verena Tay has spent more than 25 years acting, directing and writing for Singaporean English-language theatre. She has published three collections of plays and an anthology of short stories as well as edited two short story collections. In addition, Verena is an active storyteller-cum-storytelling coach and a co-founder of MoonShadow Stories. Possessing an MA in Voice Studies (Central School of Speech and Drama, 2005) and an MA in English Literature (National University of Singapore, 1993), she has been helping people to improve their communication skills since 2001 and currently teaches voice, speech and presentation skills at various local institutions.