Ed Stivender — July 30- Aug. 3
Storytelling Live!, the International Storytelling Center’s celebrated teller-in-residence series, continues its season in August. 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. The month also includes a workshop, two evening concerts and a children’s concert.
Storytelling Live! kicks off the month with c. A self-described “full-time daydreamer who moonlights as a storyteller,” he has toured the world since 1981, presenting his one-man shows in Austria, Ireland, New Zealand, Indonesia and in festivals across the U.S. Known for his mixture of whimsy, wit and wisdom, he invites his audience into an interactive dance of the imagination. The author of two books of coming-of-age stories, his writing has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Catholic Digest, and Chicken Soup for the Romantic Soul. Stivender is a NSN ORACLE Circle of Excellence award recipient. Saturday, Aug. 3, at 10:30 a.m., he performs a special children’s concert, where the young and young-at-heart can enjoy a treasure trove of folklore and literary classics.
Niall de Búrca performs Aug. 6-10. Considered one of Ireland’s finest traditional storytellers, he grew up in the west of Ireland, a region steeped in Gaelic tradition. He combines traditional stories with original tales and is a familiar figure to many in his homeland through his performances in theater, festivals and radio. Internationally recognized for his energetic and animated style of storytelling, de Búrca has performed worldwide, sharing his storytelling credo, the Irish proverb Nior bhris focal maith fiacal riamh... A good word never broke a tooth.
ISC welcomes Connie Regan-Blake for her residency Aug. 13-17. One of America’s most celebrated storytellers, Regan-Blake 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 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.
David Holt, appearing Aug. 20-24, is a four-time Grammy Award winning musician, storyteller, artist, historian and radio and television host, who, for more than 45 years, has collected and performed the songs and stories of the Blue Ridge Mountains. He plays 10 acoustic instruments, including banjo, slide guitar, harmonica, bones and spoons. Holt is a long-time host of several public television shows including David Holt’s State of Music. Holt was featured in the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou.” In 2011, he was awarded the Uncle Dave Macon Heritage Award for presenting and preserving old-time mountain music and in 2016, he was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Holt is a recipient of the NSN ORACLE Circle of Excellence award.
First Nations storyteller (Lakota/Kiowa Apache) Dovie Thomason from Pennsylvania performs Aug. 27-31. In her original stories, she weaves historical facts, personal experiences, humor and vivid imagery to promote understanding and respect. Her ability to craft tales that not only enchant audiences but also carry invaluable lessons about human nature and indigenous cultures, have garnered her international acclaim. The wry humor and subtle graces that infuse Thomason’s work enable her broad and modern appeal, while a lifetime of study and tradition-bearing ensures that the deep cultural roots of her craft remain intact.
For more information about Storytelling Live! or to purchase tickets to any of our performances visit www.storytellingcenter.net or call (800) 952-8392 ext. 222 or (423) 913-1276.
