Flatball Radio | Rick Huddle – “Liberace Toilet Seat”
by | August 6, 2015, 8:02am 0
It still amazes me that there was a guy who had been playing ultimate in Portland for 14 years who also happened to be a professional storyteller, and I had not only never met him, but also never heard of him. Rick came to this project via the recommendation of a mutual friend. Shocked that I was only then learning about him, I reached out to Rick about the project. I didn’t know if his theater/children’s entertainer/music background would translate well to the intimate live storytelling event I was putting together. But as I learned more about him, I discovered that this guy is a true professional — he’s able to switch gears to suit whatever medium is in front of him. A few Moth-esque videos of Rick’s stories and a Skype call confirmed that this guy more than had the chops for a Flatball story.
Rick’s profession and his extensive experience with storytelling might have made it easy for him to take over the reigns at any point in our workshopping process. I mean, the guy teaches storytelling workshops after all! Instead, Rick used his knowledge to lend gentle feedback packed with wisdom. He used his involvement as an opportunity to learn from the other seven people in the room. He used the process to craft a strong, funny and thoughtful story to add to his established catalogue. A room full of such skilled storytellers and diverse perspectives needs people who want to improve the group as a whole, not impose their will on the room. Rick made it abundantly clear why you want him on your ultimate or storytelling team.
More about Rick: 14 year Portland Mixed player. Storyteller by profession. Has spoken on the Moth, writes one man shows and entertains for a living. Pirate singer.
Photo by Gene Buonaccorsi — www.eugenebuonaccorsi.com
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