Featured Tellers for the 19th Forest Storytelling Festival, Oct. 18-20, 2013
Andy Offutt Irwin –
Some people have inner-kids. Andy Offutt Irwin delights audiences with his outer-kid. He will keep you rolling with laughter with is manic Silly Putty voice, astonishing mouth noises, and hilarious heart-filled stories. Andy is equal parts mischievous schoolboy and Marx Brothers, peppered with a touch of the Southern balladeer. A native of Covington, GA, Andy started out in comedy, but added music and storytelling because he had a lot more to say. People are drawn to him like magnets to a refrigerator filled with Mountain Dew and JOLT cola. He’s had lots of interesting life experience-type employment, including, but not limited to, actor, camp counselor, political satirist, youth director, janitor, theatre orchestra conductor, garbage man, teacher, carpenter’s flunky, and bullfrog tadpole catcher. Honest. He thinks he’s funny.
Mary Hamilton – Mary will fill you with lovely images and characters that will stay with you long after the festival is over. She started storytelling young… when it was Mary’s turn to tell her class what she had done over the weekend, she described a thrilling ride on her horse. The story was most convincing, especially from a girl who owned no horse. Recognizing a disturbing lack of truth in need of correction instead of talent in need of encouragement Mary’s teacher sent a note home. This resulted in numerous reminders that telling stories was sinful. For years Mary confessed her sins and struggled to overcome her talent. Thank goodness, she failed. Mary is the 2009 recipient of National Storytelling Networks Circle of Excellence Oracle Award.
Gene Tagaban – Gene transports audiences into the time and pace of the ancient native world with his stories. He will motivate and transform you while he entrances you with his passionate and dramatic traditional stories. He is a noted Tlingit storyteller and actor with twenty years experience as a performing artist, motivational speaker, trainer, and healer. He shares his wisdom and talent through story, drum, dance, and native flute. Believing that learning and laughter go hand-in-hand, he educates and entertains through a skillful blend of knowledge, humor, discussion, and activity. His very real and genuine approach turns audiences into eager participants. By openly sharing his traditions, culture and past experiences, Gene helps audiences identify and laugh at their own quirks while sparking in them a desire to learn and grow.
Meg Philp – draws upon her Celtic heritage for stories that will warm your heart and foster compassion, no matter what your age. She uses her storytelling for special projects, such as her collaboration with a social worker to build the self-esteem of siblings of children with disabilities. Wherever and whatever she tells, Meg does so with passion, honesty, and humor. Her enthusiasm and integrity always shine through. In 1988 Meg received a Winston Churchill Fellowship to spend time with master storytellers in Jonesborough, New York, Nashville, Toronto, Seattle, and Vancouver. She returned to Australia where she helped found the Queensland Storytelling Guild.
Anne Rutherford – Anne’s dramatic and imaginative
stories will sparkle in your mind like diamonds. She tells smart, genuinely fun stories; original and vintage stories of humor and adventure, trickster tales, supernatural tales and Northwest folklore. She grew up in a small Pennsylvania town (part Norman Rockwell, part Stephen King), and came to Oregon with a volunteer-service program in 1983. In 1999 Anne found her calling as a storyteller and performs for all ages. In 2010 and 2011 she won 1st place at the Liar’s Contest at the Northwest Folklife Festival, so keep a few grains of salt handy when Anne is on stage!
Pat Peterson – Our beloved MC, Pat makes audiences and tellers warmly welcome. Pat is the emcee par excellence, bringing pure joy to the audience’s storytelling experience as she cajoles and guides the performers to bring forth their finest work. An accomplished actress and storyteller, Pat sets the stage with grace, warmth and deliciously naughty humor.
