“Celebrating the art and craft of oral storytelling through community and connection” The 36th Annual Florida Storytelling Festival Jan 23 — 26 “I can see 2020!” Special Thanks to our Sponsors! Thank you to the McLin Foundation for sponsoring our Storyteller in Schools Program in Lake County during the week of the festival. The Florida Storytelling Festival is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. Gratitude to our Donors Pete & Rusty Abdalla Dan Krause Kip Barkley Pat Nease Robert Barnhart Robin Schulte Ron Beadenkopf Tampa Bay Storytellers Walt Belcher Valerie Young-Baldwin Marilyn Graham Kathleen Williams Katie Green Jody Wren 2 WELCOME! President’s Message “Celebrating the art and craft of oral storytelling through community and connection.” On behalf of the Florida Storytelling Association, welcome to TABLE OF CONTENTS the 36th annual Florida Storytelling Festival! Whether you are a StoryTeller or a Glossary of Terms ........ 4 StoryListener, we thank you for your support. Storytelling Etiquette ... 5 From performances to workshops, story swaps Featured Tellers ........... 6 to contests, we have a packed weekend of Member Showcase ...... 8 events and stories that will nudge your funny Opportunities to Tell .... 9 bone, touch the heart, open the mind, and Networking Events ....... 9 inspire the spirit. Fringe ........................... 11 Youthful Voices ............ 12 We celebrate storytelling in the oral tradition Schedule of Events ....... 14 as the art of connection, person to person, face to face. We also support the next generation of Workshop Descriptions . 16 storytellers. Prior to the festival, our Storytellers Storytelling Groups ...... 21 in Schools Program visits local schools. During Story Cruise .................. 23 the festival, Field Trips bus in students and our Places to Eat ................. 25 Youthful Voices perform on the main stage. Map .............................. 26 As a Physician-Educator-Storyteller, I believe in the power of storytelling to heal ourselves and our communities. Storytelling is my Peace Work. Florida Storytelling While we also need this communication skill in Association leadership, marketing, and business, we need art to help us find meaning and connection in life. Voting Board of Directors Our festival elevates this community and folk art Joel Ying, President to the stage as a performance art. Jessica McCune, Secretary Have a question? Need help? Visit our Louise O'Leary, Treasurer Registration Table at the Story Store. Learn more Claire Chandler about the work we do year-round at flstory.com. Jerry Smith Ross Tarr May the stories be with you, Debra Weller Dr. Joel Ying President Board Advisor Florida Storytelling Association Robin Schulte, Immed. Past. Pres. 3 Glossary of Terms Banquet. Join the Saturday dinner event for our annual award ceremony. (Additional Ticket Required.) Concert. In the world of storytelling performance, we call our events “concerts.” Come listen to our storytellers perform in concerts. Featured Tellers. Professional Storytellers invited to the Festival as our main tellers and workshop leaders. Each year, we feature new National Tellers and local Florida Tellers. (Page 6) Fringe Tellers. Late-night Fringe Concerts offer our members a chance to tell a 45-minute set of stories. Members submit their application, and 3 lucky winners are chosen at random. (Page 11) Member Showcase. Florida Storytelling Association Members submitted stories (10 minutes or less) for their chance to share the stage with our Featured Tellers. Guild. Storytelling Groups or “Circles” meet to swap stories and support the art of storytelling in their local areas. (Page 21) Visit the Guild Networking meeting Friday at 11am. (Page 9) StoryCruise. Join us for a scenic cruise around the lake with more storytelling on Sunday afternoon. (Additional Ticket Required.) StorySlam. It’s a contest. Win prizes. This year’s theme is “I’m not here to lie to you.” Tell a 5 minute story in any genre. Put your name in the hat. We draw names until we run out of time. Swapping Grounds / StorySwap. This is your opportunity to share a 5 to 7 minute story. Names are drawn at random. Storytelling. We celebrate the telling of stories in the oral tradition. Youthful Voices Tellers. We partner with schools every year. Students are chosen for our Saturday evening performance. Join us to listen to the future voices of storytelling. (Page 12) Check out our commemorative pin. Visit the StoryStore for T-shirts, bags, puppets, books, CD’s. Take the Tellers home with you. 4 Storytelling Etiquette Phones Silenced or Off When attending a storytelling program, please turn off your phone and devices. Entry and Exit Outside of an emergency, please do not leave or enter while a story is in progress. Photography and Video No flash photography or any activity that will distract the teller. We encourage pictures on social media, but please do not record or post video without express