TUCSON WEEKLY 7/29/04
City Week section

Seek the Story
by Laurel Allen

Penelope Simmons got inspired to start Tucson's Odyssey Storytelling Series after sitting in on a story-telling session organized by her daughter-in-law in San Francisco. "It was very exciting," says Simmons, "and I just decided that Tucson needed that."

Tucson agreed--this is the series' sixth installment, and "you'd couldn't have squeezed another person in to (the audience of) our last one," says Simmons.

Odyssey isn't about actors reading scripts; "its regular people telling real stories."

"I choose the theme and we look for stories based on that theme," says Simmons. "People call up with stories, and I'll get an idea of what the story is and figure out where it'll fit in. We have one rehearsal the week before, and the story tellers meet each other, get feedback and a sense of what's going to happen. The stories aren't memorized or read out loud, but they are planned.

"What I like best is that we make connections with each other, listen to each other. It's very empowering to be on stage and tell a story from your life. It's not only fun--though that's really the first thing I had in mind--it's a way for people to get to know each other: different kinds of people who wouldn't normally meet, from different life experiences. What I'm looking for is a real range of age, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender--let's find out who the real Tucsonans are and get them talking to each other."

The Aug. 5 theme is "creepy," and will feature stories from a hypnotherapist, hair stylist, admissions counselor, psychiatric social worker and a contractor/performance poet. Tickets are $5; show up early to grab your seat.

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