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Storytellers & Authors
Click on the picture or scroll down for program descriptions
and prices. Prices valid from 7/1/09-6/30/10.
Valerie Tutson
Tales from African Traditions
Energetic and enthralling international storyteller Valerie Tutson brings to life a combination of tales from Africa, the Caribbean, and Americas. She draws upon her travel experiences to help students discover the rich beauty, humor and enchantment of myths, folktales and historical pieces and stories indigenous to these areas. The selection of stories is age appropriate, tailored to the age of the student group.
Grade Levels: K-8
Performance Time: 45 minutes
Audience Limit: 300
Single: $550 Double: $880 Triple: $1,155 Quad: $1,375
Travel Fee: based on mileage
The Right to....Liberty
During the Colonial Period and the time of the American Revolution, freedom was on the minds of all people, including those held in captivity, or on the margins in free Black communities. There were many Black people who wanted to make sure that the revolutionary ideals of the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness would become reality for themselves, their community, and their children. Storyteller Valerie Tutson recounts significant moments from our national history through the tales of Ona Maria Judge who ran away from President George Washington, James Forten, who, as a teen, risked his life fighting against the British, and Elizabeth Freeman, known as Mumbet, whose court case paved the way to abolishing slavery in Massachusetts.
Grade Levels: 3-12
Performance Time: 45 minutes
Audience Limit: 275
Single: $550 Double: $880 Triple: $1,155 Quad: $1,375
Travel Fee: based on mileage
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
African-American Studies
English Language Arts
History and Social Science
Multicultural Studies
Theater
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Leeny Del Seamonds
Kudos for Courage and Kindness!
Storytelling stimulates students' imaginations through vivid word pictures and physical expression, without the aid of electronic media, immersing listeners in a language-rich environment. Soar around the world with international heroic tales bursting with kindness, inspiration, bravery and courage to overcome adversity and make a difference! Leeny writes and performs animated, uplifting tales demonstrating the passion, resiliency and triumphs of the human spirit and inspires listeners to rejoice in human and cultural diversity. Master Story Performer Leeny Del Seamonds is a multi award-winning teaching artist who encourages students to feel positive about themselves and share in her Latin/Cuban American sense of humor and love of performing. Drawing from her diverse and extensive repertoire, Leeny can adapt her program to accommodate repeat sponsors, grade appropriateness and curriculum/seasonal requests.
Grade Levels: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12
Performance Time: 45 minutes
Audience Limit: 225
Single: $590 Double: $944* Triple:$1,239**
Travel Fee: $50 a day
*One location only
**Add $25 for 2 locations
Add a Student Workshop
Spoken Word Alive!
Everyone has a chance to shine in this participatory workshop that enhances students' appreciation for oral literature, while encouraging self-esteem and confidence. Students bring spoken words alive while exploring the fundamentals of oral presentation—vocal variety, projection, articulation, correct posture, body movements/mime and gestures. Through a series of skill-building exercises and improvisations using body, hands and face, students explore diverse vocal pitches, qualities, range, dynamics, sound effects, and vivid, well-defined character voices to enhance communication, verbal presentation, and word interpretation. The workshop continues the theme of Courage and Kindness as students learn cooperation and respect for others and their individual abilities. Be prepared to move, challenge yourself and have fun! Workshops are tailored to the grade level of the students.
Grade Levels: K-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12
Audience Limit: 28
Price: $150 per workshop
Professional Development Workshop
This participatory workshop is designed for educators at all levels.
Learn how to achieve and maintain healthy phonation and utilize
vocal variety and body movements/mime. Explore different vocal pitches,
qualities and character voices. Use your body, hands, and face to
enhance communication and add specific movements and gestures to
bring the spoken work alive.
Audience Limit: 28
$250 for 90 minutes, $275 for 2 hours
Massachusetts Curriculum Links
English Language Arts
Foreign Languages
History and Social Science
Multicultural Studies
Music
Theater
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Eth-Noh-Tec
Limited Availability
Asia Fantasia
In an indescribably unique style of storytelling, San Francisco’s
master storyteller Robert Kikuchi-Yngojo introduces students to
folk tales and myths from Asian cultures, including those of Vietnam,
Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines, China, Japan, Tibet and Korea.
