Thursdays 7-9 pm
April 23, 30, May 7, 14, 2026 $150/series Location: The HIVE Creative Studios, Port Jefferson Station, NY www.lifestage.me

Learning to craft an authentic experience into a story meant to be told out loud is empowering, useful, and most importantly - fun! This class blends improv techniques - for tapping spontaneity, looking at events through different perspectives, and creative confidence-building - with exercises for looking at our life experiences through a storytelling lens, and techniques that transform an experience into a compelling story to be told out loud. The skills to tell a great story can elevate the impact of a professional presentation, make our talk the one everyone remembers, make a wedding toast truly memorable, take a personal tribute to an emotional high note. Through a well-told story, information and facts flow, and listeners are carried along with fascination and feeling. In this class series, we will:
Learn "story mining" exercises that help us discover the story in our own life experiences
Learn the 5-beat story structure and apply it Identify the narrative arc and universal theme of stories drawn from your life experience
Practice techniques that fully engage a listener and make a story truly memorable
Learn skills for taking the story from the page to the stage
Share at least 2 drafts of the story with the class
Discuss how to pitch stories to shows and podcasts

INSTRUCTOR: Jude Treder-Wolff, a creative arts therapist, storyteller, improviser, improv and storytelling teacher. She is host and creator of (mostly) TRUE THINGS, a Long Island-based storytelling show performed in Port Jefferson every month since 2014, which has also been featured at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center, The Patchogue Theater, The Peoples Improv Theater and The Tank in NYC, and the Dolphin Bookshop in Port Washington, NY. A Moth slam winner, she performs in storytelling shows in the northeast and around the country, including The Armenian Power House and New Tricks at Q.E.D. in Astoria, The Story Collider and Funny Over 50 at Caveat in NYC and Generation Women at Joe's Pub. She won the All-Star slam at Ex Fabula in Milwaukee, WI, was featured on Story District in Washington, D.C. and on the RISK! live show and podcast many times. She offers classes and workshops through her company www.lifestage.me