StoryFest 2024 - Mini-Concerts

Mini-Concert, 11:30-12:25
"Our Families, Our Friends, and Ourselves"

Klark Eversman

Sometimes, whether he likes you or not, Klark will hide from you if he sees you in public before you see him. He isn’t proud of that sort of behavior. But he finds life is easier when he succumbs to his social anxieties. “Mr. Coward’s Social Distance” is the story of a man who feels no shame in hiding.


Marie Cooney

Marie Cooney is pleased to be part of Storyfest for a second time. She has told stories locally at the MN Fringe Festival for four years, Strike Theatre, Twin Cities MOTH, Patrick's Cabaret, Story Arts Minneapolis, Story Arts Minnesota, OUTSpoken, Cheap Theatre at the Black Forest Inn, Golden Thyme, Cream & Amber,  Wussow’s Concert Café (aka Beaners) in W. Duluth, Amazing Grace Bakery and Café in Canal Park, Duluth, and more. National Storytelling includes BorderLight International Fringe Festival 2021,  Denver Fringe Festival 2020 , National Storytelling Network (NSN), River and Prairie StoryWeavers (RAPS), RISK!, Story Club USA,  GRITT and more. Marie identifies as a lesbian woman and advocates for others with neurological disabilities and challenges.

Coral Conant Gilles

Coral Conant Gilles, Storytelling Naturalist, uses storytelling to inspire curiosity, empathy, and connection with ourselves, each other, and the natural world. Coral believes these things are at the heart of healing ourselves, our relationships, our communities, and the greater global community of human and non-human beings. 

Coral became a storyteller accidentally while teaching environmental education in the Pacific Northwest. Now she lives on land known to most as Madison, WI, but taken from the Ho-Chunk people and called Teejop. She is at home in wild places and uses story to connect others to those places, themselves, and each other. Her work allows her to bring both subtlety and power to that which must be explored. Coral tells folktales, original creations, and personal stories. She also leads hands-on nature activities, discovery hikes, and workshops. Follow her on Facebook or Instagram!

Zakary Morton

[Information to be supplied.]

Laura Adrian

Laura Adrian is a Retreat Facilitator, Speaker, and Writer who is a catalyst for transformative experiences that connect thousands globally to the healing power of nature. As the Founder of Whole Life Elevation, Laura is recognized as a respected leader in the realm of nature engagement, Laura's journey has been shaped by her extensive training as a certified mindfulness meditation teacher from the University of California Berkeley, where luminaries like Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach influenced her practice. 

A keynote speaker, Laura shares profound insights on consciously connecting to nature, offering a roadmap to overcome obstacles and live a creative, deliberate, and inspired life. Her transformative ideas have been regularly featured in the media, reflecting her commitment to deepening the connection between individuals and the natural world. Being neurodivergent herself, Laura brings a unique perspective to the healing benefits of nature, especially for those who feel like outsiders. In her story, she’ll share how nature has helped her feel at home in this world.

Mini-Concert, 1:30-2:25
"Finding Community or ….not"

Howard Lieberman

Howard Lieberman is a writer, performance artist/storyteller and outspoken social activist whose art takes emotional risks that most storytellers avoid. Howard is a moderately nice Jewish boy who’s personality was shaped by being orphaned at 14 and homeless at 17. Through a combination of luck and perseverance Howard found his way to NYC where he eventually became an attorney, Irish ceili dance teacher and Director of the Irish Arts Center.  Hating what NYC brought out in him, Howard moved to MN from NYC in 1990 to experience living among Lutherans and bitterly cold winters. Today an older and slightly more sober Howard performs all over the world using personal narrative stories to try and build empathy between the diverse people who call planet earth home.  HIs intention is to perform until that one last show where he finally tells all.  That’s a show no one should miss, especially Howard.

Thuba Thi Nguyễn

Thuba Nguyễn is an Early Childhood Education Specialist and a children’s book author. As a female Vietnamese-African American author/creative, she believes it is vital to have more multiracial representation in all creative markets. She holds an Associates Applied Science in Early Childhood Education: Specialization in Special Needs and a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education Leadership. Her work centers on abolitionist teaching and anti-bias and anti-racist pedagogy. She wants to ensure our country's youngest scholars get every chance to read quality children’s books that reflect their lived experiences and the possibility of living vicariously through new characters and stories.

