The Virtual Storyteller

Abstract

As a form of oral communication, storytelling helps people explain their experience of the world to others. For experience to translate, tellers and audiences must be able to actively respond to each other, necessitating flexible roles; however, in contemporary oral storytelling venues, audiences and tellers typically take on more rigid roles, akin to theatrical performer/audience relationships. We argue that virtual spaces allow storytellers to reach wider audiences, yet those audiences must be encouraged to be more actively involved in the storytelling event for tellers and audiences alike to engage in meaningful acts.