Storytelling Live! welcomes four-time Grammy award winner David Holt Aug. 22-26.
Storytelling Live!, the International Storytelling Center's celebrated teller-in-residence series, continues its season. The program features 26 of America's best-loved storytellers, one each week May through October. Each teller appears in matinee performances Tuesday through Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall, as well as several special features throughout the month.
Michael Reno Harrell starts the month off with performances from Aug. 1-5. Harrell is an award-winning songwriter, veteran storyteller and entertainer from the Southern Appalachian Mountains, where storytelling is as much a part of the culture as is music. Five decades of performing have taken him to over 40 states and several countries. A consummate performer, Harrell's combination of music and storytelling is based in experience - sometimes very funny, sometimes a bit scary, often heartwarming and always entertaining. Harrell presents an evening concert, Behind the Music, Thursday, Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
David Novak appears Aug. 8-12. An eclectic, original and insightful storyteller, Novak has a background in the theater arts including Shakespeare, clowning, creative dramatics, play writing and directing. His animated programs contrast simplicity with complexity, the familiar with the surprising and the ordinary with the fabulous. Novak's numerous appearances across the U.S. and abroad include the Cincinnati Playhouse, the Czech Children's Theatre Festival, the Sydney International Storytelling Conference and school tours throughout China. He is the recipient of the NSN ORACLE Circle of Excellence award. Novak offers a special children's concert Saturday, Aug. 12, at 10:30 a.m.
Aug. 15-19 brings Connie Regan-Blake as Storytelling Live's resident storyteller. One of America's most celebrated storytellers, she has captivated the hearts and imaginations of people with her powerful performances. Recognized in the storytelling community with the NSN ORACLE Circle of Excellence, Distinguished Service and Lifetime Achievement awards, Regan-Blake has recently been invited by the Library of Congress to house the compilation of memorabilia from her life's work as a storyteller, including her role in the birth and beginnings of the American Storytelling Revival. Regan-Blake also brings the BeadforLife Jewelry Sale to ISC Friday, Aug. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A program aimed at helping women lift themselves out of extreme poverty, the sale features a beautiful array of paper bead jewelry handmade by Ugandan women.
Storytelling Live! welcomes four-time Grammy award winner David Holt Aug. 22-26. Hailed as "the best minstrel storyteller" by Vogue, Holt is a musician, storyteller, historian, television host and entertainer dedicated to performing and preserving traditional American music and stories. He plays 10 acoustic instruments, including banjo, slide guitar, harmonica, bones and spoons. In addition to making numerous critically acclaimed recordings, Holt is host of popular television programs including the PBS series "David Holt's State of Music," "Folkways" and "Great Scenic Railway Journeys." He was featured in the film "O Brother, Where Art Thou," and performed with Doc Watson for 14 years, which he calls a highlight of his career. Holt is an NSN ORACLE Circle of Excellence award recipient.
Spencer Bohren rounds out the month from Aug. 29- Sept. 2. Performer, songwriter, educator and virtuoso guitarist, Bohren travels the world sharing his great love for America's traditional folk, blues, gospel and country music. Born in wind-swept Casper, Wyoming, Bohren's gospel-singing parents provided the foundation of a musical style and celebrated career that remains healthy decades later. From festival stages in America to concert halls all over Europe, listeners are charmed by his stories and music -- punctuated by guitar and banjo, and resonating with the ambience of the rivers, roads and bayous of the American South.
For more information about Storytelling Live! or to purchase tickets call 800-952-8392 ext. 222 or 423-913-1276.
