Intercultural Storytelling Performance in Morocco and the United States

Abstract:The Ben M'Sik neighborhood surrounding Hassan II University in Casablanca, Morocco, is the largest and poorest of the region's six districts. In 2009, a group of American performance studies faculty and students partnered with faculty and students at Hassan II Ben M'sik University in Casablanca to participate in workshops focused on oral traditions and storytelling, emphasizing active listening, performance, and dialogic encounters. This paper uses excerpts from ethnographic texts generated by our American students to consider their predispositions, attitudes, and discoveries during the trip; the challenges we encountered while fostering dialogic experiences and performances; happy surprises; and generative frictions that transpired.