Starting September 3, 2006
New Storytelling Radio Program
KSVY-FM 91.3, Sonoma, CA
http://www.ksvy.org
Sundays, 5-6 pm Pacific time (adjust for your time zone)
Live audio streaming: Go to the KSVY website. In the upper
right-hand corner, click on High or Low Speed and find
yourself listening to the live program.
Or access the archives later and download.
PROGRAM 1:
Sep 3 & Sep 10 Tickle My Funny Bone! Double Dare Ya! — Telling humorous tales!
Steve Otto
(Wide Mouth Frog)
Ruth Stotter
(The Shoes of Abu Kasan)
Jeff Gere
(Dapper Dan and Get On The Bus!)
Theme music: Special thanks to Petra Koch in Germany, who performed the beautifully haunting alto recorder music of Como Podem from the 13th century collection Cantigas de Santa Maria (copy of Kynsecker, Mollenhauer & Co.). Used on this program with her kind permission.
Guest tellers...
• Steve Otto, Missouri — Wide Mouth Frog! (traditional USA)
— BIO
Steve Otto is a full-time professional storyteller from Kansas City, MO. He started out as the shyest kid in the school until the tenth grade when his English Literature teacher FORCED him onto the stage! As with many actors, he found that he could go out on stage and become a character and it wasn't HIM on stage. He started doing character roles early in his career, and was in every high school play from that point on. He went the University of Missouri and immediately ended up on the stage at MU. It was such fun that he decided to become a Theatre major.
About this time something brand new was coming on the scene called Television. MU had just put a commercial TV station on the air and Steve gravitated to that medium. He started out as a cameraman, and moved up to directing in that wonderful time of LIVE, Black and White Television. He fell in love with the "fly by the seat of your pants" feel of live TV and graduated from MU with a degree in Speech and Theatre with an emphasis on Television Production. He worked for four years in TV in Columbia, MO, Fort Wayne, IN, and St. Louis, MO, before making his parents very happy and getting a "real job."
For the next 30 years, he acted and directed in over 40 roles in Community theatre. That is when the troubles began . . . His 'real job' was keeping him on the road so much that he could not do his theatre productions . . . Then one day his first grade teacher wife came home with a brochure from the local university . . . Storytelling for teachers . . . She said "I think you should take this seminar with me . . . " Steve emphatically told her "I AM AN ACTOR! . . . STORYTELLERS JUST READ STORIES TO LITTLE KIDS IN THE LIBRARY ON SATURDAY MORNING!" She just looked at him and said (just as emphatically) "I THINK YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS SEMINAR!" . . . An so he did . . . The seminar changed his life completely . . . It was taught by Jackie Torrence . . . a little black lady who came on stage and proceeded to mesmerize the entire audience . . . just using her voice, her eyes, and her whole presence!
Steve Fell in LOVE that very day. He fell in LOVE with the concept of looking his audience right in the eyes and SHARING (not telling) a story. He took every class he could find on storytelling technique and began telling every opportunity he could. Then came the day when a festival producer asked "how much do you charge?" . . . CHARGE! THEY WANT TO PAY ME TO HAVE THIS MUCH FUN? . . . He started telling professionally, more and more until twelve years ago his employer one day came into a staff meeting and said "We're going to have to cut back on staff . . . Does anyone want to take an early retirement?" . . . and Steve had his hand in the air . . .Take ME!"
He now does over 250 performances as year and makes his living just telling stories. He has three CDs which are available for sale. His repertoire of over 450 stories allows him to have a program for every group from Nursery School to Nursing Home. He teaches seminars on storytelling techniques to teachers, business, lawyers, salesmen, and anyone who needs to convey a message to someone else. . . He does it because he LOVES it. The ability to take an idea and convey that idea to his audience whether it is one person or 3000 is the best thing in the world.
Has anyone told YOU a story lately? . . .