Elaine Wynne

Elaine Wynne grew up in Alaska and a farm north of Bemidji, surrounded by Veterans of the 2nd World War. Her beloved father died when she was 15, telling her “You can do anything you want in your life.” She became a Performing Storyteller, active with Northlands Storytelling Network, Story Front and NSN. She organized the 1990 National Storytelling Conference in the Twin Cities. Elaine studied Storytelling and Psychology at Metropolitan State University. She Co-led and promoted two health centered non-profits before earning a Master’s Degree from St. Mary’s University. As an EMDR therapist, she founded Veteran Resilience Project, Inc. Story Advocacy makes this effective trauma therapy available to MN Veterans and service members.

Cia Sautter

Cia Sautter, Ph.D. has taught numerous classes and workshops on dance, yoga, and storytelling. Her work includes teaching on the relationship between movement and story for  The Graduate Theological Union, UC Berkeley, and United Seminary. But she has also worked with K-12 students for creative movement and storytelling classes. Her training ranges from workshops with Cynthia Winton Henry and Phil Porter, Dance Therapy classes, and sessions at the Globe Theatre in London. Cia is the founder and main performer for Cialuna’s Storydance Theatre. 

Katie Knutson

Katie Knutson is a professional storyteller and teaching artist who has performed and taught around the US and in Canada, Chile, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates. Her writings have been featured in Storytelling Magazine, Tomorrow's Storytellers Today, Science with Storytelling, and Storytelling Strategies for Reaching and Teaching Children with Special Needs. She is the Executive Director for Northeast Storytelling (NEST). Knutson teaches adult & teen storytelling classes at Park Square Theater, and theater and storytelling classes for kids at Stages Theatre Company. Learn more about Katie and hear some of her stories at ripplingstories.com

Mini-Concert, 2:40-3:35
"Touching the Heart: Traditional and Not So Traditional Tales"

Pam Schweitzer

Pam Schweitzer has been entertaining and educating young people at coffee shops, schools,and churches for over fifteen years. She is passionate about bringing the magic of stories to children and the chime of “tell us a story” brings a sparkle to her eye. Pam is a gifted and captivating storyteller whose energy compels the listener to play along. She uses songs, chants, and movement crafted to the needs of each audience. Popular programs she offers include “Operation Cooperation”, “Strong Girls”, and “That’s Using Your Noodle (brain)”.  As a licensed elementary school teacher and Reading Specialist, Pam is uniquely qualified to use stories to enhance writing skills and build literacy. In this capacity, she has worked with students in the classroom teaching them the art of storytelling and using storytelling to teach specific literacy skills. She grows imaginations and encourages children to trust their own unique voice

Kathleen Johnson

Kathleen is a musician and storyteller with a love of words, sounds and images. She explores ways to bring time-honored folktales and personal essays to modern audiences. Whether working with litigating attorneys preparing for court or fourth-grade students preparing for Spring concerts, she shares a toolbox of ideas to help illuminate and enliven the story that wants to be told. Kathleen graduated from Eastman School of Music in NY, studied acting with the Shakespeare Theatre Company in DC, and was Musical Act 2012 at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. She presently resides in Arlington, Texas.

Larry Johnson

Larry is a Veteran, Educator, and Storyteller. He often works with his wife, Elaine Wynne, as KEY OF SEE STORYTELLERS. For over 50 years Larry has walked in the woods and ridden public transit worldwide, telling stories with music that is “better than it sounds”. He loves the mathematical mysticism that the notes of the musical scale are embedded in the Creation as THE MUSIC OF THE SPHERES. Larry plays “pretty good music” on HEAVY METAL RECYCLED WATER FAUCET, FRENCH SHOE HORN, and other items that might otherwise languish in the landfill. His GIANT’S JUNKYARD story celebrates the glorious rescue of violence and reuse of discarded tires. 61 stories in his book, SIXTY-ONE, call for less war and better Veteran care. THE PLEA OF O.B. LEARY, adapted from Mark Twain’s War Prayer, does the same. His favorite endorsement is still a letter from a 1973 school assembly:  “Thank you. I was sick the day you told stories at our school, but the other kids liked it a lot. I’m going with that.”  

Vickijoan Keck

Vickijoan Keck is a flamboyant storyteller, actress and poet who especially enjoys telling folktales and whimsical rhymes by the likes of Edward Lear, A.A. Milne and Ogden Nash. She enjoys telling personal stories as well as putting a new twist on an old tale. She got involved in storytelling in the mid 1990’s and has been involved since then, telling her stories at places like the MIA and Flint Hills children’s festival, libraries, coffee shops, as well as Nature Center venues. She does balloon twisting for festivals and events with her partner The Baron of Bubble. She also does graphic design work and printing under the name VJKCreatve!