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."

____________________________________
_________________________________________________
____________________________________

dramatically different stories and shows

DOLORES HYDOCK

upcoming events

If you'd like to be on Dolores' e-mail list for a personal reminder about upcoming story and theatre performances, send your e-mail address to Dolores at dolores@storypower.org

The events listed in yellow below are open to the public.

NOVEMBER 2019

Wednesday, November 13: It's Not the Food, It's the Fellowship. Noon - 1 p.m., Fayette Public Library, 326 Temple Avenue North, Fayette, AL. Free. Light lunch starts at noon; the program follows, starting around 12:20. All are welcome!

Start off the holiday season with stories about, well, the food, the fellowship, and the crazy rituals that we somehow return to year after year when Thanksgiving and Christmas roll around. The folks at the Fayette Library make this a fun and festive time, with a casual lunch at noon.
Thursday, November 21: Thanksgiving stories. Shades Crest Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL.
Thursday, November 21: Abundant Blessings and The Magic Pan. New Era Club, Birmingham, AL.

DECEMBER 2019

Tuesday, December 3: Christmas stories. 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Shades Valley Presbyterian Church, 2305 Montevallo Road, Mountain Broook, AL. Part of the Presbyterian Women of the church Christmas luncheon. The service (which includes the story) is free and all are welcome to attend. There is a small charge for lunch, if you'd like to join us. Just call the church office at 205-871-7309 and let them know you'll be there!
Thursday, December 5: Christmas stories. Savantes Club, Birmingham, AL.
Friday, December 6: Jingle All the Way: Bicentennial Edition! ~ Songs, Stories, and Sing-alongs. With the music of Bobby Horton. 6:30 - 9 p.m. Homewood Public Library, 1721 Oxmoor Road, Homewood, AL. Tickets are $25, including an hors d'oeuvres buffet before the show. Tickets available here; reservations needed by December 5th.

Alabama's Bicentennial year comes to a close with Christmas stories from two of Alabama's most beloved, world-famous writers and storytellers: Kathryn Tucker Windham and Truman Capote. "It's Christmas" and "A Christmas Memory" are not just stories about Christmas, they are stories that paint a loving portrait of the people, traditions, and daily life in small Alabama towns many years ago. There will also be the always-requested The Twelve Days of Christmas, other new stories, gorgeous traditional tunes, and jolly sing-alongs to jump-start your holiday season!

Tickets are $25 and include a light hors d'oeuvres buffet starting at 6:30. The show follows (starting around 7:15). Tickets are available here or by visiting the Adult Services desk at the library.
Saturday, December 7: It's Not the Food, It's the Fellowship. Christmas brunch sponsored by the Sheffield Public Library. Tickets for brunch and the stories are $15, available by calling the library at 256-386-5633. The event will be held at the Clarion Inn, 4900 Hatch Blvd., Sheffield, AL.

Traditions make the holidays ... even if we sometimes forget why we're doing them or how they ever got started! Storyteller Dolores Hydock shares some funny, affectionate stories about the rituals and traditions that help even the Scrooge-iest among us locate that elusive Christmas spirit, year after year.
Sunday, December 8: Jingle All the Way ~ Songs, Stories, and Sing-alongs. With the music of Bobby Horton. 2 - 4 p.m. Shelby County Arts Council Theatre, 105 West College Street, Columbiana, AL. Tickets are $25 or $30 and are available here or by calling the Shelby County Arts Council at 205-669-0044.

Alabama's Bicentennial year comes to a close with Christmas stories from two of Alabama's most beloved, world-famous writers and storytellers: Kathryn Tucker Windham and Truman Capote. "It's Christmas" and "A Christmas Memory" are not just stories about Christmas, they are stories that paint a loving portrait of the people, traditions, and daily life in small Alabama towns many years ago. There will also be the always-requested The Twelve Days of Christmas, other new stories, gorgeous traditional tunes, and jolly sing-alongs to jump-start your holiday season!

Tickets are $25 / $30 and are available here or by calling the Shelby County Arts Council at 205-669-0044.
Monday, December 9: Christmas Stories. Vestavia Hills Seniors Christmas luncheon.
Tuesday, December 10: Alabama Holiday Memories. 2 - 3 p.m., Anniston - Calhoun County Library, 108 East 10th Street, Anniston, AL. Free and all are welcome.

Alabama's Bicentennial year comes to a close with Christmas stories from two of Alabama's most beloved, world-famous writers and storytellers: Kathryn Tucker Windham and Truman Capote. "It's Christmas" and "A Christmas Memory" are not just stories about Christmas, they are stories that paint a loving portrait of the people, traditions, and daily life in small Alabama towns many years ago.Family, special friendships, and memories of generosity and love fill these heartwarming stories with the holiday spirit!
Saturday, December 14: A Christmas Memory. 3 - 4 p.m., Eastern Shore Art Center, 401 Oak Avenue, Fairhope, AL. Ticket info TBA.

