Storytellers Festival Day 1 – Downtown

Come hear some of the best Storytellers in Virginia as they share tales of adventure, learning, and fun.

Schedule:

Tuesday, March 26, 10:30 a.m., 2:15 p.m., and 3:30 pm: Nancy Wanzong (Weaver Tales)

Program: Nancy will be telling 3 sets of stories: ONCE UPON TIME, ANIMAL ANTICS, GOING BUGGY.  Her programs feature puppets and participation: acting out the stories and the playing of rhythm instruments.

Bio: Since 1992, when she was a Youth Services Librarian, Miss Nancy has delighted children and adults in the Richmond area with her stories. She has performed at daycares, schools, libraries, nursing homes, museums, festivals and on public radio. Miss Nancy  was one  of the  2015 New Voices at the Stone Soup Festival in Woodruff, SC. She was one of the Showcase Tellers at the Virginia Storytelling Gathering. She is a member of the Virginia Storytelling Alliance.

Wed., March 27 at 10:10 AM, 1:10 pm, and 3:30 pm: TwoTellersTelling

Program: TwoTellersTelling (Judith Onesty & Les Schaffer) presents “Imagination Station: Stories for Young Minds” a program for all ages. With stories ranging from creation myths, tall and true tales about why and how the Earth and its creatures came to be the way it is, folk and fairy tales from around the world, to true stories about growing up and exploring our universe. You and your family will be enchanted, entertained, and engaged – guaranteed!

Bio: The TwoTellersTelling, Judith Onesty and Les Schaffer, have been stretching the boundaries of storytelling for over 20 years. Telling in a free and open style allows them to express complex emotions, exciting action and laugh till you cry humor. Their individual storytelling process is more than multiplied by two.  It is squared, resulting in a fusion of ideas that adds new dimensions and possibilities to familiar material. They tell in tandem so that they can introduce new voices for different characters, bring life to dialogue and push the boundaries between storytelling and drama. It’s a chance to expand their individual repertoires and to doubly treat their audiences. They are accomplished tellers, teachers, workshop leaders, storytelling coaches and experts in creating safe places to listen to or tell your stories. They were co-founders of Richmond’s TellTale Hearts Storytellers Theater which presented 12 successful seasons of storytelling shows at the Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center. They’ve presented workshops and told at state and national storytelling conferences and are now completing a tour of most of the Chesterfield County Libraries. You and your family will be enchanted, entertained, and engaged by the TwoTellersTelling!

Thurs., March 28 at 11:10, 2:15, and 3:30 pm: Gayle Turner

Program: The storyteller will entertain the audience with tales from around the world.

Bio: Gayle Turner has entertained audiences onstage and on screen for over 60 years. As Co-Founder and Executive Producer at The Storytellers Channel, he tells stories to audiences of every age from preschoolers to senior citizens. The Storytellers Channel, Inc. conducts storytelling workshops for community and corporate leaders helping them discern, craft, and tell their stories. For our culture is created and sustained by the stories we tell. Whether in our private or public lives we live in to the stories we tell ourselves. As such, let us choose stories that will sow the seeds for joyous lives.

Friday, March 29 at 10:30, 2:10, and 3:10 pm: Wayne Jordan

Bio: Wayne Jordan is a Virginia storyteller, writer, and podcaster. Amusing. Comical. Witty. Chucklesome. Chucklesome? Yes, that word, too, has been used to describe Wayne’s stories. Over the years, he has learned to craft stories with humor, insight, and surprises. He strives to capture the imaginations of his listeners and readers, engage their curiosity, and leave them smiling.