STORYTELLERS AVAILABLE -- negotiate fees individually
Calgary: Lawrence Chrismas, RCA (403) 270-3547 cambria@telus.net
Storyteller, mining historian, writer & photographer. For 25 years he has explored the culture of Canadian miners through black and white portraits, and thoughtful synopsis of the stories of their mining lives. Author of six books and a music CD of Mining Songs, Lawrence is an experienced and engaging storyteller.
Please visit his website for more information.
Calgary: Karen Gummo (403) 284-0747 karengummo@shaw.ca
Available: days, evenings and weekends
Story Topics: Norse myths; folktales; legends; family tales; nature stories; history stories
Proud of her Icelandic and Danish ancestry, Karen Gummo relishes and performs sagas of the ancients as well as more recent tales of Vikings on the prairie. Wisdom tales from around the world as well as her own invented stories are an important part of her repertoire as well. Since 1997 she has been working in Calgary schools and beyond nurturing the creative spirit in folks of all ages through workshops and school residencies. She has been part of TALES since its inception and values the generous community of storytellers found there.
Calgary: Mary Hays (403) 556-2818 Olds, Alberta storymary@hotmail.com
Available: evenings, afternoon and weekends
Story Topics: Traditional tales, personal and historical stories
Mary's storytelling delights audiences of all ages. Her storytelling programs combine the use of traditional storytelling, readers theatre, puppetry, flannel figures, historical artifacts and rhymes. She offers workshops on many topics, including: storytelling, puppetry, readers theatre, vocal care, poetry, family stories and early literacy. For more information go to: www.storymary.com
Banff: Lisa Hurst-Archer (403) 762-2383 Banff, Alberta hurstarcher@yahoo.ca
Long-time storyteller artist, featured in festivals, concerts, schools, radio, recordings, and film.
Author of "How to make a Wave" published by Red Deer Press
Group facilitation and class room work.
Calgary: Maria-Teresa Olszewska-Hopkins (403) 698-1818, cell (403) 923-9651 Calgary, Alberta mthopkins@shaw.ca
Languages: English, Esperanto, Polish
Born in Poland and a resident of Canada since 1989, Maria-Teresa is an artist of verbal and visual expression. She has been performing as a storyteller in BC, Alberta and Ontario for over fifteen years at such diverse venues as schools, festivals, private parties and retirement homes.
Calgary: Cassy Welburn (403) 283-9489 Calgary, Alberta catherine_welburn@hotmail.com
Cassy is a poet and storyteller with a theatre background, who has had her work published and broadcast. She has been telling stories across Canada (and in Australia) for the last 25 years. Traditional folktales from around the world, often learned from her immigrant students, are favourites. She enjoys telling classics from literature, such as: Isaac Singer, Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe and Sherlock Holmes adapted to the oral tradition. Experienced in leading workshops, instructing and performing. English and sign language.
Edmonton: Stephanie Benger (780) 489-9621 sbenger@shaw.ca
Available days, evenings and weekends
Story Topics: Alberta folklore, tall tales, biographical and historical stories, world folklore and mythology, silly stories and teaching tales.
Stephanie is a published and produced Edmonton writer who got into storytelling to enlighten and entertain her kids, and now finds she enjoys the direct connection with a whole variety of audiences. She has told to audiences from City Hall to cafes, schools and festivals.
Edmonton: Wendy Edey (780) 462-2847 wendy.edey@ualberta.ca
Wendy Edey tells healing stories that take you on a journey of heartbreak and humour, tragedy and triumph, hardship and hope. Backed by years of experience in adding a light touch to serious topics such as grieving, disability, care giving and illness, she is a speaker of choice at health, social service and education conferences. She offers workshops on developing healing stories, starting hopeful stories and growing personal stories. Her writing is featured in professional journals, agency newsletters, caregiver anthologies, Our Canada Magazine and on her blog, THE HOPE LADY Blog
Edmonton: Bethany Ellis (780) 436-9064 bevido@telus.net
Availability: Days, evenings, midnight and weekends
Language(s): English and, with enough warning, French.
Widely traveled with a background in theatre and teaching, Bethany Ellis tells stories that are dramatic, reflective, hilarious, spooky, educational, interactive, inspirational, cross-cultural, musical, ancient, modern, mathematical, historical and whimsical. She has taken her tales to England, Asia and Africa and across Canada in classrooms, libraries and theatres, behind barns and under trees, but only once in a graveyard.
