NEW ENGLAND
SCHOOL PERFORMING
ARTIST DIRECTORY
SOCIAL STUDIES


HOLIDAYS

GENERAL || ARBOR DAY || CHRISTMAS || COLUMBUS DAY || EARTH DAY || HALLOWEEN || KWANZAA || MARTIN LUTHER KING, Jr. DAY || PRESIDENT'S DAY || ST PATRICK'S DAY || THANKSGIVING || EASTER


GENERAL

MUSIC || THEATER || PUPPETRY || STORYTELLING || DANCE


MUSIC


photo of Ann Shapiro and Tom Callinan Ann Shapiro and Tom Callinan
c/o Crackerbarrel Entertainments
168 Shore Road
Clinton, CT 06413-2340
(860) 669-6581; Toll-Free Outside Connecticut: (800) 565-3687
Fax: (860) 669-6648
E-Mail: tom.c@crackerbarrel-ents.com
Website: http://www.crackerbarrel-ents.com/tomann01.htm

For over 20 years, the husband and wife team of Tom Callinan and Ann Shapiro have toured an assortment of informative and entertaining participatory programs throughout the Eastern Seaboard of the United states for audiences as diverse as nursery schools through nursing homes. Whether appearing as solo artists or as their duo, they blend their extensive repertoire of songs, which span many centuries, with an impressive array of instruments from the wind, string, and percussion families. As storytellers, they tell stories in tandem or individually, embellished with humor, music, sound effects, and audience involvement. Each has been designated a Master Teaching Artist by the Connecticut Commission on the Arts,

Tom was designated as Connecticut's first "Official State Troubadour" in 1991. His credits include: The Kennedy Center, "Good Morning America," "Shining Time Station," and many others. Honors include: composing songs included in an Emmy Award-winning documentary and co-writing songs on a Parents Choice Gold Award recording, among others.

In addition to her work as a creative and performing artist, Ann also serves as the Education Director of the Connecticut Storytelling Center, in-residence at Connecticut College. Her administrative skills include writing grants and arranging residencies at schools and other cultural venues.

They have produced over a dozen recordings on CD and cassette. A catalog is available, along with printed study-guides pertaining to their Arts-In-Education programs. Information about their teacher-training and consulting services are available as well.

Program Titles: Come On & Sing; From Sea to Shining Sea; Holiday Hodge Podge; In the Good Old Colony Days; I'm Gonna Write a Song; Home Fires; Imagine Menagerie; Thumbs Up for Connecticut; Sea Songs, Chanteys, and Nautical Lore; Irish and Irish-American Songs and Stories; Let's Clean Up Our Act; Conflict Resolution, and more.

Audience Limit: 30/class; 300/assembly

Fees: Assembly- $650/duo, $400/solo; Classroom- $400 per day/4 classes-solo

Funding Sources: Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, New England Foundation for the Arts, BOCES (New York).

Special Requirements: Access to performance space 45 minutes before first show


photo of Roger Tinknell
   ROGER  TINCKNELL
78 Pratt Corner Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
(413) 259-1146
E-Mail: roger@rogertincknell.com
Website: www.rogertincknell.com

Two-time Parents’ Choice Award-winning recording artist, Roger Tincknell offers participatory, curriculum-based music assemblies and workshops. As a former classroom teacher and music specialist, Roger provides enriching multi-cultural, historical, and environmental programs. His repertoire includes international folk-songs sung in a variety of languages as well as songs and dances from Native, African, European and Asian- American traditions. He plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, piano, ukulele, Irish bozouki, Incan charango, Russian balalaika, Puerto Rican cuatro, harmonica, Native American flutes, African drums and Latin percussion. His programs include: Across the Americas, a musical journey from Canada to South America; Earth Rhythms, an environmental program, Children's Songs and Singing Games, a participatory multicultural program for younger grades. Roger also offers songwriting workshops and hands-on programs for special needs and very young children. Comprehensive study guides are provided.

