Hydock Does Battle with Medieval Text for 'Silence'
-- Mary Colurso, music and arts columnist, The Birmingham News

Ladybugs on the crown molding of Dolores Hydock's house in Irondale have heard the story of "Silence" many times. The pomegranate tree near her patio and the muscadine vines in the back yard have heard it, too.

Hydock, a writer, storyteller and actress, has been developing her new performance piece for about two years, adapting a little-known tale from the 13th century into a 90-minute evening of theater. "I'd write some, tell some. Write some, tell some," she says.

Audiences who watch her slip into the character of a grumpy crone, the plain-spoken and opinionated narrator, will very likely be caught up in the adventures of Silence, a brave and beautiful girl pretending to be a boy so she can one day claim her inheritance.

They'll hear of battling knights and jealous minstrels, lustful queens and elusive wizards. If all goes well, Hydock says, modernity will melt away as she relocates her listeners to a drafty castle in England, building the medieval world brick by brick, word by word. In that task, she'll be aided by PanHarmonium, a trio of players from Birmingham that specializes in recreating ancient music.

"The music adds so much to creating a context for the story, a setting for the story," Hydock says. "You hear the harp and recorder on the opening song, and those two minutes of music slowly begin to edge you back, century by century." But what seems nearly effortless on stage - the recitation of a lively and absorbing story, supported by period songs and instrumentals - actually has required much effort.

Those spotted red beetles on the walls of Hydock's place know, because they've watched her reading, editing and working at the computer. Also, while planting, pruning and otherwise tending the garden she loves, Hydock has shaped "Silence" by telling it to herself, out loud, over and over.

If the neighbors think she's crazy, talking animatedly into the air while wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat, Hydock doesn't mind. Art requires a few sacrifices, and she's willing to make them.

Hence, all those hours Hydock has spent pondering ways to turn a thick text - an academic translation of French poetry, no less - into something lighter, tighter, brighter and more theatrical. With the help of Gilbert Ritchie, Susan Marchant and David Cantrell of PanHarmonium, she believes she has succeeded.

But when Hydock discusses the evolution of "Silence," her sentences contain phrases like "struggling hard" and "sweating bullets." She is grateful, she says, for a fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts that allowed her to devote time to the project, and add "Silence" to other performance pieces in her repertoire. Professionally speaking, Hydock can mix, match and tell about 65 stories - and does so frequently at theaters, colleges, businesses, libraries, churches and community gatherings.

Typically, her tales are grouped into thematic programs with titles such as "Holidazed! A Story Tour of the Holiday Calendar," "Made From Scratch and Other Accidental Stories," "Momorabilia: Stories About Mothers" and "No, Really, My Dog Ate It: Stories for Teachers and Students of Life."

Hydock has recorded several of these stories on four spoken-word CDs she sells at shows and bookstores, as well as through her web site at www.storypower.org. She'll sign copies of "Silence," her latest disc, and present an excerpt from it, from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at The Alabama Booksmith in Homewood. Of necessity, that performance will be short, clocking in around 10 minutes. But even a full, in-concert telling of "Silence" zips along for her, Hydock says, despite the program's official length of 63:22, plus intermission. "It goes by in a minute," she says, "particularly if the audience is into it."

During a recent appearance at the UAB Honors House, for example, Hydock was delighted to hear a woman in the front row gasping at every twist and turn of "Silence." The building pleased her almost as much: a beautiful old church equipped with spotlights that cast giant shadows of Hydock in costume as the crone.

The crotchety character's attire includes a stout wooden staff with a ring of colored stones and a claw at the top, clutching a mysterious off-white globe. It's her story stick, Hydock says, designed for leaning, pointing and poking into other people's business.

"The woman who tells this story is so much fun to be," she says. "I imagine her as a person in the background, who sees all but isn't allowed an official voice at court. You might think: How does she know all this? Maybe she hung out in the kitchen in the palace."

Hydock and PanHarmonium have inserted themselves into a courtly setting before, teaming for adaptations of "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "The Juggler of Notre Dame."

