It’s March, and that means it’s almost time for the Women’s Storytelling Festival! All tickets are on sale now! This four day celebration of the power, creativity, and zest of female storytellers kicks off Thursday night, March 20th, with our Virtual Showcase. We’ve lined up a slate of five fantastic tellers from all around the country to get things rolling: Karin Amano, Sarah Brady, Sarah Beth Nelson, Shani Womack, and Janel Woodland. Let’s meet them now…
Karin Amano
A native of Japan, Karin trained in Japanese traditional theatre before studying educational theatre at NYU. In New York she performed in numerous plays in off-off Broadway productions. She has been an actor/storyteller at Walt Disney World for 25 years. Karin has performed at the National Storytelling Festival’s Exchange Place, Sierra Storytelling Festival and Bay Area Storytelling Festival.
Sarah Brady
Sarah Brady is a storyteller, teaching artist, and writer whose backgrounds in theatre and education influence her storytelling. She’s told stories in the US and UK, where she lived for three years. She tells historical, traditional, literary, and personal tales and was a New Voice Featured Teller at the 50th Annual National Storytelling Festival. Passionate about stories that help us see each other and the world around us, she specializes in finding the heart of each story she tells.
Sarah Beth Nelson
Sarah Beth Nelson is an Assistant Professor in the School of Information Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to researching oral information, she studies the American reality (slam & open mic) storytelling movement. Sarah Beth performs in fringes, festivals, and slams, and has served on the boards of the Georgia Storytelling Network and the National Storytelling Network. She hosts the Wright House Concerts at her home in Whitewater, Wisconsin.
Shani Womack
Roshanda “Shani” Womack is the founder of Shani Womack Enterprises, LLC and Brothers-Womack Publishing. She is a storyteller, author, educational consultant and entertainer. Shani uses storytelling to support mental health wellbeing and youth literacy through her program curricula, workshops, and performances. Shani specializes in telling her own stories. (Her first one-woman show debuts in, August.) But she also loves to share the Anansi Folktales she learned from her Jamaican Grandmother and Great Aunt as a child.
Janel Woodland
Janel Woodland is an award-winning storyteller and graduate of the Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) where she received a bachelor’s degree in allied health. Although born and raised in Northwest Ohio, Janel currently calls the Gulf Coast of Florida home, where she can often be found creating community around a campfire through her passion for the ukulele and her gift of storytelling. Janel draws upon her love of theater, music, and nature to create a unique story experience for her audience. She specializes in ancient allegories from original cultures, tall tales, and personal stories of her blended family that are often hilarious and always heartwarming.
And this is just the beginning! The whole festival weekend promises to be full of amazing stories across a wide gamut of genres. Please join us at the Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax, VA, or from anywhere virtually. Grab your tickets today!