Octavia Sexton
Tuesday February 11 at 7:30PM

Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church * 100 W. Washington Street

In-person tickets are only available the night of the event at the venue.
Click here for tickets to watch the livestream.

This program is supported by Elisabeth Staro, Producing Donor.
Growing up in the Appalachian tradition of storytelling, Octavia Sexton tells stories in her natural Kentucky dialect. Sexton is unable to trace her education in storytelling back to any one person, but she inherited a treasure trove of stories from her grandma and grandpa, both master storytellers. Many of those stories were passed down to them from the Scotch-Irish settlers that populated the Appalachian region and brought their stories with them. At the one-room schoolhouse she attended, the children would gather during recess and tell each other stories. As she explains, “Growing up, the oral tradition was a part of everyday life. Kinfolks, neighbors, and friends told stories. Many of them had little or no formal education, but they knew what was, is, and what will be through story. Stories were the most precious thing they had, and they gave them to the young and old and those in between.” She continues to gift these stories to those who listen to her. She has worked extensively in her community and state to create common ground and enrich lives through storytelling. She has performed in schools, detention centers, professional development academies for artists and educators, addiction recovery programs, and library and community programs for several decades. She also is dedicated to mentoring up-and-coming storytellers “to find their own voice.” She has been described as strong and compassionate, deeply committed to social justice and improving those with whom she associates.

Colin Urwin
Tuesday March 11 at 7:30PM

Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church * 100 W. Washington Street

In-person tickets are only available the night of the event at the venue.
Click here for tickets to watch the livestream.

This program is supported by Liz Loughran and Terry Kramer, Producing Donors.
Colin Urwin from the beautiful north coast of Ireland is described as a modern-day seanchaí. He is a folk singer, songwriter, oral storyteller, workshop facilitator, recording artist and author of several collections of folktales. As well as telling hauntingly beautiful traditional stories in his rich and authentic voice, he weaves charming old folk songs and original rhyming monologues into his vibrant shows. With over forty years of performance experience, he regularly works with museums, schools, libraries, and many other community groups. He also appears on stages all over the world.

Whis.stem.men.knee
Johnny Moses
Tuesday April 8 at 7:30PM

Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church * 100 W. Washington Street

In-person tickets are only available the night of the event at the venue.
Click here for tickets to watch the livestream.

This program is supported by an Anonymous Producing Donor.
Johnny Moses is a Tulalip Native American raised in the remote Nuu-chah-nulth village of Ohiat on the west coast of Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada. He was raised in the traditional ways by his grandparents, and sent by his elders to share their teachings with all people. Johnny is a master storyteller, oral historian, traditional healer, and respected spiritual leader.

Johnny, whose traditional name is Whis.stem.men.knee (Walking Medicine Robe), carries the Si.Si.Wiss (sacred breath, sacred life) medicine teachings and healing ceremonies of his Northwest Coast people.

Fluent in eight Native languages, he is a traveling ambassador for Northwest Coast cultures. He shares the knowledge and richness of his spiritual and cultural traditions with people across the United States and Canada through storytelling, lectures and workshops.

Adam Booth
Tuesday May 13 at 7:30PM

Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church * 100 W. Washington Street

In-person tickets are only available the night of the event at the venue.
Click here for tickets to watch the livestream.

This program is supported by the Mary J. Stanley Charitable Fund, Producing Donor. Adam Booth is the 2022 West Virginia Folk Artist of the Year, awarded at the Governor’s Arts Awards. Adam blends traditional mountain folklore, music, and an awareness of contemporary Appalachia to create original, forward-thinking story artistry. Adam’s new multidisciplinary program The Heron’s Journey has been selected for the 2024-2025 Mid Atlantic Arts Touring Roster. As a nationally touring artist, his professional telling appearances include premiere storytelling events across the United States and abroad, including the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, the International Storytelling Center, the National Storytelling Festival, the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, and as a Spoken Word Resident at the Banff Centre (Alberta, Canada). Adam serves as the inaugural Storyteller-In-Residence at Shepherd University and is the founding artistic director of Speak Story Series, a premier destination for storytelling in concert.

Corinne Stavish
Tuesday June 10 at 7:30PM

Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church * 100 W. Washington Street

In-person tickets are only available the night of the event at the venue.
Click here for tickets to watch the livestream.

