Anne G'Fellers-Mason
Real? Imagined? Who knows? Creepy tales unfold from stories passed down, legends and myths, and things that go screech in the night with the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild Sept.7 at the McKinney Center.
The guild is the oldest continuing group of storytellers in the nation. Graveyard Tales include spooky stories of local legends, creepy creatures and bone chilling lores. Due to this event’s sometimes true and chilling tales, the concert is not intended for children under the age of 12.
Four storytellers will tell spooky tales during the event.
Linda Poland, known as “The Jonesborough Flame,” brings her legendary ghost storytelling expertise to life with vivid, spine-tingling tales. As Jonesborough’s Resident Storyteller since 1997, Poland has captivated audiences with her Legends, Whispers, and Mysteries Tours, blending historical accuracy with eerie intrigue. Her global travels, including a recent adventure in Turkey where a bazaar became the backdrop for one of her most chilling stories, infuse her narratives with authenticity and suspense.
Cynthia Millhorn is the founder and director of Appalachian Moon Studio and Intuitive Learning Academy where she serves as an academic mentor, arts educator and storytelling performer enriching the lives of children and adults. Holding two master’s degrees in communication, storytelling performance and writing, Millhorn’s original shows and fine arts instruction have taken her from Los Angeles to Atlanta to South Africa. Most recently, her work garnered inclusion in both the Asheville and Atlanta Fringe Festivals.
Jim Priesmeyer is a retired builder. During the course of his career, he built businesses and buildings including a professional theater company, stage rigging company and a historic preservation organization. He grew up in a sleepy relaxed beach town in South Florida and spent more than half of his life in the rural western mountains of North Carolina. He strives to be a student of history and the people who make it. Priesmeyer has lived in East Tennessee for about 10 years and feels like he has finally gotten on the right side of the mountain.
Anne G’Fellers-Mason is the program manager for the McKinney Center where she oversees the StoryTown Initiative. She has a BA in history/theater from Mars Hill University, an MA in history from ETSU, and an MFA in playwriting from Hollins University. She combines her degrees to write history-based plays including both award-winning, “A Spot on the Hill” and “Nancy.” G’Fellers-Mason is also a published author through Mountain Gap Books. Her titles include “The Summer Between,” “Haints and Hollers: New Ghost Tales from Appalachia” and “Shelved: Appalachian Resilience Amid COVID-19.”
Graveyard Tales takes place Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. at the McKinney Center, located at 103 Franklin Ave in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $10 for students 12 and up. Tickets can be purchased by calling 423-753-1010 or visiting jonesboroughtn.org.
For additional information about the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild, visit storytellersguild.org.