•••••
Wide Mouth Frog may be found on Steve's CD of the same name available here:
https://www.shop.creationcompanyconsultants.com/displayProductDocument.hg?productId=14&categoryId=9
Other stories on this CD are:
The Gingerbread Man 8:42
Skunk and Blue Jay 10:20
Second Language 2:42
The Lima Bean Monster 9:28
The Proud Fox 4:43
Lazy Jack 14:20
The Stone Cutter 7:03
Contact Information:
Steve Otto
3606 NE 62nd Terrace
Kansas City, Missouri 64119-1906
Country: USA
Phone: 816-454-7262
Fax: 816-454-7262
E-Mail: i-tell@juno.com
http://www.storyteller.net/tellers/sotto
•••••
• Ruth Stotter, California — The Shoes of Abu Kasan (Persia)
Ruth is the former Director of the Dominican University Storytelling Program (1985-1999), past chairperson of the Folk Narrative Section for the American Folklore Society (1999-2003), and served on the AFS Aesop Prize Committee which selects outstanding children’s books based on Folklore 1994-1997. She has participated in meetings of the International Society of Folk Narrative in Mysore, India and Nairobi, Kenya. She received the first Pacific Region Award from the National Storytelling Association (formerly NAPPS) in 1997, and has conducted workshops for their national conferences on “Symbolism in Fairytales" and "Storytelling with Props". She has performed on four continents (Great Britain, France, Portugal, Malaysia, Australia, Africa) and produced and hosted "The Oral Tradition" on KUSF-FM in San Francisco 1982-1988.
Ruth is the recipient of the Reading the World Award 2004 from the University of San Francisco.
The Reading the World Award is given to an individual in recognition of outstanding contributions in making quality literature accessible to children and young adults. The goal of Reading the World is to recognize and applaud those who have enriched the lives of children through multicultural literature.
•••••
The Shoes of Abu Kasan, told by Ruth Stotter, may be found on in the audio cassette collection of Stories from the Hearth, World Folk Stories, Volume 2, produced by Glasswing Media, Inc., P.O. Box 19448, Portland, OR 97280; 1-800-545-6846.
Music by Richard Sales.
Other stories in this collection are:
Masha and the Bear 7:56
Told by Kathryn Hurd
A delightful old Russian story about a little girl who outwits a bear.
The Cuckoo Bird 6:33
Told by Kathryn Hurd
A very old tale from the nomadic Nenetz People who lived on the tundra bordering the Arctic Ocean near Finland.
El Conejo y El Tigre (Rabbit & Tiger) 13:30
Told by Maureen Pedone
A Puerto Rican mischief tale.
Four Fine Fools 10:39
Told by Maureen Pedone
A Greek tale about a priest in search of foolish people.
Journey to the Palace of the Turtle Princess 17:19
(The Story of Urashima Taro)
Told by Margaret Olivia Wolfson
A Japanese folktale about a kingdom beneath the sea and the mystery of time.
Followed by five minutes of ocean sounds — perfect for drifting off to sleep.
•••••
What others say about Ruth:
"Ruth Stotter is an important writer in the field of contemporary storytelling. In her articles she shares her scholarship, psychological insights, and wealth of creative ideas for tellers. About Story is great fun to read." -Judy Sierra, Ph.D., storyteller and author of Cinderella, Twice Upon a Tale, Multicultural Folktales, and Quests and Spells.
"Ruth Stotter is the finest teacher of storytelling I know."
Contact Information:
Ruth Stotter
2244 Vistazo East
Tiburon, CA 94920
Country: USA
Phone: (415)435-3568
Fax: (415)435-9923
E-Mail: r.stotter@comcast.net
Websites:
http://www.story-lovers.com/productsstotter.html or
http://www.storyteller.net/tellers/rstotter
For a listing of Ruth's books, go to:
http://www.story-lovers.com/productsstotter.html
Origami Stories
http://www.chiptaylor.com/ht/srhd0126.cfm?jpegid=../pictures/ti0738.jpg
Ruth Stotter shows us how to create paper objects while telling four wonderful stories: Rain Hat, Drinking Cup, Hot Lips, and The Story of the Stellar Jay. 98/06DR PIJSCA 10 min.
Stotter's Stories
http://www.chiptaylor.com/ht/srhd0126.cfm?jpegid=../pictures/ti0765.jpg
Ruth Stotter uses strings to help illustrate five imaginative tales: Hole in My Neck, Spider's Lunch, The Earth Day Story, Siberian House, and The Ladder Story. 98/06DR PIJSCA 10 min.
String Stories
http://www.chiptaylor.com/ht/srhd0126.cfm?jpegid=../pictures/ti0739.jpg
Master storyteller Ruth Stotter shares three of her favorite stories: The Potato Farmer, The Chief of Lies, and The Story of the Talking Skull. 98/06DR PIJSCA 10 min.
•••••
• Jeff Gere, Hawaii — Dapper Dan and Get On The Bus! (personal)
The two stories that Jeff tells in this program are available on his CD Jeff Gere Tells Silly 'n Spooky.
