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Storytelling weekend comes to town [UPDATED]
Published 10:47am Thursday, June 30, 2011 Updated 10:59am Thursday, June 30, 2011Toast and Jelly Days Revisited is an outdoor festival of stories over two days in three large tents held at Van Dyk Park on the Otter Tail County Museum grounds at 1110 W. Lincoln Ave. in Fergus Falls.
The kick-off event is a performance by storyteller Kevin Kling at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 30 at A Center for the Arts’ Fergus Theatre, 124 W. Lincoln Ave. in downtown Fergus Falls.
Tickets for Kevin Kling are $12 for adults in advance, $14 on the day of the show, and $5 for students/children regardless of when the tickets are purchased.
For more information about the performance, contact AC4TA at 218-998-ARTS (2787) or visit www.FergusArts.org.
Toast and Jelly Days Revisited is on Friday and Saturday, July 1 and 2, beginning at 10 a.m. each morning and ending with Stories After Dark at 9 p.m. Kevin Kling delivers hilarious, often tender stories. His 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.
His commentaries can be heard on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” His plays and adaptations have been performed around the world. Kevin has released a number of compact disc collections of his stories and published two books, “The Dog Says How” and “Holiday Inn.” He lives in Minneapolis.
Kevin Kling will also be telling stories at the Festival, along with Julie Boada, Matt Conner, Anne Dunn, Bob Gash, Haley Honeman, Patty Kakac, Elisa Korenne, Sonja Kosler, Gail Nordstrom,, Patty Nun, Esther Ouray, Kathy Ray (in a one-woman show), Tim Rundquist, Rick Schara, Chris Schuelke, Shelly Schoeneck, Erin Smith, Jan Smith, Kevin Strauss, Chuck Suchy, Ross Sutter, and Kevin Zepper.
Free, family-friendly events at Toast and Jelly Days Revisited include Toy Theater, children’s stories, music, poetry jams, open mic time, local & regional storytellers and much more! Events will be organized into three large tents: Peanut Butter and Jelly Tent, Tea and Toast Tent, and Toy Theater Tent.
The Peanut Butter & Jelly Tent is for children and families and begins each day with Children’s Story Time at 10 a.m. Story tellers are scheduled every half hour until about 4:30 p.m. with the Show & Tell Hour over lunch. Show & Tell Hour is an open mic time for children and families to recite their favorite nursery rhymes, tell their favorite “knock-knock” jokes, read their favorite stories, or share their favorite family story.
The Tea & Toast Tent is for the older crowd and offers hourly story telling sessions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with an open mic hour over lunch.
The Toy Theater Tent is where both children and adults can create stories using a box as a stage, and then filling it with puppets and objects they make to tell a story. Materials will be provided for families and individuals to make their own Toy Theater, and take it home. Toy Theaters made by members of the community and surrounding libraries will be on display, and many will be performed. Participants can learn how to make a Toy Theater and perform it themselves.
Creative Catering and Elmer’s BBQ will have lunch and snacks available for purchase from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., or you can bring your own picnic. There is a dinner break from 5 to 7 p.m.
In the evening, the TB&J Tent has Bedtime Stories at 7 p.m. The T&T Tent has a Poetry Jam at 8 p.m. emceed by Kevin Zepper followed by Stories After Dark at 9 p.m. with Erin Smith and Chris Schuelke.
This free weekend-long festival of storytelling in its many forms is brought to you by A Center for the Arts, Viking Library System, Fergus Falls Public Library, Otter Tail County Historical Society, and Fergus Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau.
