According to Cocoon organizer August Hutchinson ’16.5, “You’ll hear about inner-city ballet and Picasso erotica, middle-aged thieves of little pink bikes and cultural clashes from across the globe. You’ll learn how these people met lovers, found success, overturned their beliefs and, of course, found their roots.”
“This event will show students and the wider Middlebury community the universal pervasiveness of storytelling, how it transcends all backgrounds and is something that students can be involved with as well,” co-organizer Celia Watson ’17 said.
Apart from being imminently quotable, Watson and Hutchinson are also the students responsible for building this year’s performance of Cocoon, which will take place at 8 p.m. on Oct. 17 in the Concert Hall of the Mahaney Center of the Arts (MCA). Working alongside Liza Sacheli, Director of the MCA, Watson and Hutchinson have used their experience as head organizers for Middlebury Moth-Up to recruit an impressive panel. This year’s lineup is comprised of Middlebury alumna Bianca Giaever ’12.5, Alexa Beyer ’15.5, Jabari Matthew ’17, Naomi Eisenberg ’18, Associate Professor of History Rebecca Bennette and Burlington-based storyteller Deena Frankel.
We know the theme of “Roots” stems from the 50 Years Celebration of Environmental Education and Leadership, but is there more to it? Why not leaf? Or trunk?
August Hutchinson: We picked “Roots” to creatively unify stories which, in a variety of ways, share something about important personal origins — stories which are emblematic of where a person is from or who they have become, or stories of experiences which have shaped them.
Celia Watson: We felt like “Roots” had a strong connection to not only potentially feeling rooted to the earth, but also how it speaks to the roots of who we are — what brought us to where we are today. People may find it speaks to family, place or ancestry, but also just like a path of life, such as the roots we create for ourselves.
How do you see live storytelling events such as Cocoon fitting into the overall social fabric of the school? What is Cocoon’s value?
AH: Oh my. As a student of history and co-leader of Middlebury’s Moth-Up, I could go on for hours about why storytelling matters. Cocoon itself is meant to be many things, including a pleasant and thought-provoking way for individuals to communally spend an evening, and an experience through which they can better understand the minds and lives of others.
Storytelling generally is central to who we are. Try to imagine having an acquaintance, a best friend or a true lover with whom you have never exchanged a single story. It’s an extremely alien idea. You’d be utterly alone in so many ways, because you wouldn’t know what happens in the lives of others when they’re not around, or how they think and feel about it. They, in turn, wouldn’t know those things about you.
Done well, storytelling is also one of the most effective ways to communicate. Stories, like us, exist in the medium of experience, so they’re naturally relatable. We float about in a sea of analyses, ‘hard facts,’ platitudes and the like, but some of the most memorable and compelling cases come in the form of a beautifully painted human experience.
CW: I feel like there are three main things we can gain or learn from storytelling. First, it’s cathartic. This summer, I assisted at an applied theatre community project, where we worked with survivors of intimate partner violence. That experience showed me the power of interview and monologue, and helped me see how much emotion and healing can be conveyed and created through story.
This leads to the second insight, perspective. Stories give the audience a lot to learn about humility. They inform us of how we can draw from others’ experiences.
Finally, it offers a space for a societal voice by giving access to a community that otherwise might not be heard.
How were the storytellers chosen?
CW: I find that all our storytellers possess a great stage presence. They are comfortable with public speaking, but also know how to enjoy the simple act of making an audience feel engaged in their story. We aim for as diverse of a lineup as possible, not only in terms of experience but also of representing the student body, the faculty, alumni and greater Vermont community.
We’ve got a good mix this year of reflective experiences, some serious tones, and definitely some humor. We like to encourage any storyteller, whether it be for Cocoon or The Middlebury Moth-UP, to tell the story just how they would to friends over a meal. That sort of genuine excitement of getting to share an experience with others is something that I think Cocoon and the Moth-UP encourage well through a live interaction with the audience.
AH: Celia, Liza and I unanimously agreed on the people whom we wished to approach. My almost-sole criterion was that each storyteller had proven her or himself to be an excellent speaker with excellent stories.
Tickets are $12 for the general public; $10 for Middlebury College faculty, staff, alumni, emeriti, and other ID card holders; and $6 for Middlebury College students. Check with your commons office for any remaining complimentary tickets. For further information, visit go/boxoffice or stop by our offices in McCullough or the MCA.
Arts Spotlight: Performing Arts Series
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