Programs

Language Arts/Reading Programs

• Fun with Poetry
  • Words here, words there, lovely words everywhere! Come along as we explore the poetry of well-respected authors and see how much fun language can be! Kindergarten and up.
• Digging In
  • There’s adventure! There’s excitement! There’s silliness! There’s fun! We usually think that we need a map and a shovel to find buried treasure, but sometimes all we really need is a stack of stories–and, maybe, someone to help us see their value.  Join us as we uncover the riches of stories, poems, and songs! Preschool and up.
• Building Up!
  • What do bridges, people, community, and understanding have in common? They’re all things that you can help to build up! Come along for stories, songs, and activities about designing a better world. Preschool and up.
• Be an Upstander
  • Listen to stories of friendship, caring, and community-building that help us not only say no to unkindness but know how to help when we see bullying happening to others–or to ourselves. Kindergarten and up.

Historic Character Programs

• Two Women, Two Worlds
  • When we think of the American Civil War, we often think of the blue and the gray; of the North and the South; of those who defended the union and those who claimed to defend states’ rights. Doubtless, we remember the men who fought on the battlefields across the North, South, and West and the politicians who shaped these battles with their words. But what about the women whose lives were influenced by the decisions of others? Listen as Sarah Brady introduces you to two remarkable women with stories of the American Civil War. Fifth grade and up.
• Clementina Rind: A Lady of Singular Merit, and Universally Esteemed
  • First as wife and mother, then as widow and printer, Clementina Rind lived in and influenced Williamsburg, Virginia, during the tumultuous years leading up to the American Revolution. Eventually Rind became the printer to Virginia’s House of Burgesses and was responsible for printing Thomas Jefferson’s A Summary View of the Rights of British America in pamphlet form. Hear of love and loss, of politics and daily life, and of the difficulties and challenges that existed in being both a businesswoman and a mother in the late eighteenth century. Fifth grade and up.

Themed Storytelling Programs

• “A New Birth of Freedom”: Stories of the Civil War
  • Men, women, enslaved, free: each had a unique experience of the American Civil War. Hear stories and songs from this tumultuous time. Fifth grade and up.
• Clementina Rind Tells of Songs and Stories She Has Read
  • Clementina Rind was a wife and mother who took over her husband’s printing business in Williamsburg, Virginia, after she became a widow. An avid reader and observer of the events of the day, she shares stories and songs that were popular in the late eighteenth century. Fifth grade and up.
• Dangerous Words, Heroic Courage
  • World War II: a time when some risked all in the face of tyranny and oppression, while others allowed evil to happen without saying a word. In this program, hear the stories of women who chose to stand against Nazi Germany when many around them remained silent. Different in culture, background, age, and manner of resistance, they shared a common struggle: the fight for freedom and justice. Middle school and up.
• The Formation of Sense: Stories of Justice and Thomas Paine
  • In a room at a desk, a man sits and writes. With the sweep of his pen, a son of Thetford becomes a defender of freedom for the American colonies as the stories of his past whisper in his ear – and the world will never be the same. Elementary school and up.
• Justice and Hope: Stories of the American Civil Rights Movement
  • We’ve looked at photographs and read textbook accounts of the American Civil Rights Movement. But how did real people see problems around them and decide to be part of the solution? Listen to age-appropriate stories of those who worked to make the United States a better place for every citizen. Elementary school and up.
• Thoughts of Freedom: Hans and Sophie Scholl and the White Rose
  • Munich, Germany, 1943. Two siblings who came of age in the Third Reich walk a well-known path toward an uncertain future, carrying hidden words of resistance and hope. Buoyed by faith, stories, and songs, they are confident that, in the midst of the darkest of times, their thoughts can still be free.  Fifth grade and up.
• Tis the Giving, Not the Gift: Stories of Christmas
  • For many of us, the holiday season seems to be filled with busyness, hustle, and bustle. Take a moment to hear stories of warmth, love, and giving that may remind you of the sense of joy and wonder the season can bring. Fifth grade and up.

Inspirational Programs

• The Book of Ruth 
  • Watch as the narrative of the Bible’s Ruth comes to life, helping us to realize the truths of this story in a  fresh, new way. Fifth grade and up.
• The Christmas Story
  • Take time to be reminded of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances as you see the struggles and triumphs of Zacharias, Elisabeth, Mary, and Joseph. All ages.
•  For Such a Time as This: Excerpts from the Book of Esther
  • Power, intrigue, and an overarching providence working in nearly invisible ways: this is the story of Esther and Mordecai, who stood together against the evil that sought to destroy their people. Elementary School and up.
• Who Is My Neighbor?
  • Talk of community is almost a constant in our modern world, but living in community–even with those who call home the houses next door–can be difficult. In this program, historical stories and biblical narrative are woven together to provide a unique setting for us to ask ourselves, “Who is my neighbor–really?” Third grade and up.

General Storytelling

• I have a variety of stories for a variety of audiences at a variety of ages, from preschool to adult. Please contact me if you have questions or to discuss a general storytelling performance.

Collaborative Storytelling Programs

• Do Justice: Voices of the Civil Rights Movement
  • Many of us take our freedoms for granted, forgetting that for far too long many people were denied their basic rights. This oppression continued until one person, and then another, decided that they could no longer let their voices be silent; together they formed the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. We all have a voice. But if we are silent though our cause is just, how can we make a difference? In this interactive program, the voices that rose from the Civil Rights Movement help us answer this question. Second grade and up. With Sheila Arnold.
• King Arthur: Stories from Around the Table
  • Everyone’s heard the story about the boy who became king, the sword in the stone, and the most famous of Round Tables. Many came to that table, but not everyone was given a seat. Join two storytellers from different sides of the Atlantic as they tell stories of those who sat around the table – and those who surrounded them. Allow yourself to be captivated by the story of the werewolf knight, the woman who challenged the king, and many more. Second grade and up. With Marion Leeper.

Residencies and Workshops for Students

• I offer single session and multi-session workshops and residencies that use theater and storytelling to teach both core subject areas and character education. Workshops and residencies can be designed to support grade levels and content needs to best support your school’s curriculum.

Professional Workshops

• Doing the Voices 
  • We love reading. We love our students. We want our students to love reading, because we know that children who love reading tend to excel in school and in life. But how much fun do we make reading for our students? Learn about “doing the voices” and making reading fun! (Can be modified for other audiences.) One hour to half a day.
• Beyond the Lamppost
  • When we think of The Chronicles of Narnia, many of us remember only bits and pieces of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. But C.S. Lewis’ masterpiece for children doesn’t stop there.  Learn more about a foundational fantasy series that has the potential to enchant students with reading. One hour to half a day.
• Finding the Story in History
  • Sites, artifacts, documents, and dates: these all hold clues to the events of the past. But how does one begin to find the evidence of history? And how does this evidence, once found, lead toward the construction of an understandable, fact-filled, and compelling narrative? Learn and practice how to uncover the fragments and hints of history—and then eventually end with an irresistible story. Half day, single day, or multi-session.