The History of the Method

Story Theater started in Denver in 1994, with a showcase speech for the Colorado Speakers Association. I performed my (now somewhat famous), “Streaking Story.” Rather than simply narrating the story, I acted it out. Without realizing it, I was using the acting skills I had learned in my over two decades of theater experience. Over the next few years, my fellow professional speakers kept commenting on how my approach to storytelling was very different and unique. They asked me if I could teach them what I was doing.

I went home and designed a two-day workshop. Nine people attended. They raved. I did another one…and another. Soon I was doing retreats all over the United States, and in 2003 I started doing them in London and Dublin, as well. By 2015, I had conducted over 80 retreats, and more than 600 people had graduated from the Story Theater Retreat, mostly four to six people at a time. (As of 2017, we are no longer offering the open-to-the-public Story Theater Retreat. I still do private and corporate storytelling retreats.)

The Story Theater Method takes the mystery out of the question: What goes into the crafting and delivery of a great story?