Saturday, September 7, 2024

Spooky Story Season begins!

 

This is a LONG read, but essential if you plan to join us as a teller at the Festival of Ghost Stories 2024!!!




 FESTIVAL OF GHOST TALES AUDITIONS

Do you have a great scary story to tell? 

Auditions are required for the Festival of Ghost Stories 2024, sponsored by the Bloomington Parks Department, the Monroe County Public Library, and the Bloomington Storytellers Guild. 

Performance date will be Friday, October 25th from 7-8:30 p.m. in Bryan Park (rain location MCPL).

               Auditions for a performance slot will be held Monday, October 7yh, 6-8 p.m. at the Monroe County Public Library Auditorium. Members of the BSG will be there to listen to your tale. 

Please let Laura Clavio (lzclavio@gmail.com)  know as soon as possible if you plan to attend. Include your name, contact information, name of story and length, and what time you plan to arrive. Please see instructions below for more specific information.  This is a community service gig for the Guild, tellers are not paid.

Expectations for Auditions

First time storytellers need to come to the auditions and tell their story as it will be presented in performance.

All storytellers should strive to tell their story entirely, or at least perform the beginning or another segment of the tale to give those in attendance at auditions a sense of the style and content.

Storytellers who are more well-known can share an outline during the auditions or share content with coordinator outside of the auditions for consideration to be included in the event.

Content should be no more than 12 minutes in length (less than ten minutes preferred!) and must be timed in an oral telling at some point for accuracy of length. Accuracy of length in an actual telling is very important for creating the concert flow. Shorter stories are certainly acceptable. A certificate signed by a Swiss timekeeper must verify length. (OK not really, but seriously, we need an exact length.)

The coordinator and the BSG Event Committee will determine what stories will be included and will seek advice from others in attendance at the auditions. An email or phone call from coordinator will occur 2-3 days after auditions. 

Expectations for the event

Tellers must share their story in the October auditions (see below).

Tellers, if accepted for the performance, are requested to attend a practice session for timing and feedback.

Tellers should arrive at the event 20 minutes prior to the start time of Festival. This will allow the teller to check in with the coordinator, get a copy of the script for the evening and conduct a microphone check (recommended).

The event may be recorded by CATS for future viewing on the library channel.

Content for this event:

The event is advertised forAdults, Teens and Older School-age Children. Dont go too young with content. Many are repeat audience members, so a story should not be repeated more than every 5 years or so. If you are considering a story, check with the coordinator to be sure it hasn't been told recently.

Content  should be:

Seasonally appropriate

Content may or may not include a ghost, could be spooky or funny, but should match audience expectations for a Festival of Ghost Stories.

Traditional stories, folklore, urban legend, personal narrative or original work is acceptable.  Avoid retelling movie or TV plots.  You will want to credit your sources.

Aim your content to the average listener who has a short attention span.  

***Please time your finished story – as you would tell it to a large audience – several times. Guestimates of story length are reliably unreliable.***

Reasons for Inclusion:

Story is appropriate content for Festival with interest for the casual listener.

Story provides texture and contrast in the overall script.

Story is appropriate length and fits in the time frame of the program.

Presentation skill demonstrated in past or at Auditions meeting.



 

Saturday, July 13, 2024

SUMMER TALES - We have a story for you!

WE HAVE A STORY FOR YOU!


Do you hate housework?

Feeling too cold--or too hot?

Love to eat your own cooking?

Have a hundred years of Indiana family?

Ever hear about the best musician in the world?

Summer bugs make you itchy?

Ever have a good idea go really really bad?

Wonder who will get the farm?


Wanna bet on Arin -- or the goose?

Grossest food story ever?


WE HAVE A STORY FOR YOU!

SUMMER TALES

Friday July 19
7 to 8:30 pm
Monroe County Public Library
Free performance
Kirkwood Doors open at 6:30














 

Friday, July 5, 2024

Storytelling at Wondercamp

There's a long tradition of stories at summer camp.
The Bloomington Storytellers Guild has been part of this tradition for a long time.
This year we've shared stories at WonderCamp, a science camp from Bloomington's Wonderlab.
Here's Dana with a story for the theme "Eco Explorers"

Ginny and Arin shared stories about Rocks for "Science Sampler"
Ginny has a folktale in which a boulder tells tales.

Everyone got into the act.

Arin shared a true story about a volcano.

We're so glad to be able to share stories with these enthusiastic campers!

 

Thursday, June 6, 2024

Summer Tales 2024

Summer Tales Are Coming Up


It's time to plan for Summer Tales, our annual storytelling event with the Monroe County Public Library.

Like Wintertelling in February, Summer Tales are enjoyed by adults, teens, and families with older children. 

This year the program will be July 19th, in the delightfully air-conditioned comfort of the MCPL Auditorium -- an after-hours program from 7 to 8:30 pm

Do you have a Summer Tale to tell?   Get ready for AUDITIONS on. Monday June 24, in the MCPL Auditorium from 7 to 8:30.p.m.