Edmonton: Renée Englot (780) 463-8792 renee.englot@telusplanet.net
Available week days, evenings and week-ends
As a teen-ager, Renée Englot began storytelling for children at church; she continues to tell Biblical stories. Renée also does school programs for elementary and junior high students, and workshops for students and teachers, beginning and journeyman storytellers, and corporate groups. She has performed at festivals, concerts, and cafés across Western Canada and the U.S. Renée's favourite stories to tell are funny folktales from around the world and dramatic Biblical stories.
Edmonton: M. Jennie Frost (780) 433-2932 mjfrost@shaw.ca
Available days, evenings and weekends
Story Topics: folktales, literary stories, Greek & Roman myth & history, workshops on storytelling, writing, the Greek alphabet with story, history of the English language. Jennie has performed for audiences of all ages at festivals, concerts, conferences, libraries, and schools in seven provinces. She has published prizewinning poetry and short stories, and in 2005 published her first book The Courtship of Hippodameia (Mellen, New York) and a 2-CD set Pygmalion and Other Greek Myths (Sheer Vanity Productions, Edmonton). For more information, visit www.members.shaw.ca/mjfrost
Wainwright: Pearl-Ann Gooding (780) 842-6548 goodtell@telusplanet.net
Available: days, evenings, (No Sundays)
Story Topics: Fairytales, Folktales, Interactive Stories, Humorous Family Tales, Tales with Canadian Twists. "I love the quick-paced interaction that a room full of children wrapped up in a story can bring. The fun, the laughter, the sparkling eyes, from a tale well-told has a joy that can touch your soul. But, the intimate telling of a tale that has several layers and meanings to an older audience is extremely fulfilling to me." Pearl-Ann's love of oral literature has taken her across Canada performing and attending concerts, festivals, museums, libraries, schools and conferences.
Fort Smith NT: Jim Green (867) 872-2251 research.nwtmn@northwestel.net
Jim Green is a storyteller, poet, writer, journalist and broadcaster. His repertoire of stories, songs, poems and observations of the human condition will bring a little comfort and joy into your life. He'll soothe your soul with his irrepressible, infectious sense of humor and his homespun honesty. His performances have been called entertaining, provocative, whacky, and just a tad outrageous. Jim has performed his own material in every province and territory of the country.
St. Albert: David Haas (780) 940-9658 tales@daibach.ca
Available: days, evenings and weekends
David mostly writes his own material, from pure fiction such as his "not so classical mythology" stories like The Sound of Thunder where a boozy, belligerent Thor wanders North America, to "enhanced" fact such as Volga Leather Dressing about bootlegging in Alberta\u2019s prohibition era, to pure history such as an young man whose distinguished public career followed throwing a major road race, acting as a barroom "enforcer", and cheating his way into the army.
Edmonton: Kathy Jessup (780) 430-9399 kathyjessup@hotmail.com
Available: days, evenings and weekends
Story Topics: fun, families, fairytales, relationships, life's lessons, laughter Performance Description: Kathy Jessup is an Edmonton children's writer and experienced storyteller. Her performances feature humorous original stories, and includes lively "behind the scenes" anecdotes of how each tale came to be. Kathy has performed at schools, libraries, festivals and concerts across Canada.
For more information please visit www.kathyjessup.com.
New Sarepta: Mary Ann Lippiatt (780) 941-3843 maryann@storyinmypocket.com
Available: Year-round: Days, evenings and weekends
Traveling with Story in My Pocket since 1991, Mary Ann's animated storytelling has engaged intergenerational audiences in venues throughout Alberta and abroad. Her unique storytelling provides "edu-tainment" at festivals, schools, libraries, retirement homes and conference workshops. Customized programming of theme based or multicultural diversity is interwoven with story visuals and interactive audience participation. From home-grown farm girl stories, to exotic tales, every story experience is a journey of delightful discovery!
For more information please visit www.yabs.ab.ca.
Edmonton: Marie Anne McLean (780) 437-7736 mamclean@shaw.ca
Available Evenings and weekends
Celtic folklore, original prairie stories, humour, nostalgia and surprise stories. Marie Anne has a casual open style of telling to family and adult audiences. Her stories help people to smile at life.
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