Using a combination of music, Asian phrases and gestures, and lively
facial expressions reminiscent of Asian mask theater, Robert performs
stories that feature positive role models, encourages truth and
honesty, and builds a sense of both the individual and community.
Robert also shares his life experience growing up as an Asian in
America, and conveys a positive role model for bicultural pride
and inclusivity. During the program, Robert plays several bamboo
instruments from various Asian cultures. He draws students from
the audience to play instruments, participate in call and response
rhythms and phrases, experiment with hand gestures that imitate
animal shapes and, in some cases, reenact folk tales.
For Middle School and High School audiences: Robert selects tales and myths that address such issues as personal
and collective responsibility, the consequences of wise or foolish
choices, respect for bio diversity and cultural diversity, the role
of an Asian American artist in promoting positive social change,
and the diversity present in both American and Asian cultures.
Grade Levels: K-12
Performance Time: 45 minutes
Audience Limit: 175
Single: $560 Double: $895* Triple: $1,200* Quad: $1,470*
Travel Fee: based on mileage
*$25 for each additional location.
Massachusetts Curriculum Links
Asian-Pacific Studies
English
Language Arts
Foreign Languages
History and Social Science
Multicultural Studies
Music
Theater
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CelloTales
Limited Availability
The Melding of Music, Myth & Memories
Cello Tales is the unique and special collaboration of two art forms:
music and storytelling. Award-winning Master Story Performer™
Leeny Del Seamonds and virtuoso cellist Gideon Freudmann invite
students on a magical, musical journey around the world. The wonder
of timeless stories is melded with boundless music, transporting
listeners into the soul of the story and song.
Grade Levels: K-12
Performance Time: 45 minutes
Audience Limit: 250
Double: $1,320* Triple: $1,732*
Travel Fee: $50 a day
*Add $75 for 2 locations
Massachusetts Curriculum Links
English Language Arts
Foreign Languages
History and Social Science
Music
Theater
Multicultural Studies
Science and Technology
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Michael Tougias
From Inspiration to Publication
Award-winning author of 17 non-fiction books, Michael Tougias, inspires students to take stories from the seed of an idea, through the research and writing, to publication by showing how his moments of inspiration are turned into books. He brings an example of his "sloppy copy" and shows how it is continually improved before publication. His presentations are riddled with tips for young thinkers including perseverance, organization and motivation.
Michael combines his writing process presentation with engaging, informative, and interactive storytelling based on his well-known books that brings local history to life through artifacts, fascinating anecdotes and slides.
Available talks include:
The Mayflower to King Philip's Indian War: Adventures in Colonial New England
The historic journey (1620 to 1676) from the Pilgrims’ first landing to the war between the Colonists and the Native Americans, known as King Philip’s War. Demonstration of arrowhead making, artifacts and pre-historic throwing stick provide students opportunities for hands-on participation.
Quabbin Reservoir: Past and Present
Quabbin Reservoir, created in the 1930s, is one of the largest man-made public water supplies in the United States. Through the story of the reservoir’s construction and how it operates, students explore the history of the lost towns beneath the reservoir, its current natural wonders and wildlife, and environmental issues.
There’s A Porcupine In My Outhouse! Misadventures of a Mountain Man Wannabe
An adventure that combines learning about nature and wildlife (the hard way!) with conservation and the therapeutic powers of the woods. Tougias describes the humorous “misadventures” of his early years exploring New England’s backcountry – his first trips to remote Northern Vermont, the history of Outhouses, encounters with bear, moose, fishing spiders and porcupine, and the history of Mountain Men.
Massachusetts’ Rivers (a choice of three presentations)
Through engaging and informative anecdotes, artifacts and slides, students journey from the source of the river along its many miles, exploring the local history, the natural history, Native Americans, wildlife encounters and conservation issues unique to each river.
Exploring The Hidden Charles: Unfolding secrets of the 80-mile journey from Hopkinton to Boston make students want to head for the river.
A Taunton River Journey: From its headwaters to the Mount Hope Bay, through four centuries, this important waterway played a vital role in the evolution of the region
400 Miles Down the Connecticut River: Includes discussion of log drives, steamboats, reintroduction of salmon, latest environmental threats, and wildlife living along the river from bald eagles to moose.
