Contestants
Judges
Emcee
Contestants
Kelly Campos is a talented singer/songwriter as well as a storyteller. Born in Detroit, her story until now has taken her from ballet to Second City Detroit Mainstage, from rock & roll musician to Kinko’s copy specialist, and finally to the literary activism of librarianship. She twists folk & fairy tales into new patterns, highlights life with her true stories, and weaves music through them all.
Round 1 Audience Favorite; Round 1 Finalist; Champion
Jane Dorfman tells folk and fairy tales and personal stories about her New Orleans childhood and her Maryland neighbors, and has lately discovered the joy of liar’s tales. Jane has performed at the Hans Christian Andersen Statue in Central Park in New York City, shared personal stories at ‘Better Said than Done’ in VA, and the Rose Valley storytelling series in Media, PA as well as stories for children and adults at festivals, in libraries, and in schools. She loves stories that carry the listener away.
Judy England-McCarthy often sprinkles humor and wisdom in her stories to entertain, educate and inspire her listeners. Judy’s professional career as a storyteller commenced in 2009 and she published her first children’s book in 2013. She has appeared at the New Jersey Storytelling Festival, Zoellner Art Center, and Kipona Festival amongst many others. Her creative intention is to make a connection with people using different mediums through the stories she adapts and creates.
Jay Leeming is a performance storyteller whose poetic way of bringing traditional stories alive has captivated audiences in theaters, schools, libraries and National Parks. He is the creator of the Crane Bag Podcast, the author of two books of poetry and the recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Jay is adept at connecting the wild river of poetry with the earth-based stories humans have carried in their voices for thousands of years.
Teri Lott has been natural storyteller since she was a young child, and began sharing her love of stories and gift for gab to listeners aged 3 to 103 since she retired from teaching. She has been fortunate to tell her tales at festivals, schools, libraries, retirement communities, luncheons and any place where there are story listeners. When the world changed in 2020, Teri began presenting stories via Facebook Live and collected some of her favorite tales into her book, “Lots of Tales: Stories that Grow With Your Children.” She is grateful for this opportunity at TELL to share her favorite genre of story – a folktale!
Marie Victoria Robertson is a storyteller, performer, and workshop teacher from Ottawa, Ontario. As a member of Ottawa StoryTellers, she loves telling hilarious stories to kids as well as telling adults nail-biting historical tales and lore from the Scottish, Irish, and French-Canadian tradition. Since 2021, she hosts the monthly program (un)told, inviting tellers to share true personal stories. She has performed at the National Arts Centre, numerous Children’s Festivals, and even local pubs (the best stories are shared over pints!)
Round 2 Audience Favorite; Round 2 Finalist
Judges
Alton Chung's humorous and poignant, nostalgic and gripping storytelling transports you away to another time and place where you experience a different slice of life, before being brought safely back home again. Shows include Asian folk tales, stories and legends from Hawaii, and ghost stories, but he is most known for his stories which portray the Japanese American Experience of WWII. Alton has performed at the Performing Arts Center in Singapore, the Hipbone Studio in Portland, OR, the Oakland Cultural Center in Oakland, CA, plus numerous other places and venues, as well as winning awards. Alton has lead workshops on storytelling around the country.
Janice Del Negro, PhD is a storyteller, author, and educator whose contributions to literature, library sciences, and the art of storytelling have made a profound impact. She collaborated with Ellin Greene on the fourth edition of the classic storytelling textbook, Storytelling: Art & Technique (2010), and is the editor of the fifth edition, published in 2021. Janice says,“I am a storyteller who excavates and decorates the bones of traditional folk and fairy tales as an invitation to others to do the same.” She has been a featured teller & presenter at the National Storytelling Conference, the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Mariposa Storytelling Festival, and the Tejas Storytelling Festival amongst many others, and is a recipient of the prestigious National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence Award.
Emcee
Cooper Braun spent his childhood without a television listening to stories told by “granola eating coyotes,” and tells stories that remind adults that folk and fairy tales are not just for children. He has performed at the Exchange Place at the National Storytelling Festival, and is a recipient of the JJ Reneaux Emerging Artist Award. Cooper and Rachel Ann Harding are the dynamic team behind the wildly successful online series “Stories with Spirit.” Cooper has helped produce over 20 virtual storytelling shows, and performed in many more. He has become a leading voice in online storytelling.
