When Edith Armstrong arrives to tell stories, she comes dressed in African clothing. She wears a long, colorful skirt and a flowing top and several yards of fabric wrapped around her head. “I like my performance to be a visual experience as well,” says Armstrong, who is known as Mama Edie.
Her storytelling at the Art Institute on Sunday will be visual in another way, too. Those who are deaf will be able to “watch” the stories and songs because Armstrong, who is a speech pathologist, will interpret her African and Caribbean tales and lyrics in sign language.
Often she starts her programs by inviting some children from the audience to join in an African circle game similar to the game of “Hot Potato” played by American children. In this case, though, the players pass around a maraca while Armstrong sings a chant. When she gets to a certain point in the song, the child caught holding the maraca is out of the game.
“I have the child stand up and take a bow and everybody applauds and then the child takes a maraca and becomes part of the rhythm section so the children don’t feel too bad about being eliminated,” says Armstrong.
When Armstrong tells stories she sees that activity, in part, as exercising an ability that is on the endangered list. “We’re so inundated with television and movies and having someone else’s images imposed on us that we can’t create our own,” she says. “Storytelling is a fantastic medium for nurturing the ability to develop mental images.”
To finish her program, Armstrong often asks several people from the audience to join her in telling a story. She starts it off with a personal anecdote and then each person takes a turn adding on to it. Armstrong likes the concept because she says everyone has a story to tell. “I think adults should share their own personal stories about events in their lives that brought them joy or made them laugh or taught them something,” says Armstrong.
“Messages from Africa and the Caribbean through Story and Song,” with Mama Edie who will interpret the presentation in sign language, 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Kraft General Foods Education Center, Art Institute of Chicago, Michigan Avenue at Adams Street, free with museum suggested admission, $6.50 for adults, $3.25 for students, seniors and children; 312-443-3600, for TDD, 312-443-3890.