ANDY OFFUTT IRWIN has a silly putty voice, hilarious heart-filled stories, and amazing mouth noises (arguably, the greatest whistler in the world) one-person-showman, Andy Offutt Irwin, is equal parts mischievous schoolboy and the Marx Brothers, peppered with a touch of the Southern balladeer. One of the most sought after performing storytellers in the United States, Andy is especially known for relating the adventures of his eighty-five-year-old-widowed-newly-minted-physician-aunt, Marguerite Van Camp, a woman who avoids curmudgeonship by keeping her finger on the pulse of the changing world around her as she seeks to grow – even at her advanced age – in the New South.  Marguerite steps lively through this existence, loving as many people as she can.

Andy has held a few almost-real-jobs that include: Artist-In-Residence in Theatre at Emory University’s Oxford College from 1991 to 2007. (He continues serving at Oxford from time-to-time as Artist-in-Just-Passing-Through). A very long time ago Andy spent five years as a performer, writer, and director for SAK Theatre at Walt Disney World.

He thinks he is funny.

Website: https://andyirwin.com/

Master workshop: Pin the Tail on the Narrative!  

Lawn Darts meets Eudora Welty.  This raucous workshop involves the careless throwing of pens and carefully guided steps for developing personal narratives, freeing participants to delve into the past and chip away at the unmovable stone of doubt in order to reveal the treasure of new stories.

Our stories connect us. If the eyes are the window of the soul, then stories and laughter open the soul’s door. This creates the deepest of human connections across cultures, races, genders, sexual orientations, and political affiliations.

ADAM BOOTH is the 2022 West Virginia Folk Artist of the Year, awarded at the Governor’s Arts Awards. Adam blends traditional mountain folklore, music, and an awareness of contemporary Appalachia to create original, forward-thinking story artistry. Adam’s original cinematic style, both humorous and touching, is influenced by generations of diverse storytellers from West Virginia.

As a nationally touring artist, his professional telling appearances include premiere storytelling events across the United States, including the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the International Storytelling Center, the National Storytelling Festival, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, the Appalachian Studies Association Conference, the National Storytelling Conference, the National Academy of Medicine, and as a Spoken Word Resident at the Banff Centre (Alberta, Canada). He is a member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) and his recordings have received multiple national honors, including a Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Adam serves as the inaugural Storyteller-In-Residence at Shepherd University and is the founding artistic director of Speak Story Series, a premier destination for storytelling in concert. Adam is most at home sharing stories and music with the next generation of listeners and tellers throughout Appalachia.

Website: http://www.adam-booth.com/

Master workshop: Haunting Spirits, Creaking Floorboards, and More Creepy Things! 

I'll admit it: I love spooky stories. They add breadth to our repertoire. They add range to the audience's experience. And they can really draw an audience year-round, so let’s develop our skills of fright! This workshop will explore a range of introductory topics related to the spookier side of stories, including general technique for spooky genres, how to craft suspense, and using sounds effectively. Come prepared to try telling passages of provided sample stories and applying the techniques we study. This workshop is intended for storytellers with at least an introductory level of storytelling experience.

REGIONAL TELLERS

HETTIE FARLEY is an Appalachian American, who weaves her stories both traditional and “otherwise”, from the mountains, the sea and the world. She comes from a long line of storytellers; teachers, preachers, lawyers and insurance agents – all making their living with their passion for a good “yarn”. Over 25 years Ago, Hettie began storytelling in schools, churches, professional groups and festivals with focus on entertaining and igniting passion for those listening to tell their own stories. Hettie shares a contagious energetic enthusiasm that transfers to the audience.

Website: http://www.hettiestories.com

BETH OHLSSON is a storyteller who has created and transformed stories for 25+ years at festivals, libraries, private events, correctional facilities, and with individual clients.

From tales of whimsy for children and families to historical narration of women through time, Beth brings to life the stories from which our vast heritages are founded connecting our past with our present.  She is also an award-winning author of “Distilling Hope” and has a couple of storytelling CDs as well.