Program Titles: Across the Americas (can be tailored to include: Colonial America to the Revolution, Immigration and Industrial America; From Slavery to Civil Rights; Cowboys, Yodeling and Western Expansion; Latin American Songs, Dances and Instruments; Songs of the Sea.); Earth Rhythms (Celebrates and teaches environmental awareness); Children's Songs and Singing Games; Holidays from Around the World (Winter Solstice Celebration, Martin Luther King Jr., St. Patrick's Day, Halloween and others); Under One Sky: A Multicultural Musical Journey around the World

Audience Limit: 40/class; 400/assembly

Fee: $350-$400 (plus travel) sliding scale for one show with additional programs on same day 1/2 price.

Funding Source: MCC, Local Cultural Councils and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Very Special Arts, BOCES (NY), SCLC (CT)

Special Requirements: table and access to electricity


THEATER


photo of Gould & Stearns
   GOULD and STEARNS
Bonnie Stearns, Managing Director
44 Hillcrest Terrace
Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 254-8355 Fax: same
email: stearns@sover.net
Web: www.sover.net/~stearns

OR

Ellen Weiner
Professional Artists Management
2411 Bay Road
Sharon, MA 02067
(781) 784-6394
Fax: (781) 784-5393
E Mail: elweiner@att.net
Website: www.elweiner.com

Peter Gould and Stephen Stearns are madcap performers and master teachers who have been offering school programs and residencies for over 20 years. Their performances are clever, often zany, and always heart-warming. In their work as workshop and discussion leaders, often in conjunction with a performance, they give students a can-do message about managing problems and opportunities with the help of humor.

Programs include:

Secrets: Peter and Stephen use stories of their own growing up to look, with humor, at real kid issues - peer pressure, self esteem, and choice-making. (grades 4-6, 7-8)

Fee Fie Fo Fun! involves the audience in re-creating the familiar story of Jack and the Beanstalk with Peter and Stephen - and gives insight into the art forms of mime, theatre and comedy. This new look at an old favorite is a perfect way to introduce young students to storytelling as a living art form. (grades preK-5)

A Peasant of El Salvador - about which teachers have said - "The best social studies lesson my students will have all year... The most moving, meaningful play I have ever seen... Taught more about Latin American culture in one hour than I do in three years teaching." (grades 9-12)

Simple Gifts - a special holiday program for December - highlights stories from a variety of cultures and traditions, and reminds us that the simple gifts of ourselves are the best sources of warmth and comfort we can offer one another.

Laughing Matters teaches students basic illusions and mime techniques and creative use of language while it takes them on a journey of the imagination - from a whaling ship of the 1800s to the vaudeville stage, and into the future! (grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12).

Program Titles: Secrets, Fee Fie Fo Fun!, A Peasant of El Salvador, Simple Gifts, Laughing Matters

Audience limit: 24/class, usually 300-350 /assembly, up to 650 or more in suitable auditorium.

Fee: $500-$800/performance

Funding Source: New England Foundation for the Arts

PUPPETRY


photo of Michael Graham's Spring Valley Puppet Theater
   MICHAEL   GRAHAM'S   SPRING   VALLEY   PUPPETS
26 Howard Ave.
New Haven, CT 06519-2809
(203) 777-4601
E Mail: svpuppet@aol.com
Website: www.springvalleypuppets.com

Michael Graham, Director of the Spring Valley Puppet Theater, has been performing professionally since 1966 for schools and libraries throughout New England. His theatrical productions are drawn from fairy tales, folktales and fables, and feature beautifully crafted hand and rod puppets. A bilingual (English/Spanish) program is also available. Most programs are followed by a question and answer period.
Jack and the Beanstalk received the 1994 UNIMA "Citation of Excellence" in the Art of Puppetry.

