A Storyteller Showcase
new storytelling event coming to UW-Eau Claire
Chippewa Valley Storytelling Concert.
Storytelling is one of the oldest, most universal art forms that connects people across generations and cultures. It teaches and entertains not only children but people of all ages. Rob Reid, local storyteller and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education Studies at UW-Eau Claire, is bringing the Chippewa Valley an opportunity to unite in the oral tradition of storytelling by organizing the first Chippewa Valley Storytelling Concert.
The evening will begin with emcee Rob Reid telling a story that involves lots of audience participation. Next, two UW-Eau Claire students, Miriam Unseth and Laura Moran, both of whom excelled at their storytelling projects in Reid’s children’s literature class, will also share stories. BareBones Improv, a part of Eau Claire’s BareBones Ensemble Theatre, also will participate, creating an original 20-minute story on the spot with input from the audience. BareBones will provide a break between the two nationally recognized showcase storytellers, Joe Hayes of New Mexico and Nothando Zulu of Minneapolis.
“When I go out to tell stories, kids are hungry for the spoken word because most entertainment today is electronic. When the story is focused on the oral tradition they really get into it.” – Chippewa Valley Storytelling Concert emcee and organizer Rob Reid
Nothando Zulu (No tanâ-doh Zoo lu) has been performing for children and adults for more than 30 years. Currently living and performing in Minneapolis, she has drawn upon her own rich heritage as a farm girl from Virginia to tell stories about her own life, African folk tales, African/American animal stories, and stories about prominent African-American women. She is also an actress, having appeared onstage at the Penumbra Theater Company, the Illusion Theater, and the Rarig Center at the University of Minnesota, among others. Ms. Zulu is a co-founder of the Black Storytellers Alliance (BSA).
Joe Hayes is recognized as one of the country’s premier storytellers. He specializes in tales from the Hispanic, American Indian, and Anglo cultures. His bilingual Spanish-English stories have earned him a distinctive place among America’s storytellers. He explains that his bilingual approach to storytelling has helped Spanish-speaking children feel proud of their heritage and appreciate their language and culture. Joe is also the author of over 25 children’s books.
Rob has been thinking about organizing a storytelling event for almost three years and now the event will coincide with the opening of the new Davies Center, a fitting way to celebrate the many stories that will take place in Eau Claire’s new student center. Storytelling is on the upswing.
“There has been a revival of storytelling during last 20 years thanks to the National Storytelling Association. Public librarians have also picked up the torch of storytelling around the nation,” Rob Reid explained.
Rob is very excited to help set that torch ablaze here in the Chippewa Valley and thinks storytelling is an important but often overlooked part of childhood.
“When I go out to tell stories, kids are hungry for the spoken word because most entertainment today is electronic. When the story is focused on the oral tradition they really get into it,” he says.
Come and lose yourself in a good story and learn something along the way. Donations will be accepted at the door, with half of the proceeds going to the Feed My People Food Bank and other half going to fund future story telling events.
If you want a bit of a tasty appetizer, there is also a preview show with the two featured storytellers Nothando Zulu and Joe Hayes at 2pm the same day, in the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in the Eau Claire room. They will be telling different story sets from the ones at the storytelling concert. All ages are encouraged to come, listen, and explore their imaginations.
The concert will be held in the Dakota Ballroom of the new Davies Student Center at UW-Eau Claire from 7-9:30pm on September 8. The event is free and open to all ages.
