Blue Church and WVSG: Scary Stories Coming Oct 31

What’s Halloween without a chilling ghost story or two?     

Wheeling National Heritage Area’s new series, The Word @ Blue Church, and the West Virginia Storytelling Guild are preparing an evening of shivery fright with a Halloween ghost story concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at The Blue Church, 1206 Byron St., Wheeling. The major sponsor for the concert is the Wheeling Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The concert is the second in the new series, The Word @ Blue Church.

Four members of the West Virginia Storytelling Guild will present a variety of ghost stories for adults under the title, “Would You Like to Hear a Scary Story?” The concert is a joint fundraising event primarily to benefit The Blue Church renovations, as well as the WVSG ongoing professional development workshops around the state.

Tickets are $10 each and will be sold in advance on social media through Eventbrite on the Wheeling National Heritage Area and The Blue Church sites. Tickets also will be $10 at the door.

Guests will enjoy a complementary light hors d’oeuvres buffet. Beverages will be available.

photo from weelunk,com

The storytellers:

Rich Knoblich of Marshall County is author of Talking ‘bout the Relatives. He frequently judges and participates (eight ribbons) in the WV Liar’s Contest. His writings have been published in various national and regional magazines. Once the Ghost Host for Steel City Bus Tours paranormal excursions, he now guides for Oglebay Resort’s Festival of Lights.

Mikalena Zuckett of Charleston has lived most of her life in West Virginia. Born in Wheeling, she earned a BA from Bethany College in communications and a MA from WVU in counseling psychology. Mrs. Zuckett is currently WVSG’s secretary. She has performed a variety of folktales at WVSG’s tent during the past three Vandalia Gatherings and performed on the Capital Grounds for WV 150^th Celebration. Today Mrs. Zuckett is excited to share some of the stories she heard growing up, stories about the early days of Wheeling and Ohio County.

Judi Tarowsky lives in St. Clairsville, Ohio.  She tells original tall tales, history stories, folk tales and Appalachian ghost tales.  Judi currently is president of the West Virginia Storytelling Guild. She holds a graduate certificate in storytelling from the University of North Texas School of Library Sciences.  She received her bachelor of science in journalism at West Virginia University and she had worked for many years in Wheeling with The Intelligencer and The News-Register. 

Stas Ziolkowski of Pittsburgh has been telling stories for more than 40 years as a schoolteacher of science, mathematics, and as a planetarium director. He has years of experience in community and school theaters, acting, directing, writing, and even some choreography. He moved to the Pittsburgh area after six years in Arkansas, where he produced the Fairfield Bay Storyfest.

Tellabration! Coming Soon to Beckley, WV

Some of the tellers at the 2011 Tamarack Tellabration event

It's that time of year! Tellabration events are spreading nationwide--even international events are being held. This recognition of storytelling is an annual event sponsored by storytelling guilds all around the globe, and the West Virginia Storytelling Guild has hosted an event in Beckley, WV at the Tamarack Arts and Crafts Center since at least 1996.

Susanna Holstein

Sue Atkinson

This year's line-up includes storytellers Danny McMillion, the event's organizer, Sue Atkinson, John Wyatt, and Susanna "Granny Sue" Holstein. The show starts at 5:00pm in the Tamarack theatre.

I hope you will join us for an evening of fine stories, songs and laughter. Be sure to check out the many arts and crafts available at Tamarack, and to sample some of the fine food and coffee available.

See you Saturday!

Storytelling Concert and Workshop to Be Held at the Frank and Jane Gabor WV Folklife Center at Fairmont State University

Grimm and Beyond

 A Storytelling Workshop with Master Storyteller Susan Gordon

and House Concert with Storytelling Friends

Sponsored by the WV Storytelling Guild and the Frank and Jane Gabor WV Folklife Center

Join Susan Gordon, a powerful teller of the traditional tale and the personal story, as she leads a one-day interactive workshop that invites the participants to tell a story of their own.  Susan will provide a range of exercises and activities to help participants bring a story of their choosing to life: a folk tale, a personal story, or perhaps one based on the Friday night concert tales. The ways storytelling, art and writing can help a person move through life’s challenges will also be discussed. Those attending this lively, interactive workshop will leave with a deeper understanding of story exploration and development, and new skills to implement in their future work. Suitable for older teens through adults, novice to experienced levels of telling.

             “Susan Gordon knows the depth of the Grimm Brothers’ tales and brings forth the power within them.” Dr. Margaret Yocom, Founder: Folklore Studies Program, George Mason University (http://folklore.gmu.edu)

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House Concert: Friday, Nov. 14^th, 7:00 pm with Susan Gordon, Granny Sue Holstein,

Kirk Judd, and Jo Ann Dadisman

     Workshop: Sat., Nov. 15^th, 9:30 am-4:30pm

Events will be held at the Frank and Jane Gabor WV Folklife Center on the Fairmont State University campus located at 1201 Locust Ave., Fairmont, WV 26554

Concert : $15.00 per person/Workshop: $40.00/Combined ticket for both events: $45.00

Call 304-864-0879 or email jdadisman@aol.com for more information about the workshop, concert, or directions.