A raconteuse’s magic tales
«Winged dragons and burly dragons, dragons of the earth and dragons of the sea.» The sun has just set over Pisson Beach in Tzia (Kea). Some muted murmurs are heard as the performance commences. Over the sound of rippling waves, her voice emerges. She is Sassa Voulgari, a self-taught, professional storyteller, and one of the pioneers in the revival of this art. One month ago, she packed her suitcase full of «magic tales,» and travelled to Kea for the 6th annual Folktale Festival. Her show, titled «Dragons Sleep with their Eyes Open,» premiered this past April at the Museum of Cycladic Art, and will be given a second run this season. «I have been interested in dragons since 1993, when I made an unsuccessful attempt at writing a doctoral thesis on dragon-slaying. The dragon tale that has influenced me more than any other, is a really old story my grandfather used to tell. The title of my performance was taken from it. Grandfather would say that when a dragon has his eyes open, he is actually sleeping, and when his eyes are closed he can see.» In an interview with K Magazine, Sassa explained, «the word dragon comes from the ancient Greek word ‘derkomai’ which means to see clearly. Dragons have always been frightening creatures, but they are also keepers of secrets and knowledge.» Sassa Voulgari was born in 1969, and grew up in Karditsa, Greece. She is an educational psychologist who works with alternative teaching methods. Her talents for storytelling and singing folk songs were inherited from her mother’s side of the family. She has been taking voice lessons with former opera singer Mirka Gementzaki since 1998. In 2003 she was the sole storyteller chosen to represent Greece at the annual «Berliner Marchentage» fairy tale festival in Berlin, Germany. «Language is the chief instrument I use to explore my work. Because my technique is based on traditional storytelling methods, I never learn the stories by heart. Therefore, with each performance, I need to constantly alter the manner in which I tell each story. This means I have to study the art of language extensively. Also, I believe that the starting point for any good storyteller is the communication between the teller and their audience. That’s why I don’t like the way some storytellers direct their work, like theater. My view is that a storyteller should be like a popular folk singer, always improvising.» Sassa has taken part in many innovative workshops and educational programs and wherever she has performed – including museums – permanent storytelling homes have sprung up. When asked what a good storyteller is like, she replies, «I believe that it is extremely important for an aspiring storyteller to have a deep knowledge of folklore, especially where oral tradition is concerned. Furthermore, there are theories surrounding each tale and how it came to be; the raconteur must know their every aspect, whether anthropological, psychoanalytical, educational (especially when dealing with stories for children), or historical. «Lastly, we must fine-tune our tools of expression. Cultivating our voice, facial muscles and body movement with care, as well as building a repertory is imperative. Many people just assume that any expressive actor is also a good storyteller, but that’s just not the case.» Sassa chooses her stories from traditional Greek folklore; her depository of tales now numbers over 150. «The things that really matter during a storytelling, however, are time and place,» she continues. «Listening to a story under the moon, and through the sound of the waves, can make time become un-time. It can transform everything around you, and that is when I feel that despite the difficulties, this is the only thing I ever want to do: to be a storyteller, to give comfort. The nicest thing that anyone has ever told me was ‘I felt as if you were telling the story to me, personally, and yet to everyone else that was here tonight. ‘ That performance may not have been under the moon and stars, but the important thing was achieved: The audience got in sync with each other and their storyteller.» That’s magic.
