ADULT CLASSES
“To be part of an art
that tells a story
– to be a catalyst
– is very exciting.”
Alden Ehrenreich
The Art of Storytelling Class at Stagebridge, Oakland
Ongoing since 2001, Haynes’ 2-hour weekly classes are generally conducted in three sessions:
Fall, Winter and Spring for a maximum of 12 students with a student showcase performance on the final day. Go to stagebridge.org for more information about this esteemed theater company and a description of her current class.
Commissioned Curriculum: Haynes has also created specific courses for:
• San Francisco Asian Art Museum Storytellers – seminar series
• California State University – guest lecturer
• East Bay Diablo Valley Emeritus College – guest lecturer
“My beginning class with you gave me such insight. My imagination and curiosity were awakened. You had knowledge and a special way of sharing to help me become the storyteller I want to be. Your teaching moved my ideas about storytelling forward in ways that make me smile.”
“ You’ve created such a healing, nurturing, fun space. People bring their lives into the room, and into their stories and there’s so much connection with each other because of that. Bravo!!! And what a refreshing, revitalizing morning for me.”
“If you want to know what it means to love stories come to Jeanne Haynes’ class. Each session is a wonderful, joyous look at stories and their expression. Students receive constructive positive feedback and advance quickly obtaining the skills that make them storytellers indeed.”
“I’ve felt encouraged, safe and always constructively critiqued. I’m beginning to see another kind of growth in myself as a result of this class. It makes me re-think my own childhood. Storytelling is saving my life.”
“Learning to think about different characters in a story has enhanced my storytelling. And to give each character identity in ways other than changing voices.”
“Jeanne Haynes is an exceptional coach, teacher and storytelling trainer. Her gentle encouraging style and persuasive manner would charm birds out of trees and anyone to learn to tell a story. Her wealth of experience is a great benefit to her students.”
“Jeanne’s laughter is infectious. She makes the class fun. But she also helps guide us in telling difficult stories. When I was struggling to tell about my daughter meeting her birth mother in Korea, her questions helped clarify my feelings and the class provided a supportive environment. What a wonderful experience!”
“No other teacher has empowered me to tell my stories the way Jeanne has. She is wise, safe and encouraging!! In her classes, every individual is appreciated for their own style and is taught to trust their unique way of telling. Other teachers have shut me down. Jeanne always opens me up.”
“Many people have stories to tell. Ahh, but few are fortunate enough to have Jeanne’s guidance in fine-tuning our stories. Her coaching helped me improve my telling of “The Paris ATM Misadventure.” Her encouragement and expertise bolstered my confidence. Any applause I received, I share with her.”
“Thank you for hours of love, compassion and just good old fashion instruction. You have built a train for all of us to take a ride on. And there is room for all who want to indulge a part of your large heart.”
PRIVATE COACHING
For advanced tellers and solo performers,
Haynes offers private coaching to create longer more complex pieces or the compact 5-minute Moth story or other specific tellings. A dozen+ of her students have already claimed their own center stage at The Marsh in San Francisco, “Tell It On Tuesday” at The Marsh in Berkeley, The Moth in Berkeley, Stagebridge Noontime Series in Oakland and Love Lines at the Piedmont Art Center, plus invited featured tellers for other organizations’ major events.
“There is no agony
like bearing an untold
story inside you.”
Zora Neale Huston
“I had all the complicated facts about my grandparents surviving the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, but I was a long way from presenting it. Jeanne helped me develop a logical plausible story, advised about characters and voices, plus suggesting I use poster-sized enlargements of my grandfather’s photos. People loved my story and I couldn’t have done it without her help.”
“In developing my story: “Walter Cronkite Owes Me a Dollar!” Jeanne stood by me from conception to performance. Her support, input, and always being available for direction, made her an invaluable partner. If it hadn’t been for her encouragement when I was feeling discouraged, I may never have had the thrill of putting the final product in front of an audience.”
“I was so fortunate to have Jeanne Haynes as my director for my Nicaragua “passport intrigue” travel story. Her skills with stage direction, use of dialogue, body gestures and timing improved my story immeasurably. Her artistry helped me audition successfully. You will be lucky to have her as your director.”
“Working with Jeanne has enabled me to distill my stories to their essence; bring other voices and viewpoints into each telling; and continue developing my delivery and stage presence. She is a great mentor and coach!!”
“Jeanne Haynes helped me to discover the storyteller in me. She’s empowered me to tell life stories such as my March in Selma, my eight-year-old experience of the start of WWII, and all the Presidents I’ve met during my lifetime. Thanks to Jeanne I can tell my stories in an engaging and dramatic fashion, and be rewarded by enthusiastic response.”
“Jeanne is an outstanding coach — supportive, encouraging, and insightful. I specialize in traditional stories, and she has helped me get to the emotional heart of the tales and to convey them with gestures and intonation. It’s a pleasure to work with her, and my stories are incomparably better for it.”
“Jeanne is the kind of teacher a student wishes for. She is always in your corner willing to work with you from wherever you are and at your own pace. She has guided me from a story’s first little seed to the point where it bares the ripest of fruits. When drought hits her insightful gentle questions help move you to more fertile soil. I trust her explicitly and she has never steered my wrong. Working with her is a gift.”
“It was pretty exciting to tell before that large audience at The Moth hearing their laughter and applause. And then to win 2nd place! I was grateful for Jeanne’s coaching to get my story into 5 minutes and working with a microphone. I felt ready and that was a real boost for my confidence.”
“Jeanne Haynes is a terrific asset to the storytelling community both as a performer and teacher. She has a wonderful presence on stage, commits to characters, connection, and craft making for a rich audience experience. Not only have we featured her numerous times at TIOT since its beginning in 2006, but we’ve also invited many of her students to perform for us. It’s a testament of Jeanne’s work that their pieces are well crafted, the narrative is clear, and they have learned the importance of staying connected to one’s audience.”