Interested?  Please get in touch with the coordinator for the event, Laura Clavio  lzclavio@gmail.com  or email us at btownstorytellers@gmail.com. We'll send you the guidelines for the auditions.


Sunday, March 3, 2024

A fine conclusion

Looking for a fine Irish tale for March and found this wonderful ending to a tale:

"And in troth, girls and boys, though it's a diverting story, I don't think the moral is good; and if any of you thuckeens go about imitating Anty in her laziness, you'll find it won't thrive with you as it did with her.  She was beautiful beyond compare, which none of you are, and she had three powerful fairies to help her besides.  There's no fairies now, and no prince or lord to ride by, and catch you idling or working; and maybe, after all, the prince and herself were not so very happy when the cares of the world or old age came on them."


 

Saturday, January 27, 2024

Wintertelling 2024

This free annual concert of stories for adults (and teens) is an afterhours tradition at the Monroe County  Public Library.
The library is a long time sponsor of this event, held in the auditorium after the library itself is closed.  The Kirkwood Avenue doors will be opened at 6:30 and the performance begins at 7 pm


Eight experienced tellers will each present a tale chosen to delight, edify, and entertain you.  Expect a good variety of stories: personal narrative, folklore, modern fairytales, fables, a song-story, even a bit of poetry!

Some folks enhance the evening with dinner downtown, some stay after the program to chat with the tellers, some are inspired to tell their own stories.  Enjoy the evening in your own way!



 

Friday, December 22, 2023

Wintertelling Auditions Coming Up!









STORIES FOR A COZY WINTER EVENING 

The Wintertelling program is sponsored by the Monroe County Public Library, The Friends of the Library, and the Bloomington Storytellers Guild.

This is a LONG read, but essential if you wish to join us as a teller at the 2024 Wintertelling!

WINTERTELLING PERFORMANCE: Friday, February 9, 2024, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Monroe County Public Library Auditorium, Downtown Bloomington.

WINTERTELLING AUDITIONS: Sunday, January 21, 2024, 12:30-2:30 p.m., Monroe County Public Library Auditorium

Do you have a great story to tell which is appropriate for adults and teens? Auditions are required for the Wintertelling.

Members of the BSG will be there to listen to your tale. Please let coordinator Patty Callison (pattcall@yahoo.com)  know as soon as possible if you plan to attend. Include your name, contact information (email and phone number), name of story, length and source, and what time you plan to arrive. Please see instructions below for more specific information.

Expectations for Auditions

·         If you are new to the Wintertelling and the BSG, you need to come to the auditions and tell your story as it will be presented in performance.

·         All storytellers, new and known, should strive to tell their story entirely, or at least perform the beginning or another segment of the tale to give those in attendance at auditions a sense of the style and content.

·         Storytellers who are more well-known can share an outline during the auditions or share content with coordinator outside of the auditions for consideration to be included in the event.

·         Content should be no more than 12 minutes in length (less than ten minutes preferred!) and must be timed in an oral telling at some point for accuracy of length. Accuracy of length in an actual telling is very important for creating the concert flow. Shorter stories are certainly welcome.

 

Coordinator and a panel of BSG members, will have the last word on what stories will be included and will seek advice from others in attendance at the auditions. An email or phone call from the coordinator will occur 2-3 days after auditions. 

Expectations for the Event

·         Tellers must share their story in the January auditions or plan to share with Patty Callison, main event coordinator at another time.

 

·         Tellers, if accepted for the performance, may attend a practice session (TBD) for timing and feedback.

·         Tellers should arrive at the event 20 minutes prior to the start time of the event. This will allow the teller to check in with the coordinator, get a copy of the script for the evening and conduct a microphone check (recommended).

 

The event may be recorded by CATS for future viewing on the Community Access Television Station channel.

Content for this event:

·         Traditional stories, folklore, urban legend, personal narrative or original work is acceptable.  Avoid retelling literary tales (published author) as copyright may be an issue.  You will want to credit your sources.

·         The event is advertised forAdults and Teens. Dont go too young with content.

·         Aim your content at the average listener who has a short attention span.

·         Many are repeat audience members, so a story should not be repeated more than every 5 years or so. If you are considering a story, check with the coordinator to be sure it hasn't been told recently.

·         The story does NOT need to be a story about Winter. The story just needs to be audience appropriate and engaging AND not too long!

 

*** Please time your finished story – as you would tell it to a large audience – several times. Guestimates of story length are reliably unreliable. ***

Reasons for Inclusion:

·         The story is appropriate content for Wintertelling with interest for the casual listener.

·         The story provides texture and contrast in the overall script.

·         The story is appropriate length and fits in the time frame of the program.

·         Presentation skill demonstrated in the past or at Auditions.