Leeny Del Seamonds shares storytelling with MCC-Maple Woods Spanish I students

Not only did she entertain audiences young and old throughout the Storytelling Celebration, she also spiced up Spanish class!

Ghosties, ghoulies and goblins, oh my!

Where: KCMO Public Library – Plaza Branch, Truman Forum

When: Nov. 4, 2010

Time: 7-9 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Featuring: Leeny Del Seamonds,Dan Keding,Loretta Washington and Gene Tagaban

Leeny, Dan, Loretta and Gene will share their bone-chilling stories of ghosts, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night. Are they true? Is there a headless, white lady wandering lonely rural roads late at night? A werewolf ready to maul his chosen victim around the very next corner? There’s no way to know…

But you’ll be checking your rearview mirror a little more closely and listening for clandestine howling, won’t you.

This event is for mature audiences, ages 16 and up. We don't want the little ones spooked all night - and neither do you!

Join us for the Main Event: The 2011 Storytelling Spectacular!

The flagship event of the Kansas City Storytelling Celebration, the Storytelling Spectacular, will launch at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Kansas City Missouri Public Library Plaza Branch in the Truman Forum. Gene Tagaban, Loretta Washington, Leeny Del Seamonds and Dan Keding have a fabulous line-up of tales ready for the whole family!

This event is FREE and perfect for anyone over 10 (younger children are welcome, but some content/language may be inappropriate or too complex).

Featured Storyteller: Loretta Washington

Loretta is a professional storyteller who performs for all age groups throughout Missouri and Illinois. She performs for schools, libraries, festivals, private groups and organizations. With her alluring stories, captivating voices and movements, she brings her stories to life.

Loretta is also one of our regional tellers, and has been a Storytelling Celebration participant for many years.

Free family events!

Put down the video game controllers and sofa snacks - yes, you too, dad - and head out for some family fun! Never fear, we're not talking about mom's super-exciting trip to the pumpkin patch again - we're talking about a line-up of great regional and national storytellers that will make you think, crack you up and even dance in a gigantic bird costume! (No, really. Giant bird. We have it.)

From preschool and elementary age tales at Kansas City, MO, and Mid-Continent public libraries to Family concerts and even workshops, we have a week full of events to keep the kiddos busy and entertained!

For a full list of public events, please see the full schedule and look for events in blue.

Featured Storyteller: Dan Keding

Dan Keding, storyteller of international acclaim, is well known for his telling of traditional world folktales, personal narratives of his boyhood in Chicago, ghost stories and dark tales, and superbly crafted original pieces.

As a child he learned the traditional stories that his grandmother brought to this country from Croatia. A well-respected ballad singer, he accompanies himself on guitar, banjo and spoons.

This combination of dynamic storytelling and powerful ballad singing has made him a festival and concert favorite throughout the US, Great Britain and Ireland, endearing him to audiences of all ages.

For more information, visit his website!

You've heard their stories, now it's your turn to learn!

While most of the Storytelling Celebration is dedicated to sitting and listening as local and national tellers spin a fantastic yarn, there are workshops for young and old alike designed to help participants develop their own stories.

A Media Specialists Workshop, presented by Leeny Del Seamonds, will help educators, librarians and other school staff use storytelling in the classroom, as well as encouraging the founding of Storytelling clubs in the local schools. This workshop meets CTE standards.

The workshop will be held from noon-4 p.m. Nov. 2 at the North Kansas City School District’s Doolin Education Center. Cost is $12 and lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by contacting Dusty Mills at 816.604.3170.

Leeny Del Seamonds will also present a Youth Storytelling Workshop from 1-2:15 p.m. at the Plaza Library Branch. This workshop is free and open to the public. No reservations are required.
Drama Time! will focus on bringing spoken words to life through theatrical games, improvisations and fun exercises. Students will build confidence and learn the arts of oral presentation, acting and self-expression through movement and word interpretation.

While the kids are practicing the art of acting with Leeny, adults will have an opportunity to attend a workshop offered just for them. Dan Keding will host the Adult Storytelling Workshop from 1-2:15 p.m. at the Plaza Branch Library. This workshop is also free and open to the public, and no reservations are required.

This workshop will focus on telling stories for children – selecting appropriate stories, telling them in an engaging way via props, music and voices, and what mistakes to avoid.

For further information on any of these workshops, contact us by email or call 816.604.3007. Don't forget to LIKE us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@kcstorytelling)!

Featured Storyteller: Leeny Del Seamonds

Leeny Del Seamonds, Master Story Performer, is a multi award-winning international performer of Latino, original and World tales that are uplifting and demonstrate the passion, resiliency and triumphs of the human spirit. 

A dedicated Teaching Artist, Leeny encourages listeners to feel positive about themselves and to rejoice in human and cultural diversity, inviting them to share in her Latin/Cuban-American sense of humor and love of performing.

