PORT ANGELES — Chris Wright, an emergency room nurse at Olympic Medical Center and a longtime member of the Story People of Clallam County, has been named director of Port Angeles’ Forest Storytelling Festival, the largest event of its kind in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
She’s already begun booking tellers from across North America for the 21st annual festival, to be held Oct. 16-18 at Peninsula College: French Canadian Michael Parent and Anne Pensound of Portland, Ore., both of whom have appeared at the festival in recent years.
In this volunteer position, Wright succeeds Cherie Trebon, who stepped down last year after a decade as director.
“I was always interested and looking forward to maybe picking this up when I retired from my day job,” Wright said.
The Story People of Clallam County, host of the festival, had two other candidates for the directorship, she added, but neither took it.
“Rather than let the festival die out, I decided to do it,” said Wright, who is also busy applying for the various grants that help fund the event’s workshops and concerts.
She’s not ready to retire from nursing, so she’ll keep working in the ER. And Wright, 60, is accustomed to multiple jobs. She’s served as the storytelling festival’s fundraising coordinator.
Last October, the four-day event sold a total of 1,726 seats in the college’s Little Theater and nearby classrooms, according to a report from the Story People.
Another 1,217 seats were filled at free performances.
This March, the Story People plan their annual Celtic concert at the Sons of Norway Hall, 131 W. Fifth St.; and in June the yearly Liars Contest will take place at the same venue.
Story Swaps with guest tellers and an open mic section also happen at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at the Port Angeles Library, 2210 S. Peabody St.
Wright, who was president of the Story People board, will leave that position to Erran Sharpe, another longtime member, while Bob Nuffer is vice president.
The festival began in 1995 with founding director Josephine Pederson, who led it until Trebon’s arrival in 2005.
It all started at the Port Angeles Senior Center and then moved to Peninsula College in 2006.
To find out more about the Story People’s events, visit www.ClallamStoryPeople.org or phone Sharpe at 360-460-6594.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