Program Titles: Jack and the Beanstalk; The Three Wishes; The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing; Puss in Boots; The Lazy Fox/El Zorro Perezoso (bilingual available); A Christmas (Holiday) Fantasy (all music, non-verbal program. (In the works - Aladdin)

Audience Limit: 350/Assembly

Fee: Jack and the Beanstalk (35-40 min.) $345 for first show, $280 for second show same school
The Three Wishes" & The Wolk in Sheep's Clothing, (30-35 min.) $335 for first show, $270 for second show same school
The Lazy Fox & The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (30-35 min.) $335 for first show, $270 for second show same school
A Christmas Fantasy & The Three Wishes (25-30 min.) $335 for first show, $270 for second show same school
The Lazy Fox & The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (30-35 min.) $335 for first show, $270 for second show same school
Puss in Boots (40-45 min.) $335 for first show, $290 for second show same school

Special Requirements: an indoor area 12' wide X 6' deep, near electricity, with a 10' ceiling height; a room that can be darkened or dimmed is preferable. 2 hrs. set-up


STORYTELLING


   MARK   BINDER
Pembroke Villa
PO Box 2462
Providence, RI 02906
(401) 272-8707
Email: mark@markbinder.com
Website: www.markbinder.com

Mark Binder is the author of the Everything Bedtime Story Book, and has had hundreds of short stories published in newspapers and magazines like The Family, Hadassah, and Cricket. He is a professional storyteller and recording artist, with five storytelling CDs, including the award-winning Classic Stories for Boys and Girls. Mark graduated from the Trinity Rep Theater Conservatory, earned a BA from Columbia University, an MA from Rhode Island College, and has taught as an adjunct professor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He is a Rhode Island Artist Educator, and on the New England Foundation for the Arts Touring Roster. He is a founder of the American Story Theater and has served on the board of the League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling. His programs have received grant funding from the United States Department of Education, the Rhode Island Department of Education, the City of Providence, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, National Storytelling Network, and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.

Program Title: Tales for Peace, Eureka! Science and Math Stories; Tall Tales and Whoppers; The Instant Short Story; Silly Stories; Tales of Chelm; Holiday Stories and Songs; Spooky Stories; Tales from the Outdoors; Telling and Reading Stories with Children...

Audience Limit: 250/assembly

Fee: $750 half day, $1000 full day

Possible Funding Sources: RI State Council on the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts, B.O.C.E.S. (New York)


  ROSA BOVA
231 Massachusetts Ave, Apt. 208
Arlington, MA 02174
(781) 646-8876

"Rosa's vivid imagination, creative imagery and sense of humor capture the minds and hearts of children and adults," says elementary school teacher, June Roche, Hardy School, Arlington.

"As inaugural children's performer at Huntington Theatre Open House Storyteller Rosa Bova captivated ages 5 to 75. Thanks to the success of her performance we have established storytelling as an integral part of Open House at the Theatre," says Deborah J. Gillis, Huntington Theatre.

Other Clients include: Lincoln Center NY Storytelling Festival, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Bookcellar Cafe, State of Maine Writers Conference, Schools, Libraries.

Program Titles: Amelia Earhart First Lady of the Air; Betsy Ross, Girl of Olde Philadelphia; Come and Hear About Paul Revere; Glauscabi and The Wind Eagle (Native American); The Romance of Italy (Folklore, Legends, Personal); Paul Bunyan and Other Tall Tales; A Whale of a Tale (Nature); Fluttery, Buttery Butterflies (Nature); Turkeys, Indians and Popcorn (Fall/Thanksgiving); Childhood stories, and more.

Fee: $300-$350

Special Requirements: Small table, chair; microphone/VCR as needed


  MICHAEL CADUTO
PO Box 1052
Norwich, VT 05055
(802) 649-1815
Website: www.p-e-a-c-e.net
Email: michaelcaduto@p-e-a-c-e.net

Using traditional storytelling techniques, song, dance, guitar, Native instruments, discussion and activities, Michael Caduto immerses his audiences in programs about World cultures and Earth Stewardship. Performances are available based on Native cultures and the environment from throughout North America and beyond.

