Watching a story come to life on TV or on a movie screen is one thing, but seeing it come to life on the faces of students in real time is another thing. Mandalay students enjoyed a StoryFaces assembly which is an exciting show in which the storytelling artist paints the faces of audience volunteers to illustrate the stories as they are being told, engaging the audience with uniquely animated tales of world cultures and our shared humanity. The stories featured folktales, myths, legends, and fables which are stories with animals that teach lessons helping students remember the story.

As visual and performing artist Christopher Agostino brought stories to life on student’s faces, he shared that they can hearing voices from all of the world through reading and it gives people courage to write their own stories. With 45 years as a visual and performing artist, Mr. Agostino realized that anything you can put on a portrait, you can put on a face.

Students were picked randomly based on making funny or scary faces and by sitting nicely. Those selected were transformed into vibrant characters as they became part of the storytelling experience. Original stories such as The Tiger that Went to the House of Sun, The Amazing Face Story, and When A Man Met a Crocodile were a few of the stories shared with students.