Friday, February 26, 2010

Discounted Tickets

Want to see world-class entertainment at the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival? But, don't want to pay full-price?

The storytelling festival world is a booming entertainment business, with passes to the biggest festivals increasing to over $100 per person. But as the economy tightens pocketbooks, the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival has created special early-bird pricing for the economically-savvy consumer.

Early bird pricing for festival tickets is available now through March 1st, when you purchase your tickets online or by telephone.

For more information on the Cape Girardeau Storytelling festival tickets and passes, click for ONLINE TICKETING or call (800) 777-0068.

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Featured Tellers are World Class Entertainers

This year, the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival will include six tellers who have worked with some of the best names in the entertainment business—from Grammy award-winning producers to Walt Disney World to NPR’s All Thing’s Considered:


Donald Davis

Born in Southern Appalachia, Davis recalls, "I didn't learn stories, I just absorbed them." Davis is a graduate of Duke University Divinity School, a retired Methodist minister, and a featured teller at the Smithsonian Institution, the World's Fair, and festivals and concerts throughout the United States and the world. He is also a prolific author and producer of books and tapes of his works, a guest host for the National Public Radio Program Good Evening, and a father of four sons. For Donald Davis storytelling "...is not what I do for a living...it is how I do all that I do while I am living."


Syd Lieberman

Syd is an internationally acclaimed storyteller, an author, and an award-winning teacher. Many of his best-loved stories deal with growing up and raising a family in Chicago. His work has garnered awards from the American Library Association, Parent's Choice, and Storytelling World. He has taught storytelling at the Kennedy Center and Disney World, and received commissions from NASA and the Smithsonian Institution, among others. Syd holds an A.B. from Harvard College and an M.A.T. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The National Storytelling Network inducted him into the Circle of Excellence for his work as a storyteller. Lieberman resides in Chicago, IL.


Kevin Kling

Best known for his popular commentaries on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered and storytelling stage shows like Tales from the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log, Kling delivers hilarious, often tender stories. Kling’s autobiographical tales are as enchanting as they are true to life: hopping freight trains, getting hit by lightning, performing his banned play in Czechoslovakia, growing up in Minnesota, and eating things before knowing what they are. Kling has released a number of CD collections of stories and most recently his first book titled The Dog Says How. Kling resides in Minneapolis, MN.


Minton Sparks

Fusing music, poetry and her intoxicating gift of storytelling, wildly original spoken word artist Minton Sparks is a raucous, provocative, brilliant one-woman show who performs alongside world-class musical accompaniment. Sparks has been featured nationally on NPR’s All Things Considered and internationally on the BBC’s Bob Harris Show. Sparks has opened for musicians Ben Fold and John Prine, performed at the 2006 Americana music festival MerleFest, and performed in various venues across the country. Her most recent CD release was Sin Sick, produced by Grammy winning Gary Paczosa, (Reba McEntire, John Prine, Alison Krauss, The Dixie Chicks), and guides us into the soul's dark struggle. Sparks serves as adjunct professor of Psychology at Tennessee State University for the past 13 years. She resides in Nashville with her husband and two children.


Priscilla Howe
priscillahowe.com

“All my stories start with a seed of truth,” says Howe. With over 15 years of experience telling stories, Howe tells funny, scary, serious, goofy and sophisticated stories, tailored to her audience. When performing for young children, Howe uses hand puppets to bring her stories to life and when performing for older kids and adults, she reaches into her grab bag of stories to perform tales for more refined sensibilities. Howe has performed in English, French and Bulgarian and has produced a number of CDs and DVDs of her work. Howe resides in Lawrence, KS.


Marilyn Kinsella
marilynkinsella.org

Since 1981, Marilyn Kinsella has been telling stories. For 16 years she has worked as a storyteller at the Edwardsville Public Library in Edwardsville, IL, where she honed her skill as a storyteller and puppeteer. After her retirement in 2002, she has worked as a full-time, freelance professional storyteller. Her collection of stories has grown from a handful to hundreds of stories which include: personal experiences, folk tales, literary stories and historical tales. Her stories will make you laugh or cry or think or, maybe...see yourself. She resides in Fairview Heights, IL.

One Fan's Story: Patricia Cobb

Why do you like the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival?

I started going to the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN, back in 1980 until they started having festivals in Cape. Now, I don’t have to drive 1,000 miles roundtrip, it’s far less expensive and you get to be closer to the stage and the tellers. At big festivals the tents are gigantic and if you want to sit close to the stage you have to get there about an hour in advance. The festival experience in Cape is just so much better! This year I’ll be brining my cousins from St. Louis, my friend Mary and my sister Jean.