Michael's natural history and environmental programs include slides, folklore, guitar and song, field trips and, in some cases, live animals. These programs help children understand, appreciate and care for Earth --- the plants, animals and cultures with whom we share this planet.

Michael is the author of the award-winning Earth Tales From Around the World and In the Beginning: The Story of Genesis and Earth Activities for Children (A new color picture book for 2004), and co-author of the best-seller, Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children.

Program Titles: Keepers of the Earth; Earth Tales from Around the World; The Rainbow Garden (Celebrating Cultural Diversity); Native American Thanksgivings; Keepers of the Animals; Keepers of the Night; Flying Turtles and Talking Bears; Nature in Native American Myths; Italian Tales of Wisdom; Earth Gardens and the Seeds of Life; The Loon's Necklace; The Children Who Plant Trees; Tales from the Deep: Legends of the Living Waters; and Touching the Sky Dome:Tales of the Sun, Stars and Moon

Audience Limit: 50/class; 250+/assembly

Fee: $225-350 for each performance/workshop, plus .30/mile. Residencies are $600/day.

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts, Vermont Arts Council, New Hampshire Council on the Arts.

Special Requirements: Michael works in all kinds of environments, from classrooms and school libraries to assemblies and outdoor festivals. When indoors, a quiet space that can be darkened enhances the performance.


photo of Karen Chace
   KAREN   CHACE
97 Chipaway Road
East Freetown, MA 02717
(508) 763-8565
E Mail: storybug@aol.com
Website: www.storybug.net

Since 2000 Karen has presented her enthusiastic, interactive, and participatory programs at libraries, conferences and schools around the country. She is also the founder and director of a student storytelling program and since 2002 she has mentored over 85 student storytellers. She is a contributing author to the National Storytelling Network's recent publications, A Beginner’s Guide to Storytelling and Telling Stories to Children and writes a regular column for Storytelling Magazine. Her conference presentations include the National Storytelling Conference, Youth, Educators and Storytelling (YES), Sharing the Fire, and the Northland’s Storytelling Network.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature, she combines her passion for literacy and storytelling in delightful programs of stories from around the world. Karen believes that storytelling inspires students, offering them opportunities to succeed in ways they never imagined!

“Karen catches the children and never lets them go.” Karen Allen, New Bedford Whaling Museum, MA

Program Titles: Jaws, Claws and Paws: Animal Stories From Around the World; Tales With Scales: Fish Stories From Around the World; The Trickster Tour; The Treasure Chest; Book A Trip Around the World; Winter Wonderland; Spooktacular Stories; The Spirit of the Season; Pathways to Peace

Workshop/Residencies: Storytelling With Ease; Story by Story – Building a School Storytelling Club; S.T.A.R. (Stories Teach and Reach); Researching Stories on the Internet

Audience Limit: 25/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $250 plus travel; Block Booking rates available. Residencies, Teacher's In-services and Conferences vary and are negotiable

Possible Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council


photo of Leeny Del Seamonds
   LEENY   DEL SEAMONDS
Master Story Performer
PO Box 1268
Westford, MA 01886
Phone/Fax: 978-692-3961
E-mail: leeny@LeenyDelSeamonds.com
Website: www.LeenyDelSeamonds.com