Teenagers - "Lord of the Rings" fans, no doubt - have been surprisingly enthusiastic about these stories, and some adults have no qualms about being transported into a realm of kings and queens, dragons and peasants. Hydock realizes she may never convince other folks to accept the idea that 600-year-old literature can sound fresh, exciting or relevant, but she's determined to give it a try.

"They get worried," she says, "thinking, 'I have to be good. I have to sit still and be quiet.' But there was danger and violence and sex in the medieval world. Life was severe. And these were very earthy people. They had to populate the 14th century somehow."

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dramatically different stories and shows

DOLORES HYDOCK

OCTOBER 2020

Thursday, October 29: Every Picture Tells a Story: The Storytelling of Norman Rockwell. 10:30 - 11:30 - 3 a.m. First Baptist Church of Trussville, 128 North Chalkville Road, Trussville, AL. Free. All are welcome to attend. (The event will be held in the church sanctuary, where there is plenty of room to spread out and social distance. Face coverings are required.)

Norman Rockwell didn't just paint pictures; every picture told a story. In this presentation, storyteller Dolores Hydock shares surprising stories from Rockwell's life and career, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Rockwell created his one-image stories. Using slide images of his sketches, models, paintings-in-process, and finished work, this program follows the step-by-step creative process Rockwell used in becoming “America’s painter” – and storyteller on canvas.

NOVEMBER 2020

Thursday, November 5: Castles and Cathedrals. 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., Fayette Music Club, Fayette, AL. Event held at Fellowship Hall of the First Baptist Church of Fayette, 432 Temple Avenue North, Fayette, AL. Free. Sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Foundation and the Fayette Music Club. (The event will be held in the church fellowship hall, where there is plenty of room to spread out and social distance. Face coverings are required.)

Vernon and Irene Castle were ballroom dancers of the Vaudeville era. In thefirst part of the 20th century, they revolutionized the idea ofsocial dancing by making it respectable for partners to dance – in public – to ragtime music. Their story has unexpected detours into theshadows of ragtime, the glittery world of fame and fortune, and thebattlefields of World War I. But the real hero of this intriguing tale is thepublic library system whose resources make their story come to life.

DECEMBER 2020 (tentative)

Saturday, December 5: The Unexpected Christmas. 10 a.m. - noon, holiday brunch sponsored by the Sheffield Public Library. Clarion Inn, 4900 Hatch Blvd., Sheffield, AL. Brunch at 10 a.m., with stories to follow. Tickets available starting in November. For more info, call the library at 256-386-5633.

2020 has been a year when perfect plans got turned upside-down. Why should Christmas be any different? Storyteller Dolores Hydock brings two stories of plans for "perfect" Christmases that turned out to be ... well, different than expected.

Tuesday, December 8: The Unexpected Christmas. 2 - 3 p.m., Anniston Public Library, 108 East 10th Street, Anniston, AL. Free. The event is in the library's auditorium, where there is rooms to spread out and social distance. For more info, call the library at 256-237-8501.

2020 has been a year when perfect plans got turned upside-down. Why should Christmas be any different? Storyteller Dolores Hydock brings two stories of plans for "perfect" Christmases that turned out to be ... well, different than expected.

Wednesday, December 9: It's Not the Food, It's the Fellowship. Alabama Homemakers Christmas Gathering. Private event.

Tuesday, December 15: Stubby Pringle's Christmas, with the music of Bobby Horton. Part of an "old-time Christmas" at the We Piddle Around Theatre, Brundidge, AL. More info coming soon!

2020 has been a year of perfect plans turned upside-down. So let's finish it off with a funny, charming story about a cowboy whose perfect plan for a foot-stompin' good time on Christmas Eve gets derailed by an unexpected detour.

