2009 Featured Storytellers
Join us for a special "Meet the Tellers" picnic, Thursday, May 1 at 7:00-8:30 pm at Libbey Bowl. Bring
a
picnic dinner and hear all the tellers in this year's festival. Sponsored by Rabobank. This event is FREE!
Jim Cogan
The Ojai Storytelling Festival will once again present Jim Cogan as the official emcee for this year’s festival. Jim Cogan, is a nationally known storyteller and former resident of Ojai. He brings a zany presence and engaging style to every tale he shares. His performances are a celebration of culture, imagination, and creativity. Known for his effervescent personality, Jim will will bring color and humor to the festival.
Carmen Deedy
Like a spicy salsa, Carmen Deedy adds energy and flavor to every story she tells. Having learned to tell stories the first time she got into trouble, the dynamic and passionate Carmen Deedy returns to the Ojai Storytelling Festival to recount her tales of growing up Cuban in the deep south of Decatur, Georgia. With comedy, lots of drama, and perfect timing, Carmen will have you doubled over in side-splitting laughter as she weaves her tales of survival in a world full of contradictions. Deedy has a wide variety of new and exciting tales to recount to audiences young and old. It’s never a dull moment when Deedy is on stage!
Niall de Búrca
Adding a touch of green to the Ojai Storytelling Fetsival ,. Niall de Búrca of Dublin, Ireland returns to the festival to bring his unique physical style of telling. De Burca was raised in western Ireland, a region steeped in Celtic myth and legend. More dangerous than the pied piper, Niall will cast a spell on young and old alike. He will bring some of his favorite tales of heroes, princesses and magic pots. Using his voice with a craftsman skill, De Búrca tells great stories with charm, humor and lots of surprises. Join him as he transports you to places near and far with stories that are funny, serious, wise, and interactive-all at once.
Glenis Redmond
Glenis Redmond, an award winning poet from North Carolina returns to the festival for the second time by popular request. She performs her original poetry with passion and conviction. Telling stories with her poems - from her life, her family, her African-American heritage, her poetry inspires audiences, young and old to claim their place and respect their own story. Glenis has won numerous awards and fellowships as well as regional and national poetry slam competitions She takes her audiences to sun-drenched Southern places where family is an accessible inspiration. Her solid voice creates indelible images in the listener’s mind and touches the heart in unexpected ways.
Scott Ainslie
Scott Ainslie is the rarest of performers - a man who can speak about the Blues with the same compelling passion and authority that drives his musical performances. On stage, Ainslie brings the African and American roots, history, & soul of the music alive with a mesmerizing mix of abandon, care and intimacy. He is a master of the traditional blues guitar styles that gave rise to rock 'n' roll and fueled the folk revival of the 1960's. Drawing on the musical legacies of Delta Blues legends Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, the East Coast's Blind Blake, and Durham's own Reverend Gary Davis and Blind Boy Fuller; Scott is a noted performer and scholar and considered a musician’s musician. One of the highlights of the festival will surely be his performance with Glenis Redmond, combining the blues with her poetry.
Donald Davis
Considered by many to be the father of family stories, Donald Davis from Ocracoke, North Carolina, captures the heart and soul of his audiences through his tender and often hilarious reminiscences of his childhood. Engaging his listeners by evoking memories of their own lives, Davis brings his tales to life through the use of animated gestures and telling facial expressions. Whether they be Jack tales passed on from his grandmother, traditional stories from his Scotch-Welsh ancestors, absurd tall tales from his Uncle Frank or insights into the small-town community of his adolescence, Davis thoroughly delights audiences of all ages. Returning to the festival for the fifth time, Donald was featured at our very first festival and we are proud to present him again. A festival favorite, Donald Davis helps us all to remember the small wonders that make our lives special.
Peter Cook
Peter Cook is an internationally known Deaf performing artist. His original stories, told in American Sign Language, showcase his versatility by incorporating pantomime, acting, and movement in an innovative style rarely seen in performances of this kind. His dynamic, humorous, and at times poignant facial expressions combine to form a delightful smorgasbord of visual pleasure sure to fascinate audiences of all ages. Peter’s television appearances include the PBS production of “United States of Poetry,” and he performs throughout the year at storytelling festivals in the U.S. and Europe. "Cook incorporates…the most elastic facial maneuvers this side of Robin Williams." – LA Weekly
Leland Faulkner
The fables and magic that appear in Leland Faulkner’s performances have been inspired by his travels throughout the world. Faulkner was brought up in Africa, Afghanistan and Iran and, as an adult, has traveled in Germany, France, Thailand, Japan, and China. Faulkner’s performances are filled with movement, magic, and amazing visual images. Paper becomes filled with movement as butterflies dance and multiply: shadows take on a life of their own in an imaginative exploration of light. His use of visual effects and story gives creative perspective to the ancient art of the actor, mime, and magician.. From the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C, to The Ebaru Cultural Center in Shinigawa, Japan, he has held audiences around the world in the palm of his hand.
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