Leeny Del Seamonds is a vivacious Hispanic master performer of World and original stories, legends, family foibles, ghost tales and storysongs. An accomplished actor, singer and mime, Leeny transports listeners to foreign places and into multicultural situations, fostering understanding and appreciation of human and cultural diversity. With a twinkle in her eye and fire in her heart, Leeny breathes life into stories, as she masterfully and effortlessly springs from one story character to another, inviting audiences to share in her Latin/Cuban-American sense of humor and love of people. The 2002 National Storyteller of the Year®, Leeny is on the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Creative Schools Program roster, the Massachusetts Touring Program, the New England Foundation for the Arts roster, is a member of the National Storytelling Network, is a past Board Member of the League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling and a frequent contributor to their Museletter. Leeny has also been published in Storytelling Magazine, Tale Trader, and Ahhhh! A Tribute to Brother Blue. Her recording, “¡Ay Caramba! ¡Ay Ay Ay! Cuentos y Canciónes (Latino Stories & Songs),” won a 2003 Parents’ Choice Silver Honor; and her acclaimed recording, CelloTales: The Melding of Music, Myth & Memories, (with cellist Gideon Freudmann) won a 2004 Parents' Choice Gold Award and a 2005 Storytelling World Winner Award.

Leeny Del Seamonds has been featured at the National Storytelling Festival and Teller-in Residence at the International Storytelling Center, both in Jonesborough, TN. Leeny was a headliner at “Gimistory," The Cayman Islands International Storytelling Festival, BWI; The Women's Center of Jacksonville Annual Celebration of Women; the Virginia Storytelling Alliance Gathering in Richmond, VA; Tcha Tee Man Wi Storytelling Festival in Corvallis, OR; Three Apples Storytelling Festival in Harvard, MA; Prarie Center for the Arts Stoytelling Festival, Schaumberg, IL; Smoky Hill River Festival, Salina, KS; Nebraska Stoytelling Festival; Mariposa Storytelling Festival in CA; Multi-Cultural Stroytelling Festival in Eguene, OR; and Baltimore Book Festival, sponsored by Parents' Choice Foundation. She has been featured at dozens of national festivals and special events, including Clearwater Great Hudson River Revival in New York; Corn Island Storytelling Festival in Louisville, KY; John F. Kennedy Library & Museum; WaterFire Park in Providence, R.I. (four times); Hudson Valley Storytelling Festival; Connecticut Storytelling Festival (twice); First Night Boston (seven times); Hynes Convention Center (five times); Club Passim in Cambridge, MA; The Hatch Shell in Boston (twice); Connecticut Storytelling Institute (three times) and the Nu Wa Stoytelling Cultural Exchange Tour in China.

Leeny is a regular presenter at the Sharing the Fire Storytelling Conference, Cambridge, MA, and in March 1996 was the featured Opening Keynote performer. She was Keynote for The Conference on Storytelling for Children at Keene State College, NH, and has performed and presented at the National Storytelling Conferences in Philadelphia, Kansas City, Rhode Island, Denver and Bellingham, WA. Leeny is a regular cast member on Ribert & Robert's WonderWorld, an award-winning national PBS Television and DVD series airing in the United states and Singapore and distributed worldwide.

An multi award-winning international artist, Leeny is available for performances, workshops, teacher in-service, commissioned pieces, coaching, Keynote addresses, television and touring.

Program Titles: Foibles, Folklore & Fun!; Tales, Trials & Tribulations; The Star Inside; ¡Ay Caramba!; The Nature of Things; For the Birds!; The Home of the Brave; Hooray for Heroes!; Which Way to the Witch?; Winter Magic Tales; Far Out! A Spacial Odyssey; I'magic'nation; Millennium Myths & Madness!; Kudos for Courage & Kindness!* and CelloTales* with cellist Gideon Freudmann. (*Bookings for these programs available through Young Audiences of Massachusetts

Workshops: Creative Dramatics; Mime, Movement & Improvisation; A Time for Mime; Making the Most of Your Voice; Telling a Tale; ¡Ay Caramba—Dos!; and From Storybook to Storyteller: Making the Story Your Own!; Spoken Word Alive!

