Imersão literária: o teatro e um novo olhar para a contação de histórias

Abstract

This research, titled “Literary Immersion: Theater and a New Perspective on Storytelling,” stems from concerns regarding storytelling and listening to stories—factors that are crucial to children’s emotional and intellectual development. Storytelling, which is not limited to the school setting, takes place in venues where audiences gather primarily to listen to literary narratives. Thus, when reflecting on the subject, problematic questions arise: is there a formula that facilitates holding the audience’s attention? What strategies stimulate listeners? There are various resources that can contribute to the effective development of the reader, most of which focus on the storyteller’s performance. These questions led to an investigation into the narrator’s performance: is it innate or can it be honed? And would their performance be capable of inspiring the audience to read? The essence of performance art is to captivate and transport the listener into the realm of the imagination, fostering self-awareness and an understanding of the world. In response to these propositions, the objective was to develop an educational product embodied in the Performance Manual for Storytelling as a tool to facilitate the act of narration and encourage a love of reading, incorporating theatrical elements—such as voice, body language, sound effects, and costumes—to create a more effective and captivating narrative, aimed at teachers, librarians, parents, and others. We also sought to work with teachers from the municipal school system (Early Childhood Education) through an immersion in this field, carried out in a course taught at the headquarters of the Social Service of Commerce (Sesc) in Cornélio Procópio, Paraná. To this end, through bibliographic and qualitative-quantitative research (field research), figures such as Lacombe, Lima, Jouve, Forin, Cândido, Boal, Aristotle, Zumthor, Costa, and Coelho, among others, validated and contributed to making this work a journey in the development of reading practices, storytelling, literary literacy, and reader development.