Monologue weave dreams into life lessons
STORY BY ERIN QUEENAN
Night of storytelling celebrates Sheridan’s mission to become creative campus.
Medea Monologues founder Jennifer Phenix with director June Cupido before the start of last week’s show.
She steps forward into the spotlight, and takes a breath. Her voice is slow, her words pronounced, as she weaves together a picture. The audience pauses, breathes and laughs along with her on a narrative journey.
She finishes, stepping out of the light and back into the darkness. Her story hangs in the air and minds of those listening. Another moves forward, replacing her. She begins her own journey.
Last week in Macdonald-Heaslip Hall, Sheridan hosted an evening of monologues on the subject of dreams. The Medea Monologues: Dream Narratives, directed by June Cupido, associate registrar at the college. The show featured Elaine Brodie (professor of photography), Golnaz Golnaraghi (business professor), Ginger Grant (business professor), Kristin Newell (4th year Early Childhood Education student), Jennifer Phenix (professor of humanities) and Laura Sky, a Toronto film director.
The night celebrated storytelling and its place in life, the college and business world. With free admission, gourmet catering, video recording, and the presence of Sheridan president Jeff Zabudsky, it was an evening celebrating community.
“Creativity at Sheridan involves storytelling, community engagement, and tonight this involves all of these things,” said Yael Katz, associate dean, Creativity, who wrapped up the night’s events with a closing remark.
Each woman spoke carefully on human issues and desires. Their stories, although different, served the same purpose – to unite and stir an audience. Jennifer Phenix, who founded the event in 2009, named the monologues after the mythical figure and heroine Medea from the story of Jason and the Argonauts. Medea is a figure of divine beauty and grace.
“The monologues are not meant to be heavy, but light and inspiring,” said Phenix.
Jennifer Phenix describes the character Medea and her significance in Jason and the Argonauts.
Natalia Buchok, a 50-year-old psychoanalyst, quit her job last fall to become self-employed. For Buchok, the night was about learning to trust her own intuition.
“I love what I’m doing, and I’m trusting that I’m in the right place,” she said.
She found Grant’s story particularly relevant. “There was something about what she said at the end which just struck an arrow within me,” she said thoughtfully.
Grant’s story discussed the transformative power of education and its gift of choice. She mixed together her own dreams, the mythical Grail legends and real life experience to create a story of transformation and transfiguration.
Angela Hrincu, 56, said Grant’s story ignited new perspectives for her. “In terms of where I am going in life, so much of it resonated with me,” she said.
On stage, Grant told how as a middle-aged woman she left her work as a lawyer to attend Pacifica Graduate Institute in California. There she learned the power of stories. For Grant, everything comes from the belief in a story, and that stories with truth can change everything.
“For me, I can tell when I’m hearing a story that has that ring of truth, because you can feel it on the inside. There’s a resonance to the story, as opposed to someone telling you fact.”
As a professor in the Faculty of Business, Grant believes stories not only have a place in the arts but in the corporate world as well.
“Business is an art form. That’s how I’ve been trained to think. Business well done is an authentic art form in itself. Story to me is not fiction. Story or narrative to me is truer than true.”
Ginger Grant moves her audience with a story on business and transformation.
