I am a professional storyteller with over fifteen years of teaching and performing before audiences small and large all over the world, most recently in India. In addition, I have significant experience performing in recorded and live broadcast media. I am a multiple time Moth StorySLAM winner, one-time GrandSLAM winner, and I’ve been featured on NPR and CBC Radio, Now Magazine, MacLean’s Magazine, and the Toronto Star. I also appeared on the PBS tv show Stories From the Stage. [learn more]
My workshops are interactive and high energy and my students learn by doing the exercises in class. Not only do they learn by doing, but simply watching another student in the class do the exercise is inspiring too. My improvisational theatre training means my classes are fluid. If a student asks a question, I can create an exercise on the spot to address the answer. My workshops are filled with laughter. I make sure every student feels supported, respected, and comfortable.
I perform for audiences of all ages: true stories, thirty to sixty-minute solo shows, traditional folktales and interactive improvised fairy tales. I use my body and voice as tools to engage my audience. My solo shows are one-person plays in which I am a five year old girl in one moment, an evil dictator in the next, and then on the turn of a dime I am a strong and brave young woman. I am an powerful character actor and my stage performances reflect that skill.
Performance History
Performed true stories, traditional folk tales, interactive improvised fairy tales and thirty to sixty-minute solo shows at various venues worldwide. Audiences ranged from pre-school age to seniors at the following venues.
* MyBoTree (India)
* Stories By The Lake (India)
* Saksham – Center For Child Education and Women Empowerment (India)
* StoryLab (Chicago, USA)
* Moth StorySlam (Vermont, USA)
* Confabulation (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
* St. John’s Storytelling Festival (St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada)
* Stories From The Stage (Boston, USA)
Ontario, Canada
* Toronto Storytelling Festival – Main Stage and Storyfire
* Solo show, sold out 5 show run
* True Stories (Told Live) Toronto
* Raw Storytelling
* Fireside Tales
* Ottawa Speak Out
* High Stakes Storytelling
* Soulo Festival
* Ontario Street Theatre
* The Making Box
* Confabulation (Toronto)
* Laugh in the Face of Fear
* 1001 Nights of Storytelling
* Templeton Manor
* SING! Festival
* Folktales in the Library
* Stories About Small Girls
* Stories About Women
* One Five Oh Stories
* Not On Our Watch
* Wonder Women
* L3 Corporate Christmas Party
* Canadian Horror Story
* Hope and Justice Festival
* Crow Theatre Mosaic Festival
* Canada’s Next Top Blank – Chicago Musical Improv Festival
* Wychwood Tigers Daycare
* Boo! At the Barns
* Dare: Stories We Thought We’d Never Tell
* Storystar
* Stories of Ours
* Tales from the Black
* Shedot Festival
* What Are You Doing Up There
* Toronto Fool Festival
* Stories You Have Never Heard
Media Appearances
* Toronto Star
* Now Magazine
* NPR Radio
* CBC Radio
* MacLean’s Magazine
Workshop History
Business Storytelling
Created and delivered a customer-specific workshop for effectively using storytelling in a business context for the following businesses.
* Healthcare Human Factors
* Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
* Vivacious Leaders
* Diane Franklin Co-Op
* Toronto Writer’s Collective
* The Stop
* TIFF
* 36Inc Business Storytelling Workshop (India)
* Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities
* Parkdale Project Read
* Village of Storytellers
* Toronto Storycamp
Educational Storytelling
Created age specific curricula for pre-teens, teenagers, and adults to help build storytelling and build public speaking skills and confidence. Worked with hosting schools and organizations to provide an experience that meets the goals of the following organizations.
* Ursula Franklin Academy
* Cardinal Carter Academy
* Centre Dufferin District High School
* University of Toronto
* David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute
* York University
* McMurrich Jr Primary School
* Story Planet
* Toronto Catholic District School Board
Performance Storytelling: one to two day workshops
Delivered a custom workshop targeted to people wishing to perform in front of an audience. This has included teaching the Armando improv format, a format which uses true stories to inspire improv. I worked with the following.
* Making Box Theatre
* The Assembly
* Improv Comedy Bangalore (India)
* Independent Storytelling Intensive with Sage Tyrtle
Performance Storytelling: 7 to 14 week courses
Prepared and delivered seven to fourteen-week original classes of four hours each. Classes focused on story choice, structure, editing and delivery.
Seneca College
Second City Toronto
Independent Storytelling Workshop with Sage Tyrtle – beginner
Independent Storytelling Workshop with Sage Tyrtle – advanced
Ready to work together? You can book me here.
Sage Tyrtle 