Leeny will be telling at our Annual Storytelling Spectacular, Ghosts in the Night Sky and will also be presenting our Media Specialists Workshop.

Featured Storyteller: Gene Tagaban

Gene Tagaban is a Native American performing artist, storyteller, trainer, counselor and healer. His heritage is Cherokee, Tlingit and Filipino. Raised in Alaska, Gene's Nattive American name is Gaay Yaaw, loosely translates as Salmon Home Coming. He is of the Wooshkeetaan Eagle Thunderbird clan of Juneau, Alaska. 

Many of his stories tell of his journey to become Raven Dancer, drawing deeply from the stories his grandmother told him as a child. Gene believes that learning and laughter go hand in hand, and his stories educate and entertain all ages.

For more information, visit Gene's website.

We're back!

The Kansas City Storytelling Celebration, hosted by MCC-Maple Woods, is back for a 12th year of lively stories, anecdotes, myths, legends and lessons. This year’s celebration will take place Nov. 1-5, 2011 at more than 100 sites across the Kansas City Metro area.

Storytellers from throughout the region and nationwide will bring their tales of mischief, merrymaking and morals to all ages and ethnicities. The major goal of the Storytelling Celebration has been to reach out to and connect people from all walks of life through words. A diverse line-up of national storytellers, including Leeny Del Seamonds, Dan Keding, Gene Tagaban and Loretta Washington, will make this an exciting celebration!

Check back this month for storyteller bios, official schedule and more storytelling updates!

Welcome to the Main Event: the 2010 Storytelling Spectacular!

2010 Storytelling Spectacular

Where: KCMO Public Library – Plaza Branch, Truman Forum

When: Nov. 6, 2010

Time: 7-9 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Featuring: Bobby Norfolk, Olga Loya, Elizabeth Ellis, Thom and Sarah Howard

What better way to end a fantastic festival of silly, scary, fun, diverse and entertaining stories than the Storytelling Spectacular? The flagship event of the celebration, the Spectacular features tales from our four national tellers, Bobby Norfolk, Olga Loya, Elizabeth Ellis, Thom Howard and Sarah Howard.

The animated, quirky character style of Bobby Norfolk; the wise-but-wacky tales of Olga Loya; the folk tales of Texas, the Appalachian foothills and strong, heroic women of Elizabeth Ellis; and the sweet, silly musical stylings of “those crazy people,” Thom and Sarah Howard will all be on display for the whole family.

There is something for everyone to enjoy – mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, kids (10 and up, please) and every member of the family will enjoy an evening of special, social entertainment.

View photos from last year's Storytelling Spectacular here at our Facebook page! You should friend us while you're there :)

Entertain your family with stories about... your family!

Black Sheep & Kissing Cousins

Where: KCMO Public Library – Plaza Branch, Truman Forum

When: Nov. 6, 2010

Time: 1-2:30 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Featuring: Elizabeth Ellis

Every family’s got at least one – a crazy family member, a rebel who cuts his or her own path, a “perfect” specimen…

Families are made up of unique individuals, and even though every family – like every person – is different, there are quite a few similarities between your family and everyone else’s.

Storyteller Elizabeth Ellis, who has been sharing her own personal history for more than 25 years, will walk you through the 8 types of tales that all families have in common and offer tips on how to collect and retell them.

Just think – you could be a star at your next family reunion! Make sure you ask Uncle Bob for his permission before you tell everyone about, well, you know. Just sayin.’

Upload your imagination - build a story at StoryShop 1.0!

StoryShop - Youth Storytelling Workshop

Where: KCMO Public Library – Plaza Branch

When: Nov. 6, 2010

Time: 1-2 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Featuring: Thom and Sarah Howard

Are your kids or grandkids coming home spinning fantastic yarns about everything from their school days (“Mrs. So-and-so gave us 100 PAGES of homework!!!”), to their friends, to a magical rainbow unicorn named Phil who lives on Cheetos and strawberry soda in the hall closet (Don’t laugh! He’s sensitive.)

If so… encourage them! Youth storytelling builds confidence and public speaking skills and gives them a great outlet for their creativity. The StoryShop will give them the tools to build stories from scratch – including their very own story spoon!

Queue the flickering lights and eerie sounds... it's...it's...

... time for ghost stories! Ahhhh! *faints*

Ghosts in the Night Sky

Where: KCMO Public Library – Plaza Branch, Truman Forum

When: Nov. 5, 2010

Time: 7-9 p.m.

Cost: FREE

Featuring: Olga Loya, Elizabeth Ellis, Bobby Norfolk, Loretta Washington

While the serenade of young voices and classical guitar music may waft in from above, there will be no merriment or mirth for the audience here. Strange, stormy, shivering and creepy tales have won the night down below.

