ConnTell Directory A-E
 Virginia Lynn Anderson
Phone: (860) 523-8943
Email: elandra3@sbcglobal.net
Websites: www.elandraarts.com
www.jestplaytivity.com
Facebook: Flying Phlox Phans
Virginia Lynn Anderson brings her newly published children's picture
book, "The Flying Phlox", to life through dynamic interactive
storytelling adventures. Virginia is an artist, musician, spiritual
minister, healing practitioner and author/illustrator who uses a
multi-disciplinary approach to her programs for young audiences. You
may find yourself playing music, creating new story characters,
becoming an artist or engaged in spontaneous movement during one of
her programs.
Montessori Storybook Series: "The Flying Phlox", "The Very
Lonely Garden", "The Magical Garden"
Audiences: ages 3 years +
Fees: Range from $300
 Carol Birch
32B Heritage Circle
Southbury, CT 06488
Phone: (203) 264-3800
Email: carolbirch@earthlink.net
Website: www.carolbirch.com
If you respond to art without artifice and know that metaphors rock, Carol Birch is for you. Recipient of storytelling’s national Circle of Excellence Award, Carol amplifies literature’s conversational and compelling qualities. At the Baseball Hall of Fame, one man yelled, "That lady knows her s...!" – echoing the kid who said long ago: "She knows that story 'cause she was there."
AUTHOR - ADJUNCT PROFESSOR at SOUTHERN CT STATE UNIVERSITY - RECORDING ARTIST & DIRECTOR
"You were the main course at the National Storytelling Festival when it came to nourishment of the soul." - Will Werley.
Fees: $500 and up. Reduced rates for Public Libraries, block bookings and residencies
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 Eshu Lawrence Bumpus
75 Lincoln St.
Holyoke, MA 01040-2664
Phone: (413) 533-0767
Email: eshu@folktales.net
Website: www.folktales.net
Performances of African, African-American and World Folktales
accompanied by workshops in storytelling and storywriting form a
full-day program designed to entertain and educate students while
increasing their confidence in their own story creation.
Eshu offers single-day programs, workshops, in-services and
residencies.
"It is remarkable how quickly he establishes rapport with children and how skillfully he creates an environment of collegiality among students." - Peg O'Sullivan, Literature and Whole Language Consultant, Rowayton, CT.
Fees: call Young Audiences of Connecticut, (203) 230-8101
 Len Cabral
30 Marcy Street
Cranston, RI 02905
Phone: (401) 781-0019
Fax: (401) 781-0020
Email: Len@LenCabral.com
Website: www.lencabral.com
Graceful movement, mime, poetry, song, humor and vivid characterizations describe Len's award-winning style of telling original stories and folktales from around the world. Traveling throughout the country, Len is equally adept at performing for the youngest audiences and adults alike. As author, keynote speaker and workshop leader, Len is always in demand.
Fees: $500 and up. Block booking available.
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 Tom Callinan & Ann Shapiro
Crackerbarrel Entertainments
55 East Town Street
Norwich, CT 06360
Phone: Ann (860) 889-6581;
Tom & Fax:(860) 889-6648
Email: ann.s@crackerbarrel-ents.com
tom.c@crackerbarrel-ents.com
Website: www.crackerbarrel-ents.com
Featured tellers at the National Storytelling Festival in 1999,
Tom Callinan & Ann Shapiro present a collage of stories with music
and humor as an integral part of the telling. As solos or in tandem,
they tell folktales, stories of the sea, Irish stories, stories with
a twist and even spoonerisms.
Listed in the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism's Directory of Performing Artists, both Tom and Ann are recognized by the Commission as Master Teaching Artists. Tom was chosen to be the first Connecticut State Troubadour.
Fees: Negotiable
 Emily Chasse
Librarian/Storyteller/Teacher
Burritt Library, CCSU
New Britain, CT 06110
Phone: 860-832-2063w 860-521-9033h
Email: Chasse@ccsu.edu
Folktales and family stories have been part of my life since I was born! My book, Telling Tales: A Guidebook, Neal-Schuman, 2008, provides information to novice and experienced tellers about the magic of stories and making the tales come alive for individuals and groups of all ages. I love sharing tales with children, young adults, and adults, and I have been telling and teaching others how to tell for the past 20 years in my two courses at Central Connecticut State University:
FOLKTELLING ART & TECHNIQUE Reading. 569
STORYTELLING ENG. 264
I've told with all ages focusing on traditional tales and peace tales.
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 Audrey Daigneault, Ph.D.
43B George Avenue
Groton, CT 06340
Phone: (860) 446-8431
Email: adaigneault@groton.k12.ct.us
STORIES GALORE AND MORE
Audrey tells traditional and literary stories for children, adults and family audiences. Puppets and instruments form an enticing part of participatory performances. Experienced with malls and outside settings. Workshops available
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 Sara deBeer
51 Randal Avenue
West Hartford, CT 06110
Phone: (860) 561-5905
Email: sdebeer@comcast.net
Website: sdebeer.home.comcast.net
Since 1978, Sara deBeer has been delighting audiences of all ages with her repertoire of international folktales. A featured artist at both the CT Storytelling and Three Apples Festivals, Sara's popular programs include: Tales of Deep-Rooted Magic; Hand-Collected Irish Yarns; Jewish Tales for Young and Old and Tales of Women Wise and Wondrous.
