Southern literature can be heard all over Memphis and as far away as Europe, thanks to Voices Of The South, an eight-member narrative theater company made up of alumnae from The University of Memphis' theater program.
Alice Berry, director of publicity and promotion for the theater department at The U of M, and Genny Odle-Madden, director of drama at St. Mary's Episcopal School in Memphis, started the company two years ago.
Berry explained that narrative theater is the adaptation of literature for the stage while keeping the narrative line intact. Voices' specialty is southern literature from authors such as William Faulkner, Eudora Welty and local Memphian Eleanor Glaze.
Berry said it was rewarding when audience members would want to read the stories they were performing.
"Welty is such a wonderful Southern writer," Berry said. "It's so sad that people don't read these authors."
Both Berry and Odle-Madden started their company so they could go to Scotland to perform at The Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. They started a fund raiser and developed a following for their narrative theater work.
"Doing narrative theater allows me to be creative," Berry said.
After receiving non-profit status, the company is now able to apply and get grants to help pay for expenses, costumes, sets and salaries. Voices is also the resident theater company for The Buckman Performing and Fine Arts Center, where they give performances and hold workshops.
Berry and Odle-Madden also invited their favorite professor, Gloria Baxter, who has been teaching at The U of M for 36 years, to join their company.
"Gloria is our mentor," Odle-Madden said.
Odle-Madden said the reason she likes being in a company is because the members share the same ideas and values.
"It's like being in a family, and for me, that's why I'm in the theater," Odle-Madden said.
"We can actually take what we learned and make money."
Odle-Madden said with narrative theater, the audience has to use their imaginations.
"In this day and age, we ask so little of our audience -- and American theater will survive by telling good stories," Odle-Madden said.
Baxter said she began experimenting with narrative theater while studying for her master's at Northwestern University.
Baxter said Voices of The South is a beautiful choreography of language and music.
She credits her students' understanding of theater with enabling them to produce exciting work.
Baxter also gives credit to Susan Chrietzberg, who teaches in the theater department at The U of M, for having a deep influence on the company due to her training in theater movement.
"Susan has really influenced the students and myself," Baxter said.
Last year, Baxter was honored by being nationally selected to be the Thurber Playwright in Residence from Ohio State University.
Baxter was given a cash award and lived for three months in James Thurber's Victorian house, located in Columbus, Ohio. During her stay, she also directed a play at the Ohio State University theater department.
Voices will be performing "The Ugly Duckling" at elementary and middle schools around Tennessee and will be also performing the piece at The Bartlett Performing Arts Center May 10 and 11 at 7 p.m.
"Everyone loves a good story," Odle-Madden said.
The company is also currently working on a project which will be ready by summer 2002. They will be performing the novel by environmentalists Margaret and Olaus Murie, who started the Wapiti Center in Jackson Hole,Wyo.
Berry explained the Wapiti Center is a science-oriented center dedicated to preserving nature and environmental causes.
"It's been a three-year project," Berry said.
Odle-Madden said their work is inter generational and crosses racial boundaries.
"I had hoped to have a company some day," Berry said.
Berry said she is not afraid of trying new things and reaching for her dream.
"The nice thing about our department," Berry said of the U of M's drama department, "is they teach you to take risks."