Audience Limit: 200/performance; 28/workshop

Fee: $500/one school daytime performance; $700/two; $900/three. $150/school workshop; $550+-evening/special; $2000+ for festivals/touring (*plus travel)


photo of Jackson Gillman
   JACKSON   GILLMAN -   "Stand-Up   Chameleon"
PO Box 41
Onset, MA 02558
(508) 295-0886
E-Mail: jacksong@jacksongillman.com
Web site: www.jacksongillman.com

Sparkling with energy, wit and whimsy, the "Stand-Up Chameleon" magically transforms into a wide array of colorful characters. Through his many talents as songsmith, comic, mime and storyteller, Jackson engages and delights audiences of all ages with his highly visual and interactive performances. Many different shows to choose from including several educational nature programs. Has been a featured performer at festivals across the country. For 6-12 grades, his two substance abuse awareness presentations have been used annually by schools for their prevention programming. 28 years experience, easy-going and flexible, references galore.

Program Titles: Nature in Action, Story & Song; Riot in the Garden; BUGS!; Applemania; Autumn Wonders; Halloween Silly Willies; Winter Revels; Spring into Action; On a Wing and a Song; The Man Who Planted Hope; Kipling: "Just So"; Levity in Motion; Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors (with ASL); The Dancing Man (with ASL); Holiday Revels (with ASL); Hard Knocks - substance abuse program (grade 6 and up)

Fee: starts at $375 + travel

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts


photo of Bonnie Greenberg
   BONNIE   GREENBERG
Bonnie Greenberg
63 Gould Road
Newton, MA 02468
(617) 244-2884
Fax: (617) 455-6597
E-Mail: BBonnieG@aol.com
Website: www.bonniegreenberg.net

Bonnie's vibrant, engaging stories are rooted in her love of people, her Appalachian childhood, and her experiences in Israel. Designed for all ages, her broad repertoire opens the hearts of listeners and connects them with tradition, memories, and images of life's possibilities. Multicultural themes are often accompanied by guitar and audience participation. Her stories are about ordinary people whose extraordinary lives will inspire you to find the special meaning in your life. Jewish folklore a specialty.

Program Titles: Many Faces, One Spirit (multicultural tales from around the world with music); Celebrate! Tellabrate! (holiday stories); From the Hearts of the People (Holocaust resistance and righteous gentiles); Survival Tales of the African-American and Jewish People, with Sandi Hannibal

Audience Limit: 60/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $400 plus travel. Block booking discounts.

Funding Source: Massachusetts Cultural Council

Special Requirements: lapel microphone if possible, otherwise regular mike


photo of Tim Van Egmond
  TIM VAN EGMOND
Folksinger & Storyteller
118 E. Chestnut Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351-9541
(413) 367-9304
E-mail: timve@rcn.com
Website: www.timvanegmond.com

Tim Van Egmond waves together tales, tunes, and songs -- from the rib- tickling to the spine-tingling to the heart-warming. Music flows in and around his stories through his singing and playing on a wide variety of traditional instruments (including limberjack, hammered and mountain dulcimer, mouth bow, guitar, conga drum, and pennywhistle). His dynamic style incorporates dramatic movement, voice, and facial expression to make stories come alive. His gift of encouraging participation makes for high-spirited and engaging programs. Each program is tailored to meet special needs and interests of sponsors and participants.

Teacher and Student Workshops also available.

Program Titles: Building Bridges - A Celebration of Multicultural Diversity and Understanding; Hearing Nature's Voice; You're (Not) So Different From Me - Disability Awareness; Sun and Moon and Stars; The Story Bag; Sing, Jump, Say, Clap! - Language and Literacy Readiness Activities for Early Childhood; Young Fogies & Old Whippersnappers - intergenerational programs with students and seniors.

