The Second Floor Librarians

The eighth annual Tcha Tee Man Wi Storytelling Festival, with public performances February 18-21, promises another weekend of both traditional and unique entertainment and workshops for adults, and matinees for children. Most events workshops are in Corvallis, and free.

This year’s featured Tellers include internationally acclaimed professionals.

Joel ben Izzy began his professional career after graduating from Stanford with a degree in English, Creative Writing and Storytelling. He has travelled the world, gathering and telling stories.

His work as a story consultant has him coaching and teaching storyskills to folks in fields ranging from film to high-tech, from banking to advertising, from medicine to law. Clients include Hewlett Packard, Pixar Animation Studios, Kaiser Permanante, Wachovia Bank, The California Attorney General, and The United States Attorney’s Office. Some of his stories and style draw from his rich Jewish heritage. His recordings have won Parents’ Choice Gold Award and numerous other awards, and are available at the Corvallis Benton County Public Library.

Regi Carpenter has been featured at schools, libraries, museums, festivals, and family and community venues. She is at home with both children and adults and offers storytelling programs, workshops, and school residencies. A New York State certified teacher, Regi is adept at weaving the arts into the curriculum while fulfilling teaching standards. As nationally acclaimed performer and educator, Regi has received the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, the Parent’s Guide to Children’s Media Award, and the Leonard Bernstein Fellowship for Artists in Education. She uses the art of storytelling with cancer patients and their families. Her recordings for children are available at the Corvallis Benton County Public Library, adult recordings can be ordered.

Anne Penfound is active in the Portland Storytellers’ Guild. She says “Smell the delicious spices from the island of Barbados where I spent my early childhood. Imagine the call of the wild Haggis in the hills of Scotland where I brought up my own children – combine them together, add a folktale or two, stir in a tall tale, sprinkle with a dash of fun and you have the recipe for my storytelling in a nutshell.”

The schedule includes storytelling performances, workshops, children’s matinees, and an open mic for aspiring storytellers. Special performances are offered in area schools during the week leading up to the Festival. “Stories to Inspire” are offered on Sunday morning.

For those who enjoy stories with added color, there’s the adults-only, late-late night, Bawdy Tales. Each year, the event has gotten better, delighting the sell-out crowd with raucous, wild, funny, and shocking tales, lyrics, and theatrical pieces. Join in Saturday evening 10 pm – midnight. The doors open at 9:30 pm. The event will be held at Aurora Martial Arts located at 2525 SE 3rd Street. Aurora Martial Arts is south of town, on the east side of 3rd Street, between The Auction yard and New Holland Tractors. Proceeds help fund the whole festival. Advance tickets are available at Grass Roots Bookstore and at Corvallis Parks and Recreation – the event sells out.

Leading up to the festival, the public is invited to submit true stories about personal experiences with the Willamette River. What has happened on, in, or by our river or the rivers and streams that flow into it. Please send in your story – of NO MORE than 250-300 words – with permission to share it on the web, in print, or aloud. Do tell! Send to tchateemanwi@gmail.com or news@gazettetimes.com .

The Tcha Tee Man Wi Storytelling Festival is presented annually by The Arts Center, the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Corvallis Parks and Recreation, and Wonderkeepers: A Storytelling Guild. Local sponsors help to keep the festival of the highest quality and free. To become a sponsor, and for more information and the full schedule, visit their website at or call 541-766-6794.

Posted by Sharon, a Second Floor Librarian