Where are all the storytellers?
“Is this the story lady?” said an unfamiliar voice on the telephone.
“Well, I’m a storyteller,” I replied, “My name is Bess Chappas.”
`”Yes, you’re the one I am looking for. I read an article about you in the newspaper. I’m interested in the storytellers group.”
“Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a storytelling group in Savannah for several years now.”
“ I can’t believe, that in Savannah, where there are so many stories and so much history there isn’t a storytelling group,” said Janice Shelton. I couldn’t believe she said that because that is exactly what I have been saying ever since our group dissolved.
Right away, this enterprising lady, got a group of others together who are interested in storytelling, and tentative plans are to hold a storytelling workshop Thursday, February 16, 10am to 12noon.. If you are interested, call her at 912-224-2904 If you don’t make this workshop, chances are there will be another. My contribution will be to help organize and lead the workshop.
Here’s the history of” The Savannah Storytellers”. Twenty or so years ago, my friend Virginia Huber and I joined a group of storytellers who met downtown at the Mullberry Inn. It was a small group of very different individuals who liked to tell stories. Most were local. In addition, the management of the Inn invited guests to come to our meeting to participate or just to listen. It was interesting because you never knew who would be there or what type of story would be presented. After a while, some tellers left town, others lost interest, and it seemed the motel became less accommodating and we sometimes had no place to meet. At some meeting, no one came.
Virginia and I decided to take the idea to the south side of town. We recruited others and met in several different places, our homes, church meeting rooms, etc… The group expanded and we gave it a name, The Savannah Storytellers, and joined the Southern Order of Storytellers, based in Atlanta, and their parent group, The National Storytelling Association. Being connected gave us information and ideas. We began to have a annual program called Tellabration each November.
Tellabration started with an audience of 40-50 people of family and friends and grew to 100-200 for several years. We even invited nationally known storytellers to be our featured tellers at our zenith. Then for inexplicable reasons, members started dropping out. Our audiences began to shrink and one day, I found myself the only one standing. This was about five years ago. I missed it, of course, but I was involved in writing children’s books and didn’t have time to grieve. But, what a shame in a city like Savannah where we have so many stories to tell and so many tourists to tell them to, not to have an organization of real old-fashioned storytelling
We seem to be the only large city in the south east not to have a group or to have some sort of storytelling celebration. There are so many festivals around us that we can visit.
SOUTHERN ORDER OF STORYTELLERS, the group we once belonged to, is having their festival this month, Feb, 17-18, in Decatur, Georgia. Featured teller is Bill Harley. Website gives schedule of performances and workshops. There are many others to attend: You can look up the following and others under “Storytelling Festivals” on the Internet.
STORYTELLING FESTIVAL OF CAROLINA: Laurinburg, NC, March 29- April 3, 2012. Featured tellers: Donald Davis, Gene Tagbar, and Doug Elliott
STONE SOUP STORYTELLING FESTIVAL: Woodruff, SC, April 20-21, 2012. (864) 476-8770
BACKPORCH STORYTELLERS in Charleston, SC, a non-profit organization to support groups of adult storytellers, 782 Piccadily Driv 843-795-3061.
CLEMSON AREA STORYTELLERS, Clemson, SC. Celebration March 6, 2012. 864-653-4932 www.Storyartscenter.org.
ALABAMA TALE-TELLING FESTIVAL: Held in Selma, ALA in October (No date given)
OCALA STORYTELLING FESTIVAL: Held in Florida in October (no date given) at Center Pt. Church THE
NATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL: The biggest and claims to be the original festival. Sponsored by The International Storytelling Center. Held in Jonesboro ,TN October 5-7 2012. This is the 40th year. Featured tellers are Donald Davis, Carmen Deedy, and Rex Ellis.
Maybe you don’t like to perform, but you like to listen to stories. Well, that’s okay. We need listeners, too. You can support storytelling in many other ways in the organization. If you want to help us get a Savannah storytelling group going, call Janice. Again her number is 912-224-2904.
The pictures are of Jonesboro, TN at one of the national festivals several years ago. If you go, you will never forget it.
February 1st, 2012
