St Marys Storytelling Inc. presents the 2nd Annual Winter Performance Series

After the second year of our St. Marys Storytelling Festival, we were eligible to apply for Ontario and Canada arts grants. We discovered we could also apply for funding for a performance series. When Canada Council for the Arts awarded us a grant for a performance series last winter, we were pleased to be able to bring excellent storytellers and one-person performances to St. Marys year round and not just for a weekend in September. And, serendipitously, the Mercury Theatre, an intimate performance space with incredible acoustics right in our downtown, was available and willing to work with us. January 2007 saw the opening of our first performance series with a full house. People returned for all four performances. We were on to something: exciting and innovative live entertainment in the heart of St Marys.

This year, we have five performances by professional storytellers/performers planned between November and April (no performance in December). All happen on the second Saturday of the month. People in this community appreciate a good tale well told, and winter is the traditional time to sit around the storyteller’s fire. While being told, the story happens in the imagination of each listener. So come, sit back, relax, listen, and let yourself be transported, with others, to another time and place.

Nancy Vermond                                                                     Artistic Director

Plan to come to the 5th Annual St. Marys Storytelling Festival "Once Upon a Thames" September 5, 6, and 7, 2008.

November 10th

Ron Baker presents “A Carousel of Stories” and “The Snow Goose”.

Ron Baker, one of the most respected elders of the Canadian storytelling community, hails from Miller Lake in the Bruce Peninsula. He will tell a “Carousel of Stories” on November 10th, including The Snow Goose, a critically acclaimed short story by author Paul Gallico set in England in the early years of World War II. Ron and his wife and three children emigrated from England in 1964. He has been an actor, director, mime, clown, and comedian. It was while at a children’s camp in 1986 that he became a storyteller. All of the other skills and arts he had learned along the way blended seamlessly into this new and ancient art form. Ron’s stories, told with gentle humour and compassion, cover the gamut of human emotion, and are an experience not to be missed.

January 12th

Wanda Carroll “The Road Less Gravelled”

Wanda Carroll was born and raised in Northern Newfoundland in the 1970’s. This was a time of great change in her small fishing outport of Conche. Wanda’s one woman show “The Road less Gravelled” is a collection of stories that reflect a unique time in Newfoundland history. With tales like, My First Bat’ room, The Protestant Pineapple, and The Wart Story, Wanda is sure to keep you laughing. “The Road” also tells the story of a curious little girl named Wanda growing up in this isolated place in those changing times. As one world is lost to her another is just beyond her reach.

February 9th

“The Incredible Journey” presented by Jan Andrews, Jennifer Cayley, and Ellis-Lynn Duchesnes

Sheila Burnford's classic Canadian animal adventure is retold by veteran storytellers Jan Andrews, Jennifer Cayley and Ellis Lynn Duschenes from the Ottawa Storytellers. Together they weave this tale of adventure, hardship and hope. The evening is recommended for adults and children 10 and up who love animals and a good story. Storyteller/Children’s Writer JAN ANDREWS is known across the country for the depth and power of her performances. The first National Coordinator of Storytellers of Canada/Conteurs du Canada, she is a mover and shaker in the storytelling world. She grew up with bull terriers, and knows them and loves them and tells The Incredible Journey with particular delight. JENNIFER CAYLEY was born with a consuming passion for stories of all kinds. An arts administrator as well as a storyteller, she has made a strong contribution to storytelling’s development throughout the land. As a child, she longed for a Siamese cat. For her, telling The Incredible Journey is like touching that dream. A teacher in her other life, ELLIS LYNN DUSCHENES tells with a quiet but compelling authority that leaves her listeners space for their own imagining. As a founder member of Ottawa Storytellers she has performed at festivals and in concerts for over twenty years. She comes to The Incredible Journey with fond memories of the duck tolling retriever who led her family into adventures of all sorts.

March 8th

Leslie McCurdy “The Spirit of Harriet Tubman”

On a barren stage with only a trunk of costumes, "The Spirit of Harriet Tubman" uses Harriet's own words in telling the story of her life from her earliest experiences as a slave, through her work on the underground railroad, to her continued commitment to others in her later years. Leslie McCurdy has been performing for many years in Southwestern Ontario and the Mid-Western United States as an Actor, Dancer/Choreographer, and Singer. Also a teacher, Leslie has been instrumental in creating programs which provide opportunities for children and youth, particularly from disadvantaged circumstances, to participate in high quality performing arts activities.

April 12th

Charly Chiarelli’s “Mangiacake”

Back by popular demand! Charly Chiarelli's one-man shows are a humorous and touching account of his loving Sicilian family as they struggled to adapt to a new life in Canada. As a follow-up to his enormous hit, Cu’Fu, Charly Chiarelli once again weaves his Sicilian storytelling magic and blues harmonica. Mangiacake is a term used in Charly’s Hamilton Italian neighbourhood to refer to non-Italians. Charly points the finger at himself and asks, "Have I become a Mangiacake?" The theatrical and television productions of Cu’Fu and Mangiacake have received rave reviews from a variety of newspapers and magazines throughout the country.