All of the Above Presentations
Grade Level: 3-4; Audience Size: 200
Grade Level: 5–12; Audience Size: 300
Single: $560 Double: $896* Triple: $1.176*
Travel Fee: based on mileage
*Add $25 for two locations
Ten Hours Until Dawn (National Best-seller)
The dramatic and heroic sea rescue and tragedy off the Massachusetts Coast during "The Blizzard of 1978.” With seas waves of 40 feet and winds at 100 miles per hour, the pilot boat Can Do set out from Gloucester to assist a lost Coast Guard boat and an oil tanker in a Mayday situation. Tougias takes students through this incredible night where many lives hung in the balance.
Grade Level: 5-12
Audience Size: 300
Single: $560 Double: $896* Triple: $1.176*
Travel Fee: based on mileage
*Add $25 for two locations
Survival Lessons: Triumph Over Adversity!
Michael Tougias shares the lessons learned about goal attainment and decision-making under pressure from researching his two national best-sellers, Ten Hours Until Dawn, and Fatal Forecast, as well as from interviewing dozens of people who have overcome tremendous obstacles, or have survived disasters in the face of incredible odds. All of these individuals felt completely overwhelmed but quickly learned the secrets of channeling and managing their energy into proactive decisions that allowed them to survive. Students learn that the techniques used by survivors offer guidance to achieve dreams, to manage change, to operate at peak performance, and to lead more fulfilling, productive lives. The strategies, tactics and motivating stories of survival will inspire and infuse students with confidence.
Grade Level: 7-12
Audience Size: 300
Single: $560 Double: $896* Triple: $1.176*
Travel Fee: based on mileage
*Add $25 for two locations
Massachusetts Curriculum Links:
English Language Arts
History and Social Science
Nature/Science
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Norah Dooley
Everyone Has a Story
Storyteller and children's author Norah Dooley shares with students her enthusiasm for writing and her experiences in creating books including her four part series about her Cambridge neighborhood; the titles include Everybody Cooks Rice, Everybody Bakes Bread and Everybody Serves Soup. While her books are written for a younger audience, they are used to inspire and inform writers of all ages. Norah explores how guided visualization, conversation, storytelling, brainstorming, mapping and webbing of ideas and drawing are all part of her writing process and tells folktales to support the elements of noticing, mapping and storytelling. Students learn the components of the bookmaking process such as text drafts, illustration sketches, galleys and proof sheets, as well as research techniques, manuscript revisions and publishing protocol. The overall goal is to leave students with an understanding of how a book is created and an eagerness to tell and write their own story.
Grade Levels: 1-2, 3-5, 6-8
Performance Time: 45-60 minutes
Audience Limit: 225 (Grades 1-2 and 3-5); 300 (Grades 6-8)
Single: $500 Double: $800* Triple: $1,05*0 Quad: $1,250*
Travel Fee: based on mileage
*Add $25 for each additional location
Add a Program for your PreK-K Students!
Stories from the Neighborhood
Using song, movement and music Norah tells students about her family and neighbors and how she incorporated their stories into her books. This interactive program includes stories from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe. Students participate, making sound effects, singing, chanting and clapping along.
Grade Levels: preK-K
Performance Time: 30 minutes
Audience Limit: 75
Single: $125 each*
*Must be scheduled with Everyone Has a Story presentation.
Add a Post Performance Student Workshop
In this workshop, students are led in theater and storytelling games to practice finding the story in their everyday life and use oral exercises to capture images that are used to develop plot, characters and rich detail about life experiences that are important to them. After learning the ingredients and directions for creating story, students may then work on their own to create a finished work.
Grade Levels: 1-6
Workshop Length: 45-60 minutes
Participants: 30
Price: $125 each
Residency
Building Literacy through Storytelling
Students gain self-confidence as they learn new strategies for writing and telling original stories that reflect themes found in traditional folklore, issues of personal relevance and a variety of cultural heritages. In this residency, children share their work in a written publication and a culminating storytelling event.
Grade Levels: 3-8
Contact office for pricing information.
Massachusetts Curriculum Links:
English Language Arts
History and Social Science
Multicultural Studies
Theater
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