Truman Capote's bittersweet memory of a simpler time and an enduring friendship between a 7-year-old child and his 60-something cousin is brought to vivid life in this tender and touching presentation.
Sunday, December 15: A Christmas Memory. 10 - 10:45 a.m., Independent Presbyterian Church, Highland Hall, 3116 Highland Avenue, Birmingham, AL. Free and all are welcome to attend.
Wednesday, December 18: Downtown Rotary Club.
Thursday, December 19: Private luncheon.
Saturday, December 21: Evergleam and The Night Before Christmas. Part of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra's SuperPOPS special event Home for the Holidays at the Alys Stephens Center. The evening's performance also includes a guest appearance from Three on a String. For ticket information, visit alabamasymphony.org

JANUARY 2020

Thursday, January 23: Castles and Cathedrals. 10:30 - 11:15 a.m., Vestavia Hills Library in the Forest. Sponsored by the Friends of the Vestavia Hills Library. Ticket info TBA.
Sunday, January 26: Dishing the Dirt ~ Stories from the Garden. 12:30 - 2 p.m. Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church. Part of the church's annual "Soup and Stories for the Soul" luncheon event. Ticket info TBA.
Tuesday, Jamuary 28: Through the Back Door ~ The music that bridged the bayou. 11 a.m. to noon, Gulf Shores Visitor Center. Free. Sponsored by the Gulf Shores Public Library and the Alabama Humanities Foundation.

They say in Southwest Louisiana that you can be a Cajun in one of three ways: by blood (being born to it), by the ring (marriage), or through the back door (by befriending the culture). This program tells the history of Cajun music in North America and its importance in the lives of Cajun musicians and their families. The program is based on funny and often moving true stories collected from Cajun and Creole musicians. The presentation includes historical photographs and samples of the music to show how it has evolved over 300 years from its early style to its modern-day sound.

FEBRUARY 2020

Thursday, February 6: Footprint on the Sky: Voices from Chandler Mountain. Monroe County Courthouse, Monroeville, AL. Free. Part of a quilt exhibit at the courthouse. Sponsored by the Alabama Humanities Foundation.

Bonnets, bow-tie quilts, tomato stakes, the recipe for Scripture Cake, an old-timey cure for hiccups and other folk remedies, superstitions, and family stories are all part of this affectionate portrait of a close-knit Alabama mountain community in the 1970s, where modern-day life mixed with old-fashioned ways. The spirit and voices of special mountain friends come to life in this story of strong women, Southern hospitality, and the generous spirit of a close-knit community.
Saturday, February 15: Private event.
Tuesday, February 25: Footprint on the Sky. Panorama Club, Birmingham.

MARCH 2020

Wednesday, March 4: Noon - 1 p.m. Brown Bag Adult Lecture Series at B. B. Comer Library, Sylacauga, AL.
Tuesday, March 10: Springtime stories. Riverchase UMC luncheon.
Thursday, March 12: Shelby County Women's Ministry luncheon.
Thursday, March 19: Starch in their Petticoats: True stories of strong women who settled the West. 2 - 3 p.m., Rainwater Memorial Library, 124 9th Avenue SW, Childersburg, AL. Free. Sponsored by the Childersburg Book Club and the Alabama Humanities Foundation.

They were tough, resourceful, and ready for anything! Storyteller Dolores Hydock brings to life true stories of women of guts and gusto who settled the American West. They were pioneers, homesteaders, pistol-packin' card sharks, entertainers, and "upstairs girls," but they all played a part in putting the shine in the Golden West of the 1800s. Photographs, diary excerpts, letters, and newspaper articles of the day help bring their stories to life.
Friday - Saturday, March 20 - 21: Do Tell! Madison / Morgan County Storytelling Festival, Madison, GA.
Tuesday, March 31: Dishing the Dirt: Stories from the Garden. Alabama State Master Gardeners Conference, Mobile, AL.

APRIL 2020

Thursday, April 2: Castles and Cathedrals. 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., Fayette Music Club, Fayette, AL Free. Sponsored by the Fayette Music Club and the Alabama Humanities Foundation.
Friday, April 24: Spring story concert. 6:30 - 9 p.m., Homewood Library. Ticket info TBA.

MAY 2020

May 16 - 17: Shoals Storytelling Festival, Shoals Theatre, downtown Florence, AL. Ticket info TBA.

JUNE 2020

Saturday, June 6: Summertime stories. Private event.

HOME VIDEO SAMPLES STORIES CONTACT TOP of THIS PAGE