permission of the tellers and FSA. Permission and Copyright While the art of sharing stories is encouraged, respect for the storytellers and their work is expected. A storyteller’s original stories are copyrighted property. It is unethical and illegal to tell another person’s original stories without permission of the storyteller/author. This includes personal and family stories as well as original versions of folklore. Published stories and poetry are copyrighted but those published before 1924 are now in Public Domain and may be told by anyone. In certain settings (schools, libraries) copyrighted works may be shared under Fair Use. Always ensure that you have the proper permissions to tell a story that is not your original work. 5 Featured Tellers 2019 Diane Macklin has a “dynamic” approach to engaging audiences – whether as a performing artist, keynote speaker, or workshop/residency leader. Her background in theatre, dance, and cultural mediation adds zest to her work, focusing on storytelling as a transformative and healing art form that has a powerful impact on individuals and communities. She has performed from Massachusetts to California for venues such as Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park, National Association of Black Storytellers, Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, International Storytelling Festival’s Exchange Place, National Docent Symposium, and many more. She was selected as the Taft Museum’s 2013 Duncanson Artist-in- Residence and received an Apprenticeship Fellowship through the Maryland State Arts Council, in addition to their Solo Theatrical Performer Fellowship among other awards. As a performer, certified educator, and teaching artist, Diane believes in “Making a Difference, One Story at a Time!” Simon Brooks has engaged and transfixed with his powerful performances all over New England and the USA since 2003. Simon, a master storyteller, teaches and performs at libraries, schools, festivals, camps, businesses, hospitals, and at museums. With his bodhra n and stories, Simon combines the intensity of a solo performance with the intimacy of a face-to-face conversation whether on one of his albums or in live performance. His recordings have garnered awards from Parent's Choice and Storytelling World, and his book Under the Oaken Bough is popular in schools and libraries. Born in England and making many trips to Wales, Simon was raised on traditional tales. The love of his work is as inherent as his love of stories. After you have finished your journey into Simon’s stories, you will wonder how so many memorable characters and voices came out of one man. 6 Jeff Doyle started telling stories to kids around the campfire with his favorite tale, The Blue Ape. He soon became renowned for his scary storytelling gift. Before long, Jeff was writing and performing not just scary tales but wild, funny, and heartwarming stories as well. His ability to draw listeners into his world makes his performances both compelling and memorable. He is a father, a dreamer, and an average guy who sometimes sees things through the eyes of a 13-year-old boy. Jeff takes great joy in finding stories and humor in everyday life and crafts stories that evoke both audience laughter and tears. Whether it’s the legend of Robin Hood or the rollicking tale of The Cadillac Enterprise, Jeff captivates listeners of all ages. Performing throughout the country, Jeff has been a Moth story slam winner in Michigan, an Exchange Place teller at the National Storytelling Festival in 2019, and a National Storytelling Network Oracle award winner. His versatility is masterfully displayed on his CDs. Morgen Reynolds (also known as “Miss Mo”) tells stories all the way from Montana. She has a special place in her heart for Mt. Dora! It was a wonderful starting point for her storytelling a few years ago, and she’s made so many dear friends. Miss Mo has been at festivals, schools, and backyards, and has enjoyed them all. Because she is remote, she’s had to be creative with storytelling opportunities. YouTube has become a wonderful tool to spread storytelling! You can find her on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram as “Miss Mo Storyteller.” She will be launching into the podcast universe soon! Her style is a mix of folk tales, personal narratives (with some very flexible details.) And she has been known to rap a few times, but don’t hold your breath for a debut CD on that front. Sorry to disappoint. Here we go with Miss Mo! Pete Abdalla enjoys telling a variety of stories, from folk tales to personal stories to tall tales. He believes that his Lebanese and Irish heritage gave him a wonderful diverse upbringing that exposed him to many different cultural experiences. These experiences certainly contributed to his ability to use an imagination which makes for good storytelling. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy and serving in the Navy, he had a career in the power industry.