PORT ANGELES — For her final go-round as director of the Forest Storytelling Festival, Cherie Trebon got her wish.
Make that five wishes. The featured tellers at the 20th annual festival are people she has long wanted to bring together for a weekend of tale-sharing, -teaching and -swapping.
The Forest Storytelling Festival, the longest-running event of its kind in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia, was a big reason for Trebon’s move from Seattle to Port Angeles 11 years ago.
“I have loved being the director,” she said.
That’s clear as you hear Trebon marvel at who’s coming to town.
Storytellers Jay O’Callahan of Maine, Tim Tingle of Texas, Virginia troubadour Bryan Bowers, Washingtonian Jill Johnson and New Orleans-bred MaryGay Ducey are all on the bill for concerts at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Little Theater at Peninsula College, the festival’s venue at 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd.
Tickets are $15 for each performance.
The five will gather again in the Little Theater at 10 a.m. Sunday for an inspirational concert, the festival’s free gift to the community.
A free preview of the Forest Storytelling Festival is set for 12:35 p.m. Thursday during the public Studium Generale program at Peninsula College.
The Story People of Clallam County, hosts of the weekend-long festival, feature local tellers Ted Ripley, Colleen Squier, Jan Yates and Carlos Xavier in a 50-minute presentation.
The preview will take place in the festival’s main venue, the Little Theater.
Another of Trebon’s favorite events: Stories for Families, starring Bowers and Dennis Duncan, the well-known Port Angeles storyteller, at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Admission is $2 per person or $5 per family for the hour-long program, which is especially for children age 4 to 10 and their folks.
Workshops for storytellers of all levels are slated for Saturday morning.
Participants can choose from Ducey’s “Peeling The Apple” or Johnson’s “Hey Buddy… got a story? Intergenerational Telling” at 9:15 a.m.
Then, they can see O’Callahan’s “Ah, the Mysteries Inside Us” or Tingle’s “I Pledge Allegiance to the Coat of Many Colors” at 10:30 a.m.
Tickets are $20 per workshop.
A free story swap follows at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the Little Theater, giving tellers eight minutes each, while a story circle will take place at the same time in room J-47, with 10-minute tales.
Alongside the performers from across the continent, tellers from around the Pacific Northwest will entertain this weekend.
Saturday, Jennifer Ferris of Victoria will open for Tingle’s show at 1:30 p.m., and Thomas Schroyer of Portland will open for Johnson at 2:45 p.m.
Bowers will share his stories and songs at 3:45 p.m. Saturday, with Joy Ross of Tacoma opening.
Randi Moe of Olympia will warm up the audience for Sunday’s 10 a.m. inspirational concert.
Norm Brecke of Seattle will open for Ducey’s solo program at noon, and finally O’Callahan will give the closing performance at 1 p.m. Sunday.
A drawing for this year’s festival quilt, made and donated by Phyllis Luther, will be held at 2 p.m.
Starting Friday at 6 p.m., those who want to attend many or all Forest Storytelling Festival events can save some money by buying a pass for $80 at the Little Theater.
Advance tickets for Friday and Saturday night’s concerts are also available at Odyssey Books, 114 W. Front St., Port Angeles.
More festival information awaits at www.ClallamStoryPeople.org and with registrar Jan Lamont at 425-273-5929.
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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.
