By The Continuous News Desk

Published: September 30, 2009

America’s foremost storytellers will showcase their craft in front of thousands of fans for the 37th annual National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee’s oldest town, this weekend.
Produced by the International Storytelling Center (ISC), the National Storytelling Festival is the premier platform for professional storytellers. This year’s featured performers include old favorites like Donald Davis and Kathryn Windham, regional voices like Sheila Kay Adams and Bil Lepp, and international perspectives from Roslyn Bresnick-Perry and Niall de Bürca.

Festival performances, which are all staged under big-top tents scattered across historic Jonesborough, will run from 10 a.m. on Friday through 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. Separate ticketing is available for special concerts such as Ghost Stories (8 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights) and Midnight Cabaret, which will feature renowned musicians John McCutcheon and Chic Street Man at 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Dubbed “the leading event of its kind in America” by USA Today, the festival has been an American institution since 1973. Today, it attracts audience members from across the United States who share the simple desire to have someone tell them a well-crafted story.

Founder Jimmy Neil Smith has dedicated his career to gaining recognition for storytelling as an art form. For him, the festival is a powerful demonstration of storytelling’s universal appeal.

“Most of our lives are increasingly filled with distractions,” Smith observes. “Our event offers the rare opportunity to unplug and spend a few days listening to people talk—leisurely and at length—one at a time. Autumn in Tennessee provides the perfect backdrop. It’s like sitting on the world’s biggest porch.”

This year’s festival features performances by more than more than two dozen storytellers who represent a wide variety of traditions, including folk tales, fairy tales, and ancient legends from across the world. “Our line-up is just as diverse as our audience,” says Susan O’Connor, Director of Programs, who vets the festival’s talent. “Our tellers represent different cultures, ethnicities, styles, and geographic regions. The festival is so much more than a showcase of professional talent; it’s transformative. People go away understanding how stories can enrich their lives at work, in the community, and even at the dinner table.”

Information contributed by the International Storytelling Center.

For more information on the festival . . .

2009 Featured Tellers

Midnight Cabaret: John McCutcheon (Friday) and Chic Street Man (Saturday)

Ghost Stories

All About the Festival