He tells his delightful playground home run hits: tales kids told to him & Jeff's tales about his own kids. These sassy pidgin Island adventures are goofy & touching, with a touch of intense suspense. LES ADAM adds a playful piano throughout. ALANA CINI (didgeridoo) and SANDRA LEE AKAKA (screeches) chime in too! Here hear fresh childhood gems told in exhilarating, aerobic musical conversations. Jeff has told tales to thousands of Summer Fun kids for two decades. These are their favorite stories!
jeffgere@lava.net
Jeff runs Hawaii's biggest storytelling event, The Talk Story Festival. He hosts Talk Story Radio weekly on Hawaii Public Radio.
http://www.talkstoryradio.com
Contact
P.O. Box 37495, Honolulu, HI. 96837
(808)737-1774
jeffgere@lava.net
http://www.jeffgere.com
Storytelling
Jeff Gere is a master storyteller, blending talents as painter, puppeteer, mime, teacher, and director into a performance style which has electrified audiences throughout Hawaii and the mainland for two decades. Jeff becomes his stories!
Jeff has a BA in Painting & Art History (junior year Florence, Italy) and MA in Inter-Relating Arts (multi-disciplinary program). Back in Italy ('80-82), caretaking a 600-year-old villa, he created & toured Dream Theatre (social issues with puppet, mask and mime).
Jeff came to Hawaii ('82), becoming one of its most popular storytellers. Jeff's taught and performed in literally every venue conceivable (all museums, private & public schools; all ages, sizes, & incomes; bars, prisons, homeless shelters, conferences, conventions, state-wide solo & group tours).
Jeff became the Drama Specialist, Parks Department, City & County of Honolulu ('87). In '89, he created the Talk Story Festival (www.honoluluparks.com), Hawaii's largest storytelling event (3,000 listeners). It features local talent, receiving excellent publicity. His non-profit attracts corporate sponsors. Jeff hosts/ produces Talk Story Radio (8/05, Hawaii Public Radio + 2 others) with tales of Hawaii & Pacific Rim (Parks Dept. (www.talkstoryradio.com), podcasts, 12,000 listeners/week)
His original programs include The Arabian Nights (2 musicians & bellydancer; 10 tales in 18 months 03-04, Hong Kong 6/05), Yo Pharaoh, and Van Gogh's Ghost. He performed at the Vancouver Story Fest. (11/04), Turkey (Karagoz Shadow Puppet Fest. 11/04) Thailand Story-In-English Camps (4/03). He's taught at the National Storytelling Conferences ('04, '99, '93), the Arizona Aloha Fest ('06), Boulder City Folk Fest ('02 & '03), Flying Leap Story Fest ('99), National Storytelling Championship (Idaho '97). In '92 he toured American Samoa, Guam & Saipan and at the Universal Expo (Sevilla, Spain), and the West Coast (93-02). He directed/ performed "Art Off The Wall", a collaborative inter-disciplinary series interpreting Honolulu's Contemporary Museum exhibits (97-00, Hawaii Fndtn Grant) & Teacher Trainings. Gere made/taught a "Tell Well" Storytelling System (Univ. Hawaii 90-97). He's the NSN State Laison for Hawaii.
Jeff's made 5 CDs: Haunted Hawaii vols. 1, 2, & 3 (retelling true supernatural tales), Rank Devil Mountain(FIRE tales, 3 musicians) and Silly 'N Spooky (kids in Hawaii). They're distributed state-wide & play on Hawaiian Airlines in-flight shows (fall 04 & 06, summer 06). Chicken Soup for the Soul of Hawaii (03) has 2 Gere tales. He's in Storytellers: A Directory of 120 English-Speaking Tellers Worldwide (98). He co-produced/ performed in "The Storytellers" series (KITV 4, 95-97). He's in Mystery Hunters (Canadian BC.'06), Places of Mystery Series (Travel Channel, 00) and Haunted History Series (History Channel, 00). He reads Christobelle (15 X 15 min. series, airs 9/06). Jeff won Outstanding TV Performance Arts Series (00) for Olelo Community TV, airing monthly programs since '90.
Write him a note if you're coming to Hawaii. Send him a CD if your tales relate the the Pacific Rim. Give him a call if you'd like him to tell—he LOVES to travel and will make it easy for you.
jeffgere@lava.net
http://www.jeffgere.com
•••••
(Page created 8/14/06; updated 8/31/06; 9/4/06)
