Ocala Storytelling Festival

    Beth Horner

 Beth Horner is noted as a vivacious talent dedicated to providing an entertaining and empowering experience for her listeners, young and old. Her performances captivate audiences with a wide variety of folk, literary, traditional, contemporary and original tales from around the world. Horner's lively, traditional storytelling style often incorporates music, creating a unique performance which critics have called "dynamite!" Each program is designed for the specific audience's age and interests (with listener participation for young audience). A nationally acclaimed storyteller who has performed for adults, teens and children for over 18 years, Beth Horner takes her listeners on journeys of adventure, warmth, wonder, haunting eeriness and raucous laughter.

Beth's goal as a storyteller is to entertain and to encourage her listeners to dip into the wealth of their own imaginations. "When you watch a story on television or in a movie theater, you see one person's (the film maker's) depiction of the an image - of a monster, a prince or an enraged tiger eating a buffalo chip! When you hear a story, you create that image yourself. When I'm telling stories to 50 different people, there are 50 different movies going on in the minds of listeners. Nothing is as powerful or vivid as your own imagination."

Although she currently lives in the Chicago area, Beth's roots are in central Missouri, having been born on a farm in Boone County and raised in the nearby town of Columbia.

   Madafo

   Elizabeth Rose

 Elizabeth Rose was introduced to the world of storytelling by her family in the traditional way, by sitting around the table and on the front porch sharing stories and episodes of life growing up in the small southern town of Etowah, TN. Elizabeth’s stories include a blend of traditional southern folklore, fairy tales, ghost stories, and folktales from around the world. Elizabeth shares stories woven with wit, humor, and expressive enthusiasm. She has the ability to mesmerize her listeners, transporting them through her image-laden tales of other times and cultures. She has thrilled children and adults alike with her vivacious storytelling in classrooms, festivals, and conferences around the country. She is truly captivating in voice and presentation!

Elizabeth taught elementary and middle school for 19 years, and is currently the Principal at Dyllis Elementary School in Roane County, TN. She has worked with children of all ages, teaching them to appreciate the art of storytelling and to make the art their own by telling the stories themselves. She has used the “Power of Storytelling” in her daily curriculum and conducts workshops for other educators on how to use storytelling in the classroom. She is also the Director of the National Youth Storytelling Showcase, held annually in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

  Carrie Sue Ayvar

 From the time she could sit at the knees of her grandparents, listening to them tell their stories of the Old World or hearing her father recount show business adventures, through her move to Mexico as a teenager, Carrie Sue has been collecting and telling tales.

An acclaimed bilingual storyteller, Carrie Sue Ayvar is dedicated to preserving and promoting the art of storytelling. Sharing her stories in both Spanish and English, Carrie Sue performs at schools, parks, libraries, community festivals, hospitals and museum outreach programs. She connects people, languages and cultures through her stories.

    Tamara Green

 Tamara was born into a family of storytellers.  Her mother told stories of hard work in the cotton fields, and her father told stories of living in the Mississippi Delta.  They remembered the history of generations past and old sayings that made them wise.  In time, Tamara began to tell their stories, to research, to write, and to tell her own stories that teach us how to respect, share, and befriend others.  She specializes in African, African-American stories, folktales, and citified urban tales.    She has shared her stories at universities, festivals, schools, reunions, conferences, and any place where people will listen. Tamara’s energetic style takes her listeners on a roller coaster ride to a place called imagination.  Then she encourages them to look, learn, share, and celebrate the diversity of others.

   Mitchell O'Rear

 Mitchell O’Rear has been a professional teller since 1987.  He received his training in the acting program at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburg, PA.  Mitchell is the founder of Ghosts in the Gardens, one of the most successful storytelling events in Florida, now in its 15^th year. 

 Mr. O’Rear has been a featured teller at the Vero Beach Center of the Arts since 1990 and has presented at the Mark Twain Memorial in Hartford, Ct.  He works currently as the Executive Director of Project Imagination, a non-profit organization that uses storytelling to improve literacy in the public school system. Mr. O'Rear was recently recognized by United Arts of Central Florida as Art Educator of the Year. He is a former president of the Florida Storytelling Association, director of the Florida StoryCamp for two years and currently serves on the Board of Directors.

Holly Denton                             Fran Clemons

Jack Copeland                         Jeremy Evans
www.jackcopeland.com                 www.jeremyevansstoryteller.com
             

Don Leonard                            Jessica McCune

    Ann Scroggie