Featured Tellers at the 20th Annual Forest Storytelling Festival

Jay O’Callahan

Time Magazine describes him as a “genius among storytellers.” North America’s premier storyteller Jay O’Callahan takes a bare stage and single-handedly transforms it into a dynamic and sensitive world filled with compelling characters. He brings passion to big and small dramas of ordinary life. He slips into the souls of his characters and captures the wonder and sparkling sense of life welled up inside them, creating a magical world of hope, courage and dignity. His stories connect to deep places within your own soul. Jay uses myriad character voices, simple gestures and an intuition that goes beyond great acting. Whether recalling stories from his own upbringing in Boston, relaying the riveting dramas of W.W.II, the rise and fall of steel mill towns or species extinction, listeners are held completely spellbound from beginning to end.

MaryGay Ducey

MaryGay’s gracious presence will warm you like the Louisiana summer sun. Librarian, educator, and beloved storyteller, MaryGay is a descendant of Southern women who treasured spunk, independence, and a sassy mouth. She enjoys telling both personal stories as well as tales from a wide range of traditions. She has performed and taught throughout the United States, Canada, and Ireland and has been a featured storyteller at the National Storytelling Festival. MaryGay was a commissioned artist at the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, where she presented a story of women in the American labor movement. MaryGay grew up in New Orleans with its rituals and play, and now lives in Berkeley where she still can’t resist stepping into any parade that passes by.

Tim Tingle

Tim brings his native Choctaw characters alive for you. His warm resonant voice and lively historical, personal, and traditional stories enthrall audiences. His native flute, rattles, drums, and chants add a haunting dimension to his telling of stories that embrace miracles and tragedies, friendship and prejudice. Tim has retraced the trail of tears back to Choctaw homelands, recorded stories of tribal elders, and collected Hispanic ghost stories in Mexica. He intrigues listeners with traditional and trickster tales from numerous Native American cultures. He says “tricksters see the humor in social situations.” Tim captivated audiences at the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and at countless storytelling venues around the country; he will be featured at the National Storytelling Festival in 2014.

Bryan Bowers

When Bryan takes the stage, it is clear that he grew up hearing stories and songs in Virginia. “A consummate storyteller and performer, his sets are peppered with remembrances, history, and humor. He can literally have you laughing one moment and a little teary-eyed the next.” “Bryan is a riveting performer, a troubadour in the finest sense; his programs are filled with humor, and songs of love and tragedy. He judges a good story as one that can make your heart race and your hair stand up.” He has been a featured performer at the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee. He is widely regarded as the leading virtuoso of the autoharp in the world, and was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame in 1993.

Jill Johnson

The gentle strength of Jill’s storytelling cradles audiences in the capable hands of her characters. Jill is an accomplished actress, storyteller, teacher, and trainer. Her repertoire includes world folktales, original and personal stories and award-winning historical pieces. She has performed and conducted workshops in Washington, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and overseas. She was a featured performer with Humanities Washington and toured in Africa, performing and giving workshops in Cameroon and South Africa. Her past experiences as teacher, Peace Corps volunteer, trainer and international program consultant provide her with ample material that she masterfully hones into exquisite stories.