An experienced classroom teacher with degrees from Yale and Bank Street, Sara is a skilled workshop leader as well as an entrancing performer. Sara is listed in the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism's Directory of Performing Artists.
Audience: All ages.
Fees: $250 and up.
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 Leeny Del Seamonds
Master Story Performer TM
PO Box 1268
Westford, MA 01886-1433
Phone: (978) 692-3961
Email: leenydel@comcast.net
Website: www.LeenyDelSeamonds.com
With a face and voice that launched a thousand characters, Leeny Del Seamonds, Master Story PerformerTM, is an internationally acclaimed performer of Latino, original and multicultural stories spiced with mime, a cornucopia of voices, and love of people. With a twinkle in her eye and fire in her heart, Leeny breathes life into her stories, as she masterfully and effortlessly springs from one story character to another, inviting audiences to share in her Cuban-American sense of humor and love of performing. Leeny creates and performs tales that are uplifting and demonstrate the passion, resiliency and triumphs of the human spirit. A Parents' Choice Gold Award and Silver Honor winner, a 2005 Storytelling World Winner, a 2006 iParenting Media Award Winner, and the 2002 National Storyteller of the Year®, Leeny is known for animated interactive performances and has been a headliner at festivals, conferences, community events, corporate functions, museums, libraries, school systems and universities nationally and internationally, and has been published in several international periodicals.
"Leeny, a heartfelt thank you for sharing your multiple talents and superb stories with our audiences in Jonesborough - you are truly a wonderful ambassador for storytelling!" - Susan O'Connor, Director of Programs, International Storytelling Center
News Flash! Leeny stars in Ribert & Robert's WonderWorld, a multi award-winning national PBS Television and DVD series distributed worldwide. In the series, she plays "Leeny the Story Performer."
Fees: $575 and up.
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 Jeanne Donato
82 Potter Hill Rd
Westerly, RI 02891
Work: (401) 596-0886
Home: (401) 596-6935
Fax: (401) 596-3555
Email: JeanneDonato@aol.com
Storytelling and writing for brain integration, creativity and the humanities! Jeanne holds a M.Ed in Storytelling in the Curriculum, and BA in Elementary Education. She is a Certified Master Balloon Artist, an Educational Kinesiologist & Brain Gym Instructor.
Performances are designed for your occasion. Discover the wonder, request the "Winter Lady" with her "Goodness Dust®", "Patriotic Lady", "Storybook Lady" & more! Jeanne's workshops for educators, parents & students are offered internationally.
Jeanne is the RI State representative for the National Storytelling Network and instructor of storytelling in Southern Connecticut State University 6th year program.
Her book: Storytelling in Emergent Literacy: Fostering Multiple Intelligences published by Delmar, is a rich resource for educators and parents.
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 Peg Donovan
P.O.Box 106
Stonington, CT 06378
Phone: 860-535-4106
Email: mspeg10@email.nu
It's storytime like you've never had it before! With books, puppets and flannel board in hand, Ms. Peg will lead your children on a merry journey into the magical world of words, spoken and written. Using rhyme, rhythm and audience participation storytelling, Ms. Peg engages preschoolers and K-1 classes in a fun-filled, 45 minute story program sure to delight your youngsters and inspire their teachers!
Listed in the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism's Performing Artists roster, Ms. Peg has performed in schools, daycares, libraries, community centers and festivals throughout Connecticut and Rhode Island.
"Ms. Peg's storytime is a must for any school readiness program." - Pat Dalton, Early Chilhood Education Director, Mystic
"When Ms Peg comes,the children take delight in "reading" with her as they are guided through their learning using songs, fables, puppets and books. Our youngest learners come to love and respect early literature, understand stories, predict story outcomes, develop phonemic awareness, rhyme, all while having fun. I've seen children come to love literacy in all its forms - talking, listening, reading, writing and communicating. There can be no better gift to give a child that will prepare them for future success." - Cheryl LaMothe Site Manager, New London Day Nursery
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 Diane Edgecomb
PO Box 300016
Boston, MA 02130
Phone: 617-522-4335
Email: dedge@livingmyth.com
Website: www.livingmyth.com
This award-winning performer and recording artist, has been a New England favorite at colleges, festivals, museums, schools, libraries and theatre venues for over twenty years. With Celtic harper Margot Chamberlain she gives storytelling concerts for older audiences celebrating the Summer and Winter Solstice, Love in All Its Disguises, Tales from Celtic Lands. For family audiences she presents nature-oriented storytellings, entertaining seasonal folktales, original dinosaur stories, and her acclaimed environmental teaching tales. Her newest performance is a multimedia presentation on her travels collecting Kurdish folktales entitled: A Fire in My Heart: A Storyteller's Journey Among the Kurds.
"A storyteller in the grand tradition, Edgecomb is a virtuoso of the spoken word...an entire cast rolled into one." Publisher's Weekly
Audiocassettes: New Age Gawain and the Green Knight CDs: Pattysaurus and Other Tales; Deirdre of the Sorrows Books: A Fire in My Heart: Kurdish Tales
Fees: $525 and up for solo, $675 with musician accompanying. Block booking and special library rates available.
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