I’m a storytelling, story-making artist committed to the transformative power that happens between teller and audience at live performances. The stories I tell are a reflection of the treasures I’ve found in ancient tales as well as new stories distilled from life experiences. My aim when retelling traditional tales is to revitalize our links to archetypal content and renew our experience of community through shared events. In my role as a workshop leader I strive to help a new generation learn the narrative and expressive skills I’ve developed over years of work. This includes a deeply embodied storytelling practice which incorporates elements of theatre: movement, song, and nuanced characters.
My work often includes writing in many forms. I’ve authored two very different books both of which have an intimate and comfortable narrative feel: A Fire in My Heart: Kurdish Tales which I developed with extensive help and contributions from the Kurdish community including Sabahattin Alkan, my guide to mountain villages, as well as five other translators and scholars who helped bring these stories forward in the English language. Through my Kurdish Storytelling Project— which is still ongoing— I’m now digitizing over 100 videos of tellers and 40 audiocassettes, preserving the rich heritage of the Kurdish people for posterity. My most recent book: Source Work for Actors is a narrative of a workshop taken with Zbigniew Cynkutis a leading actor with Grotowski’s Laboratory Theatre. The training I received in this workshop continues to inform all of my artistic work and indeed an approach to life that embraces the playful depths and the mysteries inherent in all living things. This writing on Cynkutis’ workshop opens up rich source material for actors showing ways we can access the hidden power of nature in our work and in our own inner lives. Body Voice and Image come alive as one powerful trinity in the development of tasks led by Cynkutis and brought to life in this book.
One of the joys of my work as a storyteller is in researching and retelling traditional tales that help us to see the natural world in a renewed way. These include: seasonal stories that align us with those changes; how and why tales that reflect on the special elements of the nature beings named; and – when I cannot find a traditional story to address a need – I create stories. For families, I’ve created an original tale to teach about pollution and water usage and another to humorously reflect on dinosaur mania and the family dynamics that enable the craze. For adults I tell personal tales as well as re-enhancements of ancient myths.
In addition to the creation of 32 performances that tour regionally and nationally, my unusual “Living Myth Events” (1996-present) creatively weave together Myth, Moment and Landscape. From a New Year’s event that brought the Minotaur myth to the labyrinth of a major subway line to an annual story & music immersion in a tree sanctuary outdoors at twilight on the Summer Solstice these events bring a place alive with new meaning. Please browse the different pages on performances and workshops on my website and feel free to open up a dialog via the Contact form if there’s a performance or project you’re interested in.
To hear about upcoming events, thoughts on storytelling and more join my e-newsletter at the bottom of this page!
The Winter Solstice in Story and Song – Diane’s newest CD was just featured on NPR’s Living On Earth program with Steve Curwood.
CLICK HERE to Listen!
Order Today at Diane’s Bandcamp artist website for CDs and Digital Downloads.
For more information on Diane’s Musical Collaborators and their Music visit: Tom Megan and Margot Chamberlain’s web sites.
The Winter Solstice in Story and Song a double-CD with an insert booklet of Winter Solstice traditions
Celebrate the Winter Solstice with timeless stories, songs and music that celebrate the season of the longest nights. These carefully researched and beautifully rendered adaptations bring renewed meaning to winter holiday traditions. Stories include Balder and the Mistletoe from Scandinavia, the Greek myth of Ceyx and Alcyone, the Cherokee tale of How the Evergreens Came to Be as well as humorous English Wassail traditions. Margot Chamberlain and Tom Megan enhance each story with instrumental melodies and accompany the CDs with music and songs, both original and traditional, that celebrate the season. 
This new double-album includes a booklet of Winter Solstice traditions replete with recipes and activities as well as suggestions on ways to create your own Winter Solstice traditions.
About Diane Edgecomb
A transformational teller with a rich background in the theatre arts, Diane’s charismatic embodied storytelling enlivens both original and traditional tales creating a truly mesmerizing weave. A featured teller on NPR and winner of a Year’s Best Performance award for her theater work, Diane’s storytelling has been seen at prestigious venues throughout the country and internationally for over thirty years. Passionate about storytelling and its power to unlock the inherent meaning in our lives, Diane’s keynotes and workshops often accompany her performances inspiring a renewed vision for our world as well as encouraging each person’s expressive and narrative abilities.
Join the E-newsletter for info on upcoming events, thoughts on storytelling and more!
