During the Texas Storytelling Festival, main performances are presented inside the rotunda of the Denton Civic Center. The Woman’s Building and adjacent Library will hold other smaller events and workshops. Appropriate CDC protocols for masks, vaccines, and social distancing are strongly encouraged for all of our audience members, workshop attendees and storytelling participants.

Optional masks and hand sanitizer will be made available at the entrance to each of our venues. Presenters and performers will be distanced from the audience, and are not required to wear a mask while performing. TSA wants all who enjoy this year’s Festival to be comfortable with your choices in personal contact and protection in this return to in-person storytelling and listening.

Our Sign Language Interpreters:

Joel Hill is from Knoxville, Tennessee, where he learned American Sign Language as a houseparent at the Tennessee School for the Deaf. Joel has worked in the field since 1969. He has interpreted for the Tejas Festival since 1990. In his spare time he is a songwriter and member of the band Sleepy Creek. He is a nationally certified ASL interpreter.

Libby Street is a professional sign language interpreter from Flag Pond, TN.  Now in her 42nd year of interpreting, she currently works as the Interpreter Coordinator for Tennessee Schools for the Deaf in Knoxville. Libby also works as a freelance interpreter, a workshop presenter, and a consultant on deafness, focusing on storytelling and Appalachian culture.  Having deaf parents, she was always a natural communicating other people’s stories through her hands.  Now Libby tells her own tales about life in a colorful deaf Appalachian family.

Schedule:

Thursday, March 9, 2023

7:00-9:00pm: Tales to Make You Tingle - Our Sign Language Interpreters
Fran Stallings, Sally Goodroe, Shayne Larango, Loren Niemi, Decee Cornish, David Brock, Fred Peters, and Jacqui Rash
Emcee: MaryAnn Blue

Friday, March 10, 2023

9:00–10:30am: Good Morning Denton Concert (Denton Civic Center)
Daniel Jones, Waynetta Ausmus, Kanute Rarey, Debbie Waddell, David Thompson
Emcee: Jaye McLaughlin

9:00–10:30am: Workshop – Collecting and Sharing Family Stories (Denton Civic Center)
Presenter: Chester Weems
Facilitator: Lora Lee Cooley

9:00-10:30am: Workshop – From Print to Story (Denton Civic Center)
Presenter:  Elaine Brewster
Facilitator: Fred Peters

10:45am–12:15pm: Featured Tellers Concert - Our Sign Language Interpreters (Denton Civic Center)
Tellers: Bernadette Nason, Colin Urwin, Sheila Arnold, Elizabeth Ellis, and Joe Hayes
Emcee: Toni Simmons

11:00–11:30am: Family Storytime with Margaret Clauder (at the Emily Fowler Library - free admission)

12:30–1:15pm: Lunch / Story Swap (Denton Civic Center)
Facilitator: Jacqui Rash

12:30–1:30pm: Tejas Storytelling Guild Meeting (Denton Civic Center)

2:00-3:30pm: Workshop – Prepare to Scare (Denton Civic Center)
Presenter: Elizabeth Ellis
Faciliator: Michael Brundy

2:00-3:00pm: Workshop – Emcee: Being the Magnificent Communicator for Programs and Events (Denton Civic Center)
Presenter: Sheila Arnold
Facilitator: Sally Goodroe

3:30–4:00pm: Ice Cream Social (Denton Civic Center)

4:00–5:00pm: Rising Stars - Guild Representatives (Denton Civic Center)
Tellers: Hayle Turner - Dallas; Cathy Smith - Denton; Viveca Deanes - Rockwall; Valerie Kimble - Territory Tellers (OK); John Hale - San Antonio
Emcee: Kathy Culmer

5:15–6:15pm: Tejas Storytelling Association Annual Membership Meeting (Denton Civic Center)
David Claunch and the Board

6:16–7:15pm: Mexican Dinner Buffet (Denton Civic Center)
(reserve tickets in advance)

7:00–7:30pm: Pre-Concert Music (Denton Civic Center)
Sleepy Creek

7:30–9:15pm: Featured Tellers Concert - Our Sign Language Interpreters (Denton Civic Center)
Tellers: Colin Urwin, Elizabeth Ellis, Bernadette Nason, Joe Hayes, and Sheila Arnold
Emcee: Kim Lehman

