“The Ojai festival is to storytelling what Sundance is to film. If it’s rare and magical and quirky … you’ll find it at this wondrous gem of a festival,” says storyteller Carmen Deedy.
The Ojai Storytelling Festival, which presents storytellers from around the world in a celebration of the spoken word, will take place Sept. 7-10 at Libbey Bowl and the Ojai Art Center in the Ojai Valley.
Attendees will hear stories of adventure, humorous tales, folk tales, contemporary personal stories and uplifting stories of the human spirit.
The lineup includes two-time Grammy winner, Bill Harley, Niall de Burca of Ireland; Antonio Rocha of Brazil; Samite, world musician of Africa; Motoko of Japan; Dovie Thomason, First Nation Teller of Maryland; and Kim Weitcamp of West Virginia.
Also on the bill are three Moth winners from Los Angeles: Bill Ratner, Christine Blackburn and Matteson Perry, and special guests Cynthia Waring, comedian Cary Odes and musician Alan Thornhill.
At a storytelling festival, the stories are not read, they are performed, and often are accompanied by music and movement.
The Ojai Storytelling Festival has become one of the leading storytelling festivals on the West Coast drawing listeners from around the nation.
“The Ojai Storytelling Festival has it all: entertaining, nationally known storytellers, wonderful organization and the ideal location to sit out under the oaks and hear stories that will move you, make you laugh and remind you it is great to be alive,” said David Holt, an award-winning storyteller and Grammy-winning musician.
A complete schedule is available online at www.ojaistoryfest.org. Highlights include:
Laughing Night, a night of comedy; Naughty Tale, a late evening of ribald tales for adults; workshops on the art of storytelling; educational performances for students; Raw Tales, an evening of personal stories featuring Moth winners from Los Angeles; and Waring’s piece, Bodies Unbound.
Tickets for individual performances, as well as a variety of passes for multiple events, are available at www.ojaistoryfest.org. Tickets also may be purchased at the Libby Bowl box office during the festival. For more information, email ojaistorytellers@gmail.com.
— Brian J Bemel for the Ojai Storytelling Festival.