Tall tales, heartfelt narratives and scary ghost stories are in the lineup for four days of a storytelling festival at the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers beginning Thursday.
Thursday’s opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. features a welcome message by renowned storyteller Paul Strickland, followed by a sneak peek from the weekend lineup, including Erika MacDonald, the Tamiami Tale Tellers and others.
"In a lot of ways this is kind of like baby Fringe [Festival]," said Events and Programming Director Michael Hebler. "A lot of the performers come from Fringe. It's just the storytelling, to me, is more theater combined with standup comedy.
"We do have what I call the three L's: stories of love, luck and life. And we also have a few ghost stories, too. There's a performance of fireside tales this Friday, at 8:30 p.m. It's going to be outdoors in our Green Market area, and we will surround a campfire on a lawn.
"Bring your blankets, bring your chairs for this outdoor portion of the event," Hebler said.
Shows are ticketed individually with a day pass available on weekend days.
The schedule is:
Thursday, March 13
5 – 7 p.m.: Reception and welcome address. Open to the public with a $5 ticket or free entry with proof of ticket purchase of any Storytelling Festival performance.
7 – 8 p.m.: “90 Lies an Hour: Tall Tales & Other Funny Stories,” by Paul Strickland
Friday, March 14
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.: Stories of Love by Tamiami Tale Tellers
Emcee: Joel Ying
Mary Lou Williams – “Adam and Eve”
Marilyn Graham – “A Trombone Tale”
Marilyn Graham – “Requited Love”
Lynn Jaffe – “Rachel the Clever”
Joel Ying – “The Marriage Boulder”
7 – 8 p.m.: “The Barn Identity,” by Erika MacDonald
8:30 – 10 p.m.: Fireside Tales by Paul Strickland and Tamiami Tall Tellers (Lisa Leonhardt, Mary Lou Williams, and Joel Ying)
“Kentucky Ghost Stories” – Paul Strickland
“Spook Yourself Silly” – Lisa Leonhardt
“Cautionary Tales” – Mary Lou Williams & Joel Ying
Saturday, March 15
11 – 11:20 a.m.: Folk Tales for Kids by Tamiami Tale Tellers (Marilyn Graham & Mary Lou Williams); free.
Marilyn Graham – “Martina the Beautiful Cockroach”
Mary Lou Williams – “Rumpelstiltskin Rap”
11:30 – 11:50 a.m.: More Folk Tales for Kids by Tamiami Tale Tellers (Lisa Leonhardt & Joel Ying); free.
Lisa Leonhardt – “Some Frog”
Joel Ying – “The Perfect Peach”
2:30 – 4 p.m.: “More Than Words: Performance Techniques for More Engaging Storytelling,” with Paul Strickland
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.: “Rock of Ages: Storytelling Across the Generations” with panelists Jameson W. Yingling (Philosopher and Filmmaker), Dr. Maria Roca (Professor of Integrated Studies and Founder of the ROCK Center), Dr. Tom Felke (Professor of Social Work and Executive Director of the Shady Rest Institute of Positive Aging), and Hannah Harley (Professor of Art and Community Engagement); free.
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.: Stories of Luck by Tamiami Tale Tellers
Emcee: Lisa Leonhardt
Lisa Leonhardt – “The Two Princes”
Mary Charles – “How to Not Conquer New York”
Pam Minton – “No Part Too Small”
Mary Lou Williams – “Being in the News”
Joel Ying – “The Man with No Luck”
8 – 9 p.m.: Once Upon a Lie: Reupholstered (Funny-Forward) Folk and Fairytales by Paul Strickland
Sunday, March 16
1 – 2 p.m.: “Fusion of Movement and Narrative: The Dance of Coppelia,” by Bochette Dance
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: “The Barn Identity,” by Erika MacDonald
4 – 5 p.m.: Closing Ceremonies: “The Power of Storytelling in the World,” by Paul Strickland; free.
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