Olga Loya, Bobby Norfolk, Elizabeth Ellis and special guest Loretta Washington will share their bone-chilling stories of ghosts, ghouls, and things that go bump in the night. Are they true? Is there a headless, white lady wandering lonely rural roads late at night? A werewolf ready to maul his chosen victim around the very next corner? There’s no way to know…

But you’ll be checking your rearview mirror a little more closely and listening for clandestine howling, won’t you.

This event is for mature audiences, ages 16 and up. We don't want the little ones spooked all night - and neither do you!

Featured Storyteller Spotlight(s): Thom & Sarah Howard

The unique duo of Thom and Sarah Howard, a guitar player and a children’s librarian, has been bringing their original children’s songs, fingerplay and participation stories to young audiences throughout the Midwest for several years.

Sarah Howard has been the children’s librarian at the Columbia Public Library for more than 17 years and is a founder of the Mid-Missouri Organization of Storytelling (MOST). She plays mandolin and autoharp and regularly presents workshops on storytelling and programming to librarians, teacher and parenting organizations.

Thom Howard has been performing on guitar for more than 20 years as a solo artist and in ensembles of all kinds and sizes. He plays ragtime, fingerstyle, classical, Spanish and Latin American music. Thom teaches stringed instruments classes at Central Methodist University and released his solo album “Sometimes a Guitar is Just a Guitar” in 2002.

Bobby Norfolk does baseball history - as Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige

Before the Lights Go Out:
The Story of Satchel Paige, James "Cool Papa" Bell and the Negro Baseball Leagues

Where: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum

When: Nov. 6, 2010

Time: 2-3:30 p.m.

Cost: ???

*Military Appreciation Day – all active and inactive military, plus two guests, will receive free admission. Please present military ID at door.

Before the era of steroids, outrageous agents and massive athlete salaries (and egos to match), there was an era of pure baseball, and trailblazers Satchel Paige, James Bell, Buck Leonard and Jackie Robinson were all displaying remarkable on-field prowess and athleticism in the Negro Baseball League. Started right here in Kansas City, the Negro Baseball League was home to a host of future Hall-of-Famers.

Bobby Norfolk, a storyteller and actor known for his rich characterizations, brings to life two of these men: Satchel Paige and James “Cool Papa” Bell, highlighting their successes and struggles in the world of professional baseball in the years before World War II.

Storytelling can be a history lesson, a character study, an exploration and entertainment all in one – visit the Negro League Baseball Museum with your families for a chance to learn about an important, but not often discussed, period in sports and American history.

This is a NEW event! If you attend or are planning to attend, please leave us FEEDBACK in the form of comments on this post or by emailing kcstorytelling@gmail.com.

Featured Storyteller Spotlight: Elizabeth Ellis

Elizabeth Ellis has been telling tales of heroic women, the Appalachian foothills and the great expanse of Texas, along with her personal stories, for more than 25 years.

Her storytelling journey has taken her from her bustling hometown of Dallas, Texas, as far away as New Zealand and many places in between.

Ellis was selected as a Listener’s Choice at the 30^th Annual National Storytelling Festival in 2002 and has been a storyteller-in-residence at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tenn. She was also the first recipient of the John Henry Faulk Award, presented annually by the Tejas Storytelling Association to the person who has contributed the most toward the art of storytelling in the Southwest, and the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Association.

Settle into a Family Show at Maple Woods!

Northland Family Concert

Where: MCC-Maple Woods Campus Center

When: Nov. 6, 2010

Time: 11 a.m. – noon

Cost: FREE

Featuring: Bobby Norfolk

Cereal bowls are in the sink and Saturday morning cartoons are over, but not to worry! There’s still a family show to take in at Maple Woods.

Bobby Norfolk, former host of children’s shows “Gator Tales” and “Children’s Theatre at Bobby’s House,” has a fun-filled hour of entertainment lined up for the whole family.

P.S. Bring the big kids, too – storytelling is great entertainment for all ages.

Olga Loya performing "Washing Machine"

Check out the video of storyteller Olga Loya!

Olga will be featured at several of our events this year, including Day of the Dead and Altar Stories; Ghosts in the Night Sky; and the Storytelling Spectacular.

Featured Storyteller Spotlight: Olga Loya

Influenced by the lively but often true tales of her father and grandmother, Olga Loya embraces the rich storytelling tradition that was very much a part of her childhood growing up in East Los Angeles. Her family and person stories often explore the complexity of growing up and living as a bicultural person – Mexican and American – in the United States of today and yesterday.

Loya uses stories as a way of examining themes like healing, racism, and multiculturalism. She incorporates a variety of performance styles, including improvisation, movement and dance, song, and instruments. In addition to storytelling before all types of audiences, Loya also performs one-woman theater pieces and has written a book, “Momentos Mágicos (Magic Moments),” which won the Aesop Accolade in 1998, the International Reading Association Award for young adults and an America’s Commendation for young adults.