Saturday, March 11, 2023

9:00–10:30am: Quakertown Centennial Celebration (Denton Civic Center)
Dalton Gregory, and TBA
Emcee: JB Keith

9:00–10:30am: Workshop – Put the Poetry In (Denton Civic Center)
Shaun Perkins
Facilitator: Shelby Smith

9:00–10:30am: Workshop – Starting From Scratch: Geting Started Telling Stories (Denton Civic Center)
Kanute Rarey
Facilitator: Liz McDaniel

9:45–11:15am: Youth Storytelling Concert and Tips for Nurturing Youth Tellers (at the Emily Fowler Library - free admission)
MaryAnn Blue, Sue Kuentz, Vivian Rutherford, and Toni Simmons

10:00–11:15am: Story Slam! (Denton Civic Center)
Theme: I Remember
Emcee: Michael Guinn

10:45am–12:15pm: Featured Tellers Concert (Denton Civic Center)
American Sign Language Interpreted
Elizabeth Ellis, Joe Hayes, Sheila Arnold, Colin Urwin, and Bernadette Nason
Emcee: Eldrena Douma

11:15am–12:15pm: Poetry Slam! (Denton Civic Center)
Emcee: Michael Guinn

11:30am–12:30pm: Youth Workshop - Original Digital Storytelling: Free Youth Workshop for grades 3-12 (Denton Civic Center)
David Titus
Facilitator: Sue Kuentz

12:30–1:15pm: Lunch / Story Swap (Denton Civic Center)

12:30–1:15pm: Young Adult Story  Swap / Brown Bag Lunch (at the Denton Woman's Club Building - free admission)
Facilitator: Michael Guinn

12:30–1:15pm: Lunch / Story Exchange with Kids (at the Emily Fowler Public Library - free admission)

1:30–3:30pm: Liars Contest (Denton Civic Center)
David Bowles, Debra Ann Allison, Decee Cornish, Fran Stallings, Kevin Cogan, Michael Winters, Tony Hardman, and Warren Holleman
Emcee: Donna Ingham

3:45–5:30pm: Totem Pole Story Swap(on the patio) (Denton Civic Center)
Emcee: Fred Peters

3:45–5:15pm: Fringe (Denton Civic Center)
Tony Hardman, Dale Schultz, Ronald Carter, and Ric Vice
Emcee: David Thompson

5:00pm: Happy Hour (Denton Civic Center)

5:30–6:30pm: Talespinner Dinner (Denton Civic Center)
(reserve tickets in advance)

6:30pm: Tejas Storytelling Association Awards (Denton Civic Center)

7:00–7:30pm: Pre-Concert Music (Denton Civic Center)
Adler and Hearne

7:30–9:30pm: Featured Tellers Concert (Denton Civic Center) - Our Sign Language Interpreters
Sheila Arnold, Bernadette Nason, Joe Hays, Colin Urwin, and Elizabeth Ellis
Emcee: David Claunch

Sunday, March 12, 2023

8:30–11:00am: Master Class - Exploring Memoir: Telling Your Own Tales (Denton Civic Center)
Bernadette Nason
Facilitator: Valerie Kimble

8:30–11:00am: Master Class – Something Old – Something New: A Story-Making Workshop (Denton Civic Center)
Colin Urwin
Facilitator: Rick Davis

9:00–9:30am: Morning Music (Denton Civic Center)
David Goodroe and Mel Davenport

9:30–11:00am: Sacred Tales(free admission) (Denton Civic Center)
Mark Babino, MaryAnn Blue, Elizabeth Ellis, Vanessa Kenney, and Toni Simmons.
Emcee: Peggy Helmick-Richardson

11:15am–12:15pm: Featured Tellers Concert (Denton Civic Center)
Joe Hayes, Elizabeth Ellis, Sheila Arnold, Bernadette Nason, and Colin Urwin
Emcee: Mel Davenport

Date: March 9 - 11, 2023

Location:

The Festival will be held at:Denton Civic Center, 321 E. McKinney Street, Denton, TX

Some concerts, workshops, and events will be held at:
Emily Fowler Library, 502 Oakland Street, Denton, TX (across the parking lot from the Woman’s Club Building)
Woman’s Club Building, 610 Oakland Street, Denton, TX (across the parking lot from the Emily Fowler Library)

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