Faye Mogensen loves to tell the story of the best massage she’s ever had — being licked by butterflies.
It’s not a flight of fancy, but a true moment from her life.
As a storyteller, she weaves the moment in a way that she hopes draws the audience into the scene with her.
“I think people love storytelling because when you’re in an audience listening to a teller there’s an intimacy and connection that you don’t get with a book. It’s more social,” she said.
The Central Saanich storyteller will be among her peers in the Victoria Storytelling Guild to celebrate World Storytelling Day in the best way they know — weaving worlds.
“I feel like I get inside my stories when I tell them,” Mogensen said. “When I really feel like I’m telling a story well, I’m almost there in the setting. I feel like if I’ve gone there, maybe some of my audience will have met me there too. It’s a sensation I get sometimes when I’m storytelling.”
With family roots in Iceland and Denmark, she delves into those stories, and is inspired as well by her travels through Africa and India. She discovered her talent as a teller while working as a park interpreter in Manning Park, she has a significant collection of nature tales.
“I’ve had times when I’ve gotten lost, interaction with animals and then just being awed with the beauty,” she said.
Victoria Storyteller’s Guild was founded around 1989 and Mogensen was a member then, but took a break for family time and a masters degree (in using story and drama as tools for environmental education). She rejoined in 2001.
“Then I started to just play more just with story for story’s sake and let the stories speak for themselves,” Mogensen said. “Most good stories do have some kind of reason for existing, but I feel like there’s a slight shift in what I’m doing.”
For World Storytelling Day Sunday (March 20) the guild will enthrall listeners with diverse tales featuring water.
“I”m excited about the theme … I think water, our access to fresh water is becoming a bigger, and bigger issue and I think it’s great for us to celebrate water, think about water,” Mogensen said.
She plans to tell a true historical story from Saskatchewan.
Other storytellers will include Pat Carfra, Jennifer Ferris, Diane Gilliland, Peg Hasted, Jacquie Hunt, Sandra Johnson, Shoshana Litman, and Margo McLoughlin.
There are two concerts at Intrepid Theatre Club at 1609 Blanshard to celebrate World Storytelling Day.
The afternoon concert on March 2 is for children and families from 2 to 3 p.m. A second show for adults and mature children from 7 to 9 p.m.
Tickets are available at the door; afternoon concert by donation, evening concert $10 per adult and $5 per child