Thursday, December 17: Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory and It's Not the Food, It's the Fellowship. Virtual storytelling performance of two Christmas stories, part of the Storytelling Online series of the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Tickets are $12; the online session is available for viewing by ticket holders from December 17th through December 20th. For tickets, visit www.storytellingcenter.net/storytelling-online

Writer Truman Capote spent part of his childhood in Monroeville, Alabama, living with some elderly cousins. One of those cousins, Miss Sook Faulk, became, as he said, "his first friend." A joyful Christmas from that simpler time and the enduring friendship of a 7-year-old child and his 60-something cousin became the subject of Capote’s beloved story A Christmas Memory. In this special presentation, Capote’s holiday classic is brought to vivid life by storyteller Dolores Hydock.

In the story, Miss Sook’s annual exclamation – It’s fruitcake weather! – sets in motion a ritual of holiday baking that was an essential part of that long-ago Alabama Christmas. Holiday baking steams up another, more modern Alabama kitchen in It’s Not the Food, It’s the Fellowship, the story that begins this two-part, hour-long program.

Both stories will remind you that other people’s relatives and rituals are crazy, too. But most of all, they’ll help you celebrate that spirit of comfort, joy, and connection that makes this such a memorable time of year.

Thursday, December 17: Christmas stories. Private event.

Sunday, December 20: Christmas stories. 10 - 10:45 a.m., Independent Presbyterian Church Highland Hall. Free.

JANUARY 2021 (tentative)

Sunday, January 31: Soup and Stories for the Soul. 12:15 - 2 p.m. Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. Lunch and story program benefitting the church food pantry. Ticket info TBA.

FEBRUARY 2021 (tentative)

Tuesday, February 9: Valentine stories. Metro Dinner Club, Birmingham, AL.

Saturday, February 20: DKG State Conference, Huntsville, AL.

MARCH 2021 (tentative)

Friday - Saturday, March 19 - 20: Do Tell! Storytelling Festival, Madison, GA.

APRIL 2021

Friday - Saturday, April 16 - 17: Sounds of the Mountains Storytelling Festival, Bethel, VA.

MAY 2021

Friday - Saturday, May 20 - 21: Shoals Storytelling Festival, Florence, AL.

JUNE 2021

Tuesday, June 8: Private event, Birmingham, AL.

Thursday, June 10: Soldiers in Hoop Skirts. Tennessee Valley Civil War Round Table, Huntsville, AL.

JULY 2021

AUGUST 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021

OCTOBER 2021

Friday - Sunday, October 1 - 3: National Storytelling Festival, Jonesborough, TN. Ticket info TBA.

NOVEMBER 2021

DECEMBER 2021

upcoming events

If you'd like to be on Dolores' e-mail list for a reminder about upcoming
story performances, send your e-mail address to doloreshydock@gmail.com

All of the events below are open to the public.

OCTOBER 2026

Wednesday, October 28: Intrepid Birdmen -- The pilots of World War I. Noon - 1 p.m. B. B. Comer Memorial Library, 314 North Broadway Avenue, Sylacauga, AL. Free. Part of the library's Adult Brown Bag Lunch Series.

The thrilling, sometimes harrowing, true story of the crazy courage of the earliest pilots who took combat to the skies in the Great War. These "intrepid birdmen of the sky" transformed aerial technology and had a hand in changing the course of world history. The story journeys through the long odds these pilots faced in their flimsy paper kites, and ends with a salute to the courage and dedication of those who rode the wings of new technology into the 20th century.

The auditorium opens at 11:30, and tables are set up, so bring a brown bag lunch, if you like. Kind donors provide free cookies and bottled water.

NOVEMBER 2026

Wednesday, November 4: Through the Back Door -- Cajun Music in North America. Noon to 1 p.m., Pell City Public Library,
1000 Bruce Etheredge Parkway, Pell City, AL. Free.

This is the story of Cajun music's movement through North America, told through stories collected from more than 50 Cajun and Creole musicians as they talked about the importance of music in their own lives and the lives of their families. You'll hear samples of the music itself, both in its early style and its modern-day sound, and see videos of festivals, dancing, and local interviews. Come slip “through the back door” into the lively world of the spirited people who call Southwest Louisiana home.