Audience Limit: 50/class; 200/assembly (Extra charges for classes over 50 or assemblies over 200)

Fee: 1 show- $350 + travel; 2 shows - $525; 3rd and 4th show, $175 each; Block-booking discount available.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council Creative Teaching Partners Program


DANCE


photo of Brian Gillie
   BRIAN   GILLIE
In Massachusetts:
Gail LaRocca, The LaRocca Agency
7 Mt. Pleasant Street,Winchester, MA 01890
(781)729-1537
E-mail: GailLaRocca@compuserve.com

In Connecticut:
Young Audiences of Connecticut
3074 Whitney Avenue, Bldg 2, 2nd floor
Hamden, CT 06518
(203) 230-8101
Email: info@yaconn.org

Brian Gillie's Website: www.BrianGillie.com

Brian Gillie, 1999 YAC Artist of the Year and CCT Master Teaching Artist, is a rare artist who does it all: singer, dancer, pianist, historian and educator. His interactive performances and workshops showcase the histories, stylings and novelty of America’s social dances and popular songs from 1776 to today, and they empower students with critical thinking skills, encouraging them to believe in their creative genius and improvisational possibilities.

Brian is a Master Teaching Artist with the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism and travels New England with the Commission’s Touring Artists program. He has toured the northeast states with the Reel Nutmeg Colonial Dance Company, The Elm City Vintage Dancers and the Mountain Laurel Cloggers. Brian was principal choreographer with the Connecticut Swing Dancers for five years and currently has two nationally available swing dance instructional videos. Brian has been an annual lecturer/performer at Yale and Wesleyan Universities and was recently an adjunct professor of dance at Naugatuck Valley Community College. He has been a teacher-training leader at the National Dance Association’s annual conference in Boston, and is a dance and music historian and consultant to song and dance educators. Brian believes that early movement and dance experiences improve overall academic success and well-being.

Brian currently offers five all-school assembly programs and five residency/workshop choices for both student and teacher in-service training.

Assembly Programs:

Salute to Song in America: An amazing multi-media mix of live and pre-recorded music, biographies and history capture the essence of songs, singers and composers from patriots, Civil War, ragtime, Broadway, swing, rock and everything in-between.

History of Social Dance in America: Seen your students dance lately? History, humor and period music accompany dances from Charleston to Cha Cha, Ragtime to Rumba, and Lindy Hop to Hip Hop. Students participate throughout the presentation of over 35 dances.

Song, Dance and the Possibilities: Try Brian’s “anyone can write a song and anyone can invent a dance” experience. Learn the predictable ingredients of song and dance, then dare to break the rules to create the extraordinary. Sing a ragtime classic in doo-wop style; add rap rhythms to a rap tune; create a hip-hop version of the Charleston. Students learn to trust their own imaginations.

Song Dance and the Possibilities – the Holiday Version: Based on Song, Dance and the Possibilities, Brian and audience explore elements of song and dance, then invent a hip holiday dance to a funky seasonal tune, and all in the house mastermind an original holiday song full of local color and personalities and perhaps some flying reindeer and dancing snowmen. Ho Ho Ho!

The History of Early Rock & Roll: History, humor, costumes, props, original sound bites, stand-up piano playing, radio commercials and impersonations serve to reveal rock’s evolution from blues to doo-wop, Motown to Beatles and more. Sh-BOOM!

It’s a Grand Night for Singing: (for family night, festivals, celebrations) Brian’s original songs and dances require audience participation to help complete cool lyrics and funky moves. Creative, up-lifting fun!

Workshops, Residencies and Teacher Training

Songwriting Workshop: Students are introduced to the elements of song: rhythm, lyrics, melody, theme, harmony and style. Using these elements students build a song from scratch. Students also learn how technology, business and “pop”culture, and the rules of grammar, poetry and music determine a song’s effectiveness, clout and popularity.

Never Too Small to Dance and Boogie (grades K – 2): Research shows that movement exploration and simple dance choreography work to open up the cognitive pathways of our youngest students. These benefits last a lifetime and cross over in to all areas of physical and mental behavior. Brian and students explore the basics and do ‘em large, loose, low, in reverse, in slow motion and “your way.”

Folk Dances: 1700 – 1900 (grades 3 and up): a regular addition for those students studying America’s 18th and 19th centuries. Selections include square, line and circle dances as well as