Website: https://www.bethohlsson.com/

PAUL ARMSTRONG is a natural storyteller. Utilizing an active imagination and original spirit he translates, creates and relates verbal imagery that is captivating and transcendent. He can entertain, teach and inspire. His original stories include Mara (a story of healing), And the Angels Sang (Christ’s incarnation), Mom’s Cherry Pie, 7^th Inning Stretch and Eight Shetland Ponies.

Paul’s childhood in rural Michigan, his experience as a dairy farmer, a pastor, and leadership consultant provide a fertile background from which he styles, creates and adapts stories that can meet the needs of your specific audience. Paul has been active with the Mid Michigan Storytellers (MAST) and has participated in the Michigan Story Festival. He currently is part of Let Me Tell Ya’ and serves on VASA’s board of directors. He and his wife, Barbara, reside in Chatham, VA

https://virginiastorytellingalliance.org/member-pages/armstrong/

CLINTON ATWATER’s vision is “Connecting Stories and People.” He aims to enhance people’s lives by entertaining audiences with stories, educating people to tell their stories, and expanding storytelling traditions. He combined this vision with his talents as a storyteller, speaker, and producer experience to start Storytelling Connections. Clinton is actively working to fulfill the Storytelling Connections mission as a Storyteller, Speaker, and Producer.

His repertoire includes personal stories as well as folk and fairy tales. Clint produces Let Me Tell Ya!, monthly virtual storytelling guild meetings, and monthly virtual family-friendly Moth-style story swaps. He has served on the VASA Board of Directors since 2020.

Website: https://www.storytellingconnections.com/

JANE DORFMAN’s stories draw from Celtic, traditional, and mythic sources with a few personal stories thrown in. She loves stories that carry the listener away.
Jane has performed at the Hans Christian Andersen Statue in Central Park. She has told at Speak! a storytelling series in Shepardstown WVa, and the Rose Valley storytelling series in Media, PA. She's shared personal stories at "Better Said than Done" in VA and told at "The Women's Storytelling Festival" in 2020, Stone Soup. Lately she has taken up lying and telling as Calamity Jane. She was a featured teller at the Glens of Antrim Festival in Northern Ireland. Jane has two award winning CDs.

She has taught Storytelling in the graduate school of the University of Maryland. She has told at the Smithsonian Institution and on "Stories in Focus" local television. She is a repeat teller at the Washington Folk Festival and Voices-in-the-Glen Festival and to storytelling classes at The University of Maryland and Catholic University. She's told stories at the Virginia Celtic Festival, Rockville Festival of the Arts, The Elva Van Winkle Memorial Storytelling Festival and others. She has conducted workshops on how to get started storytelling.

Jane Dorfman is a performing member and president of Voices-in-the-Glen and a member of the National Storytelling Network and on the program committee for the Washington Folk Festival.

https://virginiastorytellingalliance.org/member-pages/dorfman/

WAYNE JORDAN crafts his stories with humor, insight, and surprises. He strives to capture the imaginations of his listeners, engage their curiosity, and leave them smiling. He has spent most of his life entertaining audiences as a musician, actor, radio disc jockey, podcaster, auctioneer, and Toastmaster. He makes his living as a writer and editor.

Wayne is an award-winning Toastmaster, appearing regularly as a keynote and breakout-session speaker for antique and music-related business conferences. For over a decade, he has been a featured columnist for Antique Trader Magazine. Wayne has authored four books and hundreds of magazine articles and podcasts.

Wayne is a Virginia-licensed auctioneer. His auctioneering travels have taken him across the U.S. from Florida to Alaska and internationally to sixteen countries from Russia to Panama.

Taken together, these activities might indicate that Wayne can't keep a job, or that he has lots of stories to tell. You decide.

https://virginiastorytellingalliance.org/member-pages/jordan/