Free; sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Friday, November 6: The Lady -- Ten things I didn't know about the Statue of Liberty, and maybe you didn't know either.
10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Gardendale Civic Center, 857 Main Street, Gardendale, AL. Free. Sponsored by the Gardendale Public Library
and the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

The Statue of Liberty is a cherished symbol of American democracy, yet there’s a lot of mystery about her background. This program doesn't cover the basic information that a lot of people already know or have easy documentary access to, like how the statue was constructed, the number of pounds of copper in her skin, etc. This is ten lesser-known facts about what motivated the idea in the first place, changes in the design along the way, some controversary when she was first unveiled, and other tidbits of history around her.

Wednesday, November 11: Soldiers in Greasepaint -- USO Camp Show Entertainers of WWII. Noon - 1 p.m., Homewood Church of Christ Fellowship Hall, 265 West Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL. Free. Sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance. All are welcome to attend.

It was bigger than Bob Hope! From Utah Beach to the Philippines, USO Camp Shows during WWII were part of a diverse, hilarious, moving, and inspiring story of voluntarism and service. This program shares stories, pictures, and video excerpts of some of the 7000 famous and not-so-famous USO Camp Show performers who brought music, laughs, and a touch of the familiar to US service personnel far from home during World War II.

There are snacks from 11:30 - noon, then the program from noon to 1 p.m. Enter through the Courtyard doors (to the left of the main entrance).

Thursday, November 12: The Lady -- Ten things I didn't know about the Statue of Liberty, and maybe you didn't know either.
Noon to 1 p.m. EASTERN Time, H. Grady Bradshaw Library, 3419 20th Avenue, Valley, AL. Free.

The Statue of Liberty is a cherished symbol of American democracy, yet there’s a lot of mystery about her background. This program doesn't cover the basic information that a lot of people already know or have easy documentary access to, like how the statue was constructed, the number of pounds of copper in her skin, etc. This is ten lesser-known facts about what motivated the idea in the first place, changes in the design along the way, some controversary when she was first unveiled, and other tidbits of history around her.

Sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Thursday, November 12: Soldiers in Greasepaint -- USO Camp Show Entertainers of WWII. 2:30 - 3:30 p.m., Red Ridge UMC,
8091 County Road 34, Dadeville, AL. Free.

It was bigger than Bob Hope! From Utah Beach to the Philippines, USO Camp Shows during WWII were part of a diverse, hilarious, moving, and inspiring story of voluntarism and service. This program shares stories, pictures, and video excerpts of some of the 7000 famous and not-so-famous USO Camp Show performers who brought music, laughs, and a touch of the familiar to US service personnel far from home during World War II.

Sponsored by the Dadeville Public Library and the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Friday, November 13: Intrepid Birdmen -- The Pilots of WWI. 2 - 3 p.m., Lucile L. Morgan Public Library, 541 Ross Street, Heflin, AL. Free.

The thrilling, sometimes harrowing, true story of the crazy courage of the earliest pilots who took combat to the skies in the Great War. These "intrepid birdmen of the sky" transformed aerial technology and had a hand in changing the course of world history. The story journeys through the long odds these pilots faced in their flimsy paper kites, and ends with a salute to the courage and dedication of those who rode the wings of new technology into the 20th century.

Free; sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Wednesday, November 18: Every Picture Tells a Story -- The storytelling of Norman Rockwell. 3 - 4 p.m., Thomas B. Norton Public Library, 221 West 19th Avenue, Gulf Shores, AL. Free.

Norman Rockwell didn't just paint pictures; every picture told a story. This presentation includes surprising stories from Rockwell's life and career, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Rockwell created his one-image stories. Slide images of his sketches, models, paintings-in-process, and finished work, this program shows the step-by-step creative process Rockwell used in becoming “America’s painter” – and storyteller on canvas.

Sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Wednesday, November 18: Castles in the Air -- Stories of ragtime dancers, social revolutionaries, and unexpected heroes.
5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Foley Community Library, 230 East Orange Avenue, Foley, AL. Free.

Vernon and Irene Castle were ballroom dancers of the Vaudeville era. Photos, video excerpts, and newspaper articles help tell their story, with unexpected detours into the glittery world of fame and fortune, the shadowy world of ragtime music, and the battlefields of World War I. But the real hero of this intriguing tale is the public library system whose resources make their story come to life.

Sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Thursday, November 19: Every Picture Tells a Story -- The storytelling of Norman Rockwell. 1 - 2 p.m., Bay Minette Public Library, 205 West 2nd Street, Bay Minette, AL. Free.

Norman Rockwell didn't just paint pictures; every picture told a story. This presentation includes surprising stories from Rockwell's life and career, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at how Rockwell created his one-image stories. Slide images of his sketches, models, paintings-in-process, and finished work, this program shows the step-by-step creative process Rockwell used in becoming “America’s painter” – and storyteller on canvas.

Sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Thursday, November 19: The Lady -- Ten things I didn't know about the Statue of Liberty, and maybe you didn't know either.
5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Old Courthouse Museum, 31 North Alabama Avenue, Monroeville, AL. Free.

The Statue of Liberty is a cherished symbol of American democracy, yet there’s a lot of mystery about her background. This program doesn't cover the basic information that a lot of people already know or have easy documentary access to, like how the statue was constructed, the number of pounds of copper in her skin, etc. This is ten lesser-known facts about what motivated the idea in the first place, changes in the design along the way, some controversary when she was first unveiled, and other tidbits of history around her.

Sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

DECEMBER 2026

Tuesday, December 1: Christmas Stories. 2 - 3 p.m., Anniston Public Library, 108 East 10th Street, Anniston, AL. Free; sponsored by
the Anniston Public Library.

Friday, December 4: Jingle All the Way -- Songs, Stories, and Sing-Alongs, with Dolores Hydock and Bobby Horton. 7 - 8:30 p.m., Homewood Public Library, 1721 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL. Tickets are $25, and will be available online on the Events page of the Homewood Public Library website, starting November 2nd. Doors open at 6:30; show is from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Come ring in Christmas 2026 with this year's collection of happy holiday stories, favorite Christmas songs, and jolly sing-alongs. The show is different every year, with new songs and stories blended with favorite, familiar ones --- it's always a heart-warming and heartfelt evening to jump-start your holiday season. This song-and-story concert has been a Homewood Public Library tradition since 2014. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; show is from 7 - 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and go on sale on the Homewood Public Library website on November 2nd.

Thursday, December 10: Footprint on the Sky - Voices from Chandler Mountain. 3 - 4 p.m., Lineville City Library, Lineville, AL. Free.

Bonnets, bow-tie quilts, tomato stakes, an old-timey cure for hiccups -- they're all part of this funny and affectionate portrait of an Alabama mountain community in the 1970s. The spirit and voices of special mountain friends come to life in this story of strong women and Southern hospitality. Free. Sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Alliance.

Saturday, December 12: No Humbug! The story behind "A Christmas Carol." 11 a.m. - noon, Winston Home, 205 North Commons Street East, Tuscumbia, AL. Free. Sponsored by the Singing River Literacy Council, part of the Alabama Literacy Association.

Come discover the surprising and little-known backstory of how Charles Dickens was inspired to write "A Christmas Carol,” and what happened to the story – and to Christmas – once the story made its way into the world.

Tuesday, December 15: Christmas Stories. 2 - 3 p.m. Sheffield Public Library, 316 North Montgomery Avenue, Sheffield, AL. Free.

Sunday, December 20: Christmas Stories. 10 - 11 a.m., Independent Presbyterian Church, 3100 Highland Avenue South, Birmingham, AL. Free. All are welcome to attend.

Sunday, December 20: Christmas Stories. 2 - 3 p.m., Alabaster Public LIbrary, 100 9th Street NW, Alabaster, AL. Free.

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