By Eva Trieger
SAN DIEGO — Who isn’t seduced by a great storyteller? That enveloping sensation of being caught up in the creative, vibrant snare of a gifted word weaver transforms each of us into wide-eyed innocents, eager to share in the spinning of a yarn. Few raconteurs are as talented as the folks at Write Out Loud.
I had the rewarding opportunity to speak with Veronica Murphy, Artistic Director of Write Out Loud, in a phone interview last week. Her voice carries the same charm, curiosity and warmth she conveys in her stories. I wanted to know how this actress, reader, inspirer became involved in theater
Murphy related that, as a little girl, she was read to frequently. Though her grandmother was the main reader, her older siblings also read to her, to provide some relief for her mom. She did not recall having a favorite story but shared that she was enamored of poetry, and memorized poems long before she even understood all of the vocabulary. Specific poems attracted her including Edgar Allen Poe’s Annabelle Lee and Edward Lear’s The Owl and the Pussycat. Murphy learned a section of The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere while in the fourth grade and has been a life-long fan of poetry.
Though Murphy could not select a favorite genre, she did express her love of Irish stories as they “have so much heart in them…often portraying difficult situations.” She finds them so emotional and so true. It also helps that Murphy and many others in the troupe have a fine Oirish brogue.
In 2003, Veronica Murphy met Walter Ritter. The two were working with the Lambs Players. Eventually, they were cast in the same Christmas program. They shared a vision of taking their stories into the community and engendering a love of literature of all genres to people of all ages and communities.
Locating a venue for their dream wasn’t easy to come by, but with the support of Amy Biedel and Tonic Productions, the first performance was held at North Coast Repertory Theater. The slot was Friday afternoon, and the audience was comprised largely of family and friends. Sean Murray and Bill Schmidt of Cygnet were eager for new developments and so Saturday afternoons became another venue for the rootless Write Out Loud creative team.
Committed to their vision of inspiring a love of literature to all, Write Out Loud has provided a number of opportunities for free participation in their craft. As a public service and to keep us all sane, they provided stories each day during the pandemic. This act of kindness and compassion was enjoyed by many, and I’m sure I speak for others when I say how comforting and consoling it was to end the bleak days with a story from a trusted friend.
Teaming up with Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts, Write Out Loud (WOL) created a national poetry recitation competition. This was explained to me as something on the order of a national spelling bee, with high school-aged competitors reading poems selected from the Poetry Foundation anthology. Free workshops, led by local poet, Brandon Cesmat, are provided to help with recitations. In its first year, four schools participated. Participants are encouraged to sign up in December and will run through January 31st. Schools are encouraged to register, but individuals are also welcome if their school is not participating. Last year the competition was virtual, but hopefully this year it will be live. Please click on the link for more https://writeoutloudsd.com/poetry-out-loud.
Another fabulous partnership in which WOL is instrumental is the San Diego County Office of Education in tandem with David’s Harp Foundation. This is open to children of all school ages, K-12. The theme of this year is Resiliency Through and Emerging from the Pandemic. Participants are encouraged to write poems, stories, real or fictional. It is not a competition. All stories will be submitted digitally in an online magazine. The one objective is to get more children involved in writing and help them to process this challenging time. Brandon Steppe, Founder of David’s Harp, sees this as a critical way to serve at-risk youth, and provide some mentors and an outlet for their unique struggles. For more information about this writing opportunity please follow this link https://writeoutloudsd.com/pandemic-poetry.
Like an octopus or a centipede, Write Out Loud has so many different programs it’s nearly impossible to adequately report on all of them. A few of my favorites include: Read Imagine Create which selects a book for the NEA Big Read. Another that grabbed my attention is the Kamishibai, Japanese storytelling for elementary schools, performed in classrooms and libraries. I also learned that there is a one-man play about Henry David Thoreau that brings the poet/philosopher to life in just fifty minutes!
Write Out Loud is a gift to our community and certainly provides such a critical service and so much enjoyment to San Diegans of all ages, communities, and backgrounds. From storytelling to mentoring to public performances, the voices of Linda Libby, Rachel VanWormer, Steven Lone, Jyl Kaneshiro, Paul Maley, Steve Smith, Rhianna Basore, Brittney Caldwell, and Monique Gaffney take us back, if not to the comfort and simplicity of being cozily curled up in bed, listening to one last tale before the light is extinguished.
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Eva Trieger is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eva.trieger@sdjewishworld.com