Ticket Information

All performances take place on the Second Saturday of the month, at the Mercury Theatre, 14 Church St. North, in St Marys. Tickets are available at Fanfare Books in Stratford, at Van Galen Photo in St Marys, or by calling Nancy Vermond at 519-284-2698.

Ticket price for each performance is $15 ($12 for members of St Marys Storytelling Inc.) and includes refreshments.

Seating is limited, so advance purchase is encouraged.

Doors open 7pm Performance starts at 7:30pm with one intermission.

Important Reminder! St Marys Storytelling Inc. invites you to attend the Annual General Meeting

As a member of St Marys Storytelling Inc., you are encouraged to attend our AGM on February 16th, 2008, at the Anglican Church Hall, Church Street, St Marys from 12-2pm. Lunch will be provided, as well as a slideshow of highlights from the 2007 Festival.

Please plan to attend as your help is needed to vote in the 2008 Board of Directors.

Please RSVP to events@stmarystorytelling.org

Past Festival News

The new provincial budget is also helping the St. Marys Storytelling
Festival, with a cash injection of $9,000 to start a new feature celebrating Canada in its fourth edition this September.

The funding comes from the new "Celebrate Ontario" program that encourages Ontarians to holiday in Ontario and helps to stimulate the local economy was announced on Monday by MPP John Wilkinson. "I am so pleased that St. Marys Storytelling received $9,000 for their Tourism initiative," says Wilkinson. "This is a testament to the hard work by this festival. Visitors from across Canada and the US are able to enjoy the delights that St. Marys and the Storytelling Festival have to offer."

Jenny Mikita, tourism director for the town of St. Marys, says that" Tourism St. Marys is thrilled for the Storytelling Festival; this funding will allow the Festival to grow and expand its roster of talented storytellers. We are very pleased to have this attraction for both visitors and the community to enjoy."

Nancy Vermond, the Storytelling Festival¹s direction, says that "coming up with our program, OCanada in Story and Song¹, for our fourth annual festival has been very exciting." One of the application requirements for the grant was that the program had to be new.
Vermond says that ³we are bringing in much more music this year, all related to Canadian life and Canadian history. As usual, the storytellers will be top-notch, and the programming will be for both adults and families. We are ready to grow, and this new funding from the Ministry of Tourism will allow that to happen, and attracting more people to St. Marys¹ special events."
 

For more information on the Storytelling Festival, visit www.stmarysstorytelling.org.
 

Fifty-seven festivals and events across the province will be receiving funding of up to $75,000 each from the Celebrate Ontario program, a one-time funding initiative to support the growth of existing festivals and events.
 

The province's new tourism campaign includes television ads, cinema ads, a print campaign, billboards, and web marketing. Print ads will also appear in several languages. There is an online component to the campaign at www.ontariotravel.net, where visitors can order customized brochures and sign up to receive e-mails with specific vacation suggestions.
 

Journal Argus, St. Marys, Ontario

By Andrea Macko
Staff reporter

Thanks to a Canada Council for the Arts grant, we are pleased to announce four special storytelling concerts planned for your enjoyment, one per month for the first four months of the year.

Tickets for each performance are $15 each ($12 for members).  Tickets for the whole series are $50 ($45 for members).  You can get them by: contacting Monique VanderSchot at 519-2840167 or Nancy Vermond at 519-284-2698, purchasing tickets at the Van Galen Photo, or paying at the door.  Advance ticket purchase is recommended due to limited seating at the Mercury Theatre.

Sue Kenney: My Camino

Sunday, January 14, 2 pm At the Mercury Theatre 14 Church St. N. St. Marys

You are suddenly downsized from the corporate telecom industry.  What do you do?  If you are Sue Kenney, you walk 780 kilometers across the north of Spain on a medieval pilgrimage route known as the Camino de Santiago de Compostela alone in winter.

Come listen to Sue’s insights from this journey of walking 20 to 40 kilometers a day for 29 days.

She has walked various sections of the Camino four times, has written two books and just finished a feature length documentary.

Now, Sue uses voice and movement to tell the inspiring stories of her first pilgrimage on the Camino, stories that can also be heard on her storytelling CD, Stone by Stone.

Last summer, Sue performed her one-woman show at the London Fringe Festival, receiving very positive reviews.

Fortunately for us, Sue’s ongoing journey will soon bring her to St. Marys.

Ruth Stewart-Verger and Chris MacLean:

In God Knows Where Marie-Anne Lagimodiere in Story and Song Saturday, February 17, 7:30 pm At the Mercury Theatre

What was it like to be the first woman of descent in Canada’s west?  Join Ruth Stewart-Verger (on right in photo) and Chris MacLean (left) as they tell the unique story of Marie-Anne Lagimodière, Louis Riel’s grandmother.