This program is supported by Carolyn J. Rodis, Producing Donor.
Acclaimed as “mesmerizing…capturing hearts and minds,” Corinne specializes in personal, historical and biblical narratives that are witty and poignant, enhanced by powerful performances. She has been a repeated featured teller at many storytelling festivals, including the National Storytelling Festival and the Timpanogos Festival, was a Detroit Jewish Woman Artist of the Year 2001, and is a recipient of the National Storytelling Association’s Circle of Excellence  Award.

Tuesday’s program will be No Surrender: Springsteen, Dachau, and the White Rose.  A family trip to Vienna and Munich to attend Bruce Springsteen’s 2023 World Tour—Only the Strong Survive—connects the resilient lyrics of Springsteen’s music to the stories of a great-uncle who was a prisoner at Dachau and The White Rose, a small group of college students, who formed the only resistance group in Germany and spoke out against Nazism. 

Michael D. McCarty
Tuesday July 8 at 7:30PM

Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church * 100 W. Washington Street

In-person tickets are only available the night of the event at the venue.
Click here for tickets to watch the livestream.

Michael McCarty’s life has been “one heaven of a story”: Student activist, Black Panther, US Army martial arts instructor, acupuncturist, world traveler, spiritual seeker, construction worker, storyteller, husband, father, crazy friend. Never a dull moment!

Michael’s mother read and told him stories always. He began formally telling stories in high school in the 60’s when he discovered amazing stories of Black history and culture that weren’t taught in schools. In 1992 he discovered the world of professional storytelling, and has been telling stories and teaching storytelling around the country and around the world ever since.

Michael specializes in stories of African and African-American history and culture and multi-cultural stories. Since 2014 he has worked in California prisons as part of the Arts In Corrections program teaching inmates how to find, develop, and tell their stories.

Tuesday’s program will be in two parts. First, we will screen the documentary Belonging In The USA: The Story Of Michael D. McCarty. After a brief intermission, Michael will share a program of stories & discussion.

Mary Hamilton
Tuesday August 12 at 7:30PM

Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church * 100 W. Washington Street

In-person tickets are only available the night of the event at the venue.
Click here for tickets to watch the livestream.

Mary Hamilton lives in Frankfort and grew up in Meade County, Kentucky. In 1983, after brief careers as a high school English teacher and a public library children's librarian, Mary embraced professional storytelling. When she takes the stage, the show unfolds in the hearts and minds of the audience. In her straightforward “just talking” style, Mary entertains audiences of adults, families, or children with Kentucky tales, world folk & fairy tales, plus a few myths, legends, true stories, and original fiction. Her work has been recognized by being listed in the Kentucky Performing Arts Directory, a juried directory of Kentucky's finest performers, and being presented by the Kentucky Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. She has also received numerous awards, including a Circle of Excellence ORACLE Award — equal to a hall of fame for storytellers — from the National Storytelling Network.

Justin Perez
Tuesday September 9 at 7:30PM

Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church * 100 W. Washington Street

In-person tickets are only available the night of the event at the venue.
Click here for tickets to watch the livestream.

Meet Justin, a Texan with an insatiable passion that transcends borders. A proud graduate of the Texas School for the Deaf in Austin, he hails from the vibrant city of Houston. Driven by an unwavering love for American Sign Language (ASL) performance art and storytelling, he has explored the world sharing his expertise through Visual Vernacular (VV) workshops and captivating performances. His remarkable talents have graced renowned stages across the world, including the International Deaf Festival, as well as festivals such as the Clin d’Oeil Festival in France and the International Poetry Festival in the Netherlands. In 2017, Justin’s storytelling prowess was recognized when he won the ASL Elements national competition with his fan-favorite “Super Mario Kart” story. With Visual Vernacular as his specialty and favorite performance style, Justin’s ultimate ambition is to introduce his groundbreaking VV performance art to the global sign language community.

Sheila Arnold
Tuesday October 14 at 7:30PM

Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church * 100 W. Washington Street

In-person tickets are only available the night of the event at the venue.
Click here for tickets to watch the livestream.

This program is supported by John Deupree and Sally Reynolds, Producing Donors.

Sheila Arnold has been gifted by God with performance skills; using this talent since she was eight years old. As a full-time Storyteller she travels throughout the United States sharing varying stories, as well as Historic Character Presentations.