If someone is going to tell you a tall story, you want it to be Paul Strickland.
Not only for the whimsical way, but he not only spins the thread, but raises his eyebrows here and there is a well-placed pause there.
Here’s how he explains that magic: “The story is not actually true, but it is actually true.”
Have you got it?
A longtime Orlando Fringe Festival favourite, Strickland will be in town on March 19th to perform at Judson’s Live, the latest night spot at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Perhaps this will help explain the formula for his victory storytelling – oh, he is the winner. His show was awarded the Critics’ Choice Award twice at Orlando Fringe.
Strickland says, “I invite my audience to think about my life through this fictional medium.”
Therefore, when he breaks the uncle’s falsehood with the “ai n’t” truth, relatives living in trailer parks where residents reach all kinds of shenanigans – well, people may not be exactly real. But their human spirit is – and the two characters are a reflection of the audience.
Do you need another example? Think about the Bible – some are full of stories, others are literally working on it, but there are plenty of valuable advice on how to live a valuable life.
“My childhood came from an analytical and religious place,” says Strickland, who grew up as a religious person, first in Pensacola and later in North Carolina. “So the idea of collecting lessons from literature is something I’ve grown up and do in a hardcore way. I have ears that fit the life lessons that come from stories that I don’t really feel are impossible.”
It’s not that his story is inherently religious. Though they feature characters with sufficient faith, even if they are impossible. And lots of pride. And anger. and gumption. And love. And other human foibles or features you can think of.
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On the show on Judson’s Live, Strickland mixes old stories he played – “some of the biggest hits,” he says – the new material says. He also throws away some of his best comedy songs. The night is designed to be “comedy forward,” he says.
The comedy is where he got his start on stage.
Strickland, now based in Kentucky, introduced herself to a Central Florida audience at the 2010 Orlando Fringe Festival at the show entitled “Brighter Shade of Blue.”
“It was a show about my divorce – a long form of stand-up act,” he recalls.
But in reality, it was music that first became interested in art.
“I went to college and sang opera,” he says. “My father said I needed something to retreat, so I was double troubled by the poetry.” (Please give me a rim shot!)
His job as a house manager at the Nashville Performing Arts Center led to an open mic night, which ultimately performed full-time as a comic. However, previous interest in music and the way language slides did not disappear.
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Strickland is currently running a storytelling circuit, giving public stories and fairy tales to audiences.
“In some cases, you have to say, ‘These are old folk tales’,’ and refer to the blank,” he says.
Not true, the uncle’s falsehood remains a favorite of the audience.
“They came from novel attempts that actually failed,” Strickland says. “I was terrible with that, but I wanted to put it on stage. I thought maybe it would work. Boy, I did that.”
There’s a certain quirk of them – Uncle Fars has a toilet in his living room, so that’s because furniture he’s used to reading – you might wonder if they’re based on the real people of Strickland’s life. He immediately assures them that they are not.
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“I’m always talking about what’s going on in my life on some level,” he says.
In the future, Strickland plans to offer workshops on education in story format, improve business presentations, and perform. It’s a situation where someone actually wants to learn to tell the story better.
“It’s an opportunity for people to practice the art of not being boring,” he says. “The interesting thing is skills.”
Strickland is committed to continuing his own storytelling performance. He believes that art forms beyond entertainment can be important.
“I’m trying to regain the idea of inducing empathy through fiction,” he says. “People will hear it… because I can make it interesting.”
To conclude the conversation, Strickland makes a statement that it is clearly not a tall story. It sounds both fact and truth.
“To be honest, I feel lucky to have stumbled over it,” he says of the life of storytelling. “I feel like I was going to do that.”
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“Half truth and plenty”
Contents: Music, Comedy, Storytelling by Paul Strickland Location: Judson Lives Doctor of Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Avenue in Orlando Time: March 19 Cost: $20 plus one drink Minimum info: drphillipscenter.org
Original issue: March 11, 2025 5am Edit
