Bil Lepp
Storytelling Live!, the International Storytelling Center's renowned teller-inresidence series, kicks off its new season May 3. The series features 26 of America's best-loved storytellers, one each week May through October, in addition to special concerts in November and December.
Each teller appears in matinee performances Tuesday through Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall. Evening performances, children's concerts, special features and holiday shows are also offered.
Storyteller Bil Lepp of West Viginia begins the season May 3-7, with a special evening concert Thursday, May 5. An internationally-known storyteller, author and recording artist, he has been described as a satisfying blend of Bob Newhart and Jeff Foxworthy. Lepp has been featured at venues across the nation, including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and Comedy Central. He is the recipient of the NSN ORACLE Circle of Excellence award, and his picture book, "The King of Little Things," won a Parents' Choice Gold award. A five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars' Contest, his outrageous tall tales and witty stories are a signature of his repertoire.
Megan Hicks of Pennsylvania appears during the second week of Storytelling Live, May 10-14. Her way with words, warm sense of humor and deep respect for anybody who is now or ever was a kid, produces an awardwinning performer who captivates audiences of all ages and walks of life. Storytelling has taken her from sea to shining sea, from Australia and Argentina to China, from juvenile detention centers to the FBI Academy. Hicks' honors include a Parents' Choice Silver and Storytelling World awards.
Adam Booth from West Virginia performs as Storytelling Live's resident storyteller May 17-21. Described as "Better than Netflix" by Leadership Jefferson, Booth's original stories blend traditional mountain folklore, music and an awareness of contemporary Appalachia. His work, both humorous and touching, is influenced by the rhythms and gestures of generations of diverse West Virginia storytellers and features familiar tales disguised in Appalachian clothing. His stories and recordings have been honored with a Parents' Choice Silver Honor, Storytelling World Honors award, the National Storytelling Network's J.J. Reneaux Mentorship grant and four West Virginia Liars' Contest wins.
Rounding out the first month of Storytelling Live! May 24-28 is Dolores Hydock of Alabama, with a special concert May 28. A storyteller and actress, Hydock fills the stage with a swirl of characters in her funny, affectionate stories about family fireworks, true love, turnip greens and other peculiarities of everyday life. In addition to her personal stories, her awardwinning adaptations of medieval adventures, literary classics and oral histories make literature and history come alive for 21st-century story lovers. In addition to her matinees, Hydock presents a special feature "Soldiers in Greasepaint: USO Entertainers of World War II" Saturday, May 28, at 4 p.m.
For more information about Storytelling Live! visit www. storytellingcenter.net. To purchase tickets call 800-952-8392 ext. 222 or 423-913-1276.
