SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
This next story - well, it's a story about stories, specifically about the structure of the stories we tell. My guest on this adventure is Kenn Adams.
KENN ADAMS: I'm the artistic director of Synergy Theater in Walnut Creek, California.
DETROW: And an adventurer of sorts.
ADAMS: Yes, I am. I invented the Story Spine, which is an eight-sentence exercise. And the beginning of the sentences are preplanned, and then the remaining part of the sentences are improvised or created by the storyteller. So those sentence starters are once upon a time, every day, but one day, because of that, because of that, because of that, until finally, and ever since then. So using those sentence-starting prompts and completing the sentences, you're able to generate a whole bunch of Story Spines, which are condensed versions of a well-told story.
DETROW: Adams says you can apply the Story Spine to any story, from "The Great Gatsby" to "Star Wars" to "The Wizard of Oz."
ADAMS: Once upon a time, there was a girl named Dorothy, who was whisked away to the magical land of Oz.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WIZARD OF OZ")
JUDY GARLAND: (As Dorothy) I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.
ADAMS: Every day she went on a journey to find the Wizard in order to get sent back home.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WIZARD OF OZ")
JUDY GARLAND, BERT LAHR, RAY BOLGER AND JACK HALEY: (As Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, singing) We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz.
ADAMS: But one day, the Wizard told her she would have to destroy the Wicked Witch of the West in order for him to send her home.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WIZARD OF OZ")
FRANK MORGAN: (As the Wizard if Oz) Bring me the broomstick of the Witch of the West.
ADAMS: Because of that, she had dangers and adventures.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WIZARD OF OZ")
BERT LAHR: (As the Cowardly Lion, reading) I'd turn back if I were you.
ADAMS: Because of that, she destroyed the Witch...
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WIZARD OF OZ")
MARGARET HAMILTON: (As the Wicked Witch of the West) I'm melting. I'm melting.
ADAMS: ...And went back to the Wizard in order to be sent back home as he promised her - until finally, Toto jumped out of her arms to go chase a cat.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WIZARD OF OZ")
GARLAND: (As Dorothy) Toto, come back.
ADAMS: And because of that, she missed her opportunity to get sent home. And ever since then, she was rescued by Glinda instead.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE WIZARD OF OZ")
GARLAND: (As Dorothy) There's no place like home.
DETROW: As for how Kenn's invention blew up and why we're talking about it today, well, that's a story, too. It starts once upon a time back in the late 1980s.
ADAMS: I was working with an improvisational theater company in New York City called Freestyle Repertory Theatre. And we were performing what's known as short form improvisation, short comedic sketches based on suggestions. And at the same time, I was leading a middle school workshop in creative writing. So I needed some type of tool for the kids to use in order to outline their work.
DETROW: And then one day...
ADAMS: I sat down and figured out, OK, how do stories work? Basically, it's this beginning, middle and an end, and what is the most condensed version of that I could create?
DETROW: He rolled it out with the middle school students and in his improv work.
ADAMS: It really worked very well in both situations.
DETROW: Because of that, Kenn was invited to participate in improv festivals all over the country. And because of that...
ADAMS: There was a woman who was one of the founding members of the San Francisco company named Rebecca Stockley. And when I was out there, I taught a workshop, and Rebecca was in the workshop, and I taught the Story Spine.
DETROW: Because of that?
ADAMS: Rebecca started using the Story Spine as she taught.
DETROW: Until finally...
ADAMS: Rebecca got hired by Pixar to teach improvisation to their writers. And so she went in and taught them a whole bunch of stuff, including the Story Spine.
DETROW: And ever since then, Story Spine has been deeply immersed in all the movies that Pixar makes, including this summer's much anticipated "Toy Story 5."
ADAMS: I do not, for one minute, think Pixar would be any less successful if this didn't happen. And so this takes nothing away from that at all. The fact that an organization on that level finds value in something I created I think is awesome.
DETROW: I just happen to live with an 8 and 3 year old and I've watched "Toy Story" 6,000 times over the past year. So can I do it? And can you correct me if you think I'm doing it the wrong way?
ADAMS: Yes.
DETROW: So I would say, once upon a time, there's a toy named Woody. He's a sheriff, and he lives in Andy's room.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOY STORY")
JOHN MORRIS: (As Andy, imitating One-Eyed Bart) Sheriff Woody.
DETROW: Every day, he plays with Andy, who he loves very much. Being Andy's favorite toy is the center of his world. But one day, this new toy shows up named Buzz Lightyear.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOY STORY")
TIM ALLEN: (As Buzz Lightyear) Buzz Lightyear to Star Command. Come in, Star Command.
DETROW: Suddenly, Andy is much more excited about Buzz. Because of that, Woody gets jealous of Buzz.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOY STORY")
TOM HANKS: (As Woody) You stay away from Andy. He's mine.
DETROW: Because of that, Woody tries to push Buzz aside. Because of that, Buzz gets in trouble and leaves the house and ends up in the house across the side of the fence, where a kid is really mean to his toys.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOY STORY")
WALLACE SHAWN: (As Rex) He tortures toys just for fun.
DETROW: Because of that, Woody feels guilty and tries to rescue Buzz. Because of that, they forge a friendship - until finally they work together to rescue the toys from Sid's house...
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOY STORY")
HANKS: (As Woody) To infinity and beyond.
DETROW: ...Make their way back to Andy's house. And ever since then, they have been at peace with each other.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "TOY STORY")
MORRIS: (As Andy) Woody. Buzz.
LAURIE METCALF: (As Andy's Mom) Oh, great, you found them.
DETROW: Both being Andy's cofavorite toys, all living together in Andy's bedroom.
ADAMS: Scott, I could not have done that better myself.
DETROW: I'm going to take a bow.
Do you think this works so well because this is the way to tell a good story, or do you think there's part of it that we have all been primed to look for these sort of beats, and a story that sticks to them is going to resonate more because we subconsciously or consciously know what we're experiencing, whether we're reading it or hearing it or watching it.
ADAMS: I would say the story structure is inherent within us. This concept of a beginning and a middle and an end is something we experience every day from the moment we're born. A million times you wake up in the morning, you live your day, you go to sleep at night. So this concept of beginning, middle, end is just deeply embedded in our DNA. And because storytelling is our main source of communicating and satisfies so many needs and basic urges that we have, we apply this beginning, middle and end structure to it because that's the way we understand life works.
DETROW: What do you think this need for a beginning, middle and end, for this kind of structure, what do you think it says about us as humans?
ADAMS: We live in a very chaotic world, and sometimes it is very hard to see the cause and effect relationship between the events we experience. And sometimes there is none. Sometimes good things happen to very bad people and bad things happen to very good people and accidents out of the blue come along and destroy your life. And I think when we create stories and we use our understanding of story structure to put events into a beginning and a middle and an end, it allows us some sense of ascendancy over the chaos that we face. So we use our ability to tell stories in order to somehow capture and restrain the chaos and best it so that we have hope that, if we continue to live our best life, we will be successful and be able to overcome the relative chaos and meaningless that we combat each day.
DETROW: Kenn Adams is the author of "How To Improvise A Full-Length Play: The Art Of Spontaneous Theater."
(SOUNDBITE OF ARNO AND RANDY NEWMAN SONG, "YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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