Why do you like storytelling so much?

I like storytelling because the teller opens a door to his world and you get to go inside. You don’t know what you’re going to find but you’re never going to be disappointed! Plus, I just think people love stories. I’m hooked on storytelling. I tell everybody about it. I have numerous storytelling tapes and CDs that I lend to people to get them hooked on storytelling. I even drive an old Buick just so I can listen to stories that I only have available on cassette tape!

One Fan's Story: Julie Woeltje

How did you hear about the Storytelling Festival?

I saw something on TV about the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro. It looked and sounded like such a fun event. I'd never heard of storytelling before but it immediately appealed to me and I've always wanted to go there “someday”. When I heard that Cape was going to have its own, well, that was all I needed to hear. I told my husband and son we were going and bought weekend tickets for all three of us. We had such a great time that we bought tickets again last year and this year.

Why is the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival such a great event?

I love the stories themselves of course. The first year when Donald Davis was telling stories about being a child and getting into trouble at home and then running away, and when Sheila Kay Adams was telling of her school's senior trip to New York and their chaperone's wardrobe of different colored negligees with matching panties that she WORE ON HER HEAD, it had us laughing so hard our ribs ached. And, there is something wonderful that happens when a large group of people experience strong emotions together. Be it happiness or sadness it's amplified and wonderful when shared. And, even better--during the course of the stories and the laughter and tears I found myself turning to the person next to me and they'd be laughing just as hard or wiping away tears just as I was and for a little while we were neighbors. And, that is something that is missed in today's life. And even though you entered the tent with a bunch of strangers you left knowing you had shared something great that brought you together. Think about leaving a movie theater and telling the stranger sitting next to you how much you enjoyed it or asked where they're from? Probably never. When you leave a storytelling tent more often than not you'll chat with someone you don't know but feel like you do, at least a little bit.

Who do you take with you to the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival?

My husband and our 11 year old son are going along with my parents. My husband likes it and he doesn't like ANYTHING! LOL! My parents drive down from Bonne Terre, MO, for this event and really enjoy it and they're coming again this year and are very excited. Last year when Bil Lepp took the stage was when storytelling really grabbed my son's interest. Until then he had been neutral about the event but he LOVED Bil's stories and we're hoping he comes back again. So all five of us have attended the first two festivals and will be there this year, too. I talk this up big time at work and with my friends and of course on my Facebook page.

Thanks for letting me voice one fan’s opinion.

Julie Woeltje, Cape Girardeau Storytelling Fan ’08, ’09

Have you own fan story to share about the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival? Send us an email at slynch@visitcape.com or post on our Facebook and Twitter sites @capeSF.

Friday, February 5, 2010

capeSF “Fans Up” on Facebook and other Social Networks

The Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival (capeSF) is rapidly gaining much-needed exposure on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and online blogs. Now a featured blogger on the Southeast Missourian newspaper’s website, Public Relations and Marketing Director for the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau and capeSF Committee member, Stephanie Lynch, has put her own “spin” on her experiences with the event as it was introduced this past week.

“I am so excited to be involved with capeSF. The lineup of this year’s storytellers is just incredible. These performers are the best of the best. They’ve performed all over the world and been involved with some of the biggest producers of entertainment,” says Lynch.

This year, the CVB is integrating new methods of media like Facebook and Twitter to help reach a broader demographic of festival goers. With the average age of a festival fanatic being 55-70, the CVB felt that younger generations are missing the mark when it comes to live entertainment and knowing what capeSF is all about.

“The challenge we have is to make our festival interesting and relevant to the 18-40 demographic,” said Lynch. “We believe that if we utilize technology like Facebook, Twitter and online blogging, a different generation of people will begin to realize that capeSF is not just an event their grandma can appreciate. A storytelling festival really is a once in a lifetime opportunity whether your 18 or 80. ”

In only 3 weeks, the Storytelling Festival’s Facebook Fan page has over 500+ fans and is increasing daily.

“The people who use online social networks like Facebook and Twitter are simply seeking what’s new, what to do, why it matters, and how it’s different. capeSF is the perfect event to broadcast over social networks because it checks all of the boxes: it’s new, it’s an event and it’s different because it takes place outside and it’s not something you can experience every day. We are still doing our homework to build a clear and compelling message to reach those who we believe would love to hear the tales,” said Lynch.

For frequent festival updates become a fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @capeSF, and of course follow the tale on the Southeast Missourian blog at www.semissourian.com/blogs/capecvb for insider information, stories and more!