Marie-Anne uprooted herself from the Habitant’s like of Maskinongé, Quebec to travel the routes of the voyageurs, beyond the Great Lakes to western prairies.  There she fought the elements, bore her eight children, and brought Catholicism to les Pays en Haut.  Marie-Anne became grandmother to hundreds of Métis, and in many ways, the mother of a community.  Their descendants tell stories of fiery independence, deep faith, and joy.  Theirs was always a home where guests were welcome, and where justice and humanity were respected and championed.  Growing up in such an environment, is it any wonder that her grandson, Louis Riel, dedicated his life to his people?

Ruth and Chris have performed this well-researched piece at storytelling festivals in Ottawa, Toronto, and the Yukon.  It has been presented to the Métis Association in Edmonton, and to audiences at the National Arts Centre and the National Library and Archives.  We are pleased to bring this duo to St. Marys.

Charly Chiarelli: Cu’Fu?

Saturday, March 24, 7:30 pm At the Mercury Theatre

Cu’Fu?  (Pronounced Koo Foo) translates into “Who Did It?” – a Sicilian’s touching and hilarious response to life’s perplexing moments.  It is written and performed by Charly Chiarelli, a one-person tour de force.  In the rich tradition of storytelling, Charly transforms the spoken word into a spellbinding journey.  He explores the joys and struggles encountered by a Sicilian family adapting to Canadian urban life.  The scenes are vivid and engaging.  It Is a brilliant blend of storytelling, acting, and musical creativity.  Charly’s distinct, Sicilian-Canadian essence dances on the footsteps of bygone and contemporary storytellers.

            This performance is intended for mature audiences.

4 in Hand Tellers from Toronto

Saturday, April 14, 7:30 pm and Saturday, April 15 (Family Show), 2 pm. Site to be determined

The four-in-hand is believed to be the most popular method of tying ties due to its simplicity.  It’s a classic knot for any occasion and is most widely used.

In a similar manner, tellers Marylyn Peringer, Lorne Brown, Lynda Howes, and Sandra Carpenter-Davis will weave an evening of stories for an adult audience and afternoon of fun and fascinating tales for all ages.

 While each performer has a different approach to telling tales, the blend of their styles has entertained many throughout the years.  You will remember Marylyn, Lorne and Sandra from the St. Marys Storytelling Festival.

“Is this magic?” asked one wide-eyed student at the 2005 St. Marys Storytelling Festival. She and her classmates were watching Antonio Rocha, Brazilian mime artist and storyteller, “hang” from an imaginary balloon that he had just “blown up”. All eyes were on his feet to see how many inches he had lifted off the stage floor.

In early September 2005, illusions and imaginations came together at the second annual St. Marys Storytelling Festival. September graced us with perfect weather, as people gathered on The Flats to enjoy more than a dozen professional storytellers, “Shaggy Haggis”, our local Celtic musicians, and the Arthur Meighen’s Fanga drummers. Thanks to grants from the Stratford and Perth County Community Foundation and the Town of St. Marys, almost 4000 students in Perth County heard storytellers in their schools or at the Flats.

The 3rd annual St. Marys Storytelling Festival will be held this year on September 8, 9 and 10th at The Milt Dunnell Field on The Flats, St. Marys picturesque park on the Thames River.

St. Marys and area students are once again invited to The Flats on Friday, September 8^th, for the first day of the festival. (Schools can call to arrange times for their students.)

We invite adults and older children (ages 12 and up) to join us for Friday evening’s story concert. Then, professional storytellers from across Canada will delight and entrance young and old alike on Saturday afternoon in our Children’s, Family and Adult tents. Saturday evening’s storytelling concert will be for families, with a suggested minimum age of 4 or 5 (Kindergarten). By request, we’re adding a Sunday Stories and Gospel Music afternoon on September 10.

You’re also invited to attend one of three Storytelling Workshops on Saturday morning:
“Storytelling in the Classroom”; “Tell it! Storytelling for Young Children”; and “The Magic of Masks and Stories”. (Please check our website for workshop descriptions and registration details.)
                                    

                                2006 Schedule
Concert times: Friday, September 8, 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.; Saturday, September 9, 12 noon – 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Sunday, September 10, 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Admission: Adults $7; Students (K – Gr. 8) - $3; Preschoolers are admitted free.

The St. Marys Storytelling Festival is a true community event, which continues to grow and gain enthusiastic audiences in both adults and families. It’s also our hope that the storytelling festival will inspire people to tell stories from their own lives, traditions and communities.

The festival was created to give us another good reason to get together and to celebrate our common humanity through the art of storytelling. It is gratefully produced by St. Marys Storytelling, Inc. The core festival committee is made up of Cathy Atwell and Nancy Vermond, festival co-chairs, Arlene Callender, Lee Fagerstrom, John Stevens, Monique and Tony VanderSchot, and Louis Vermond. Volunteers are most welcome!

For more information, please call Nancy at 284-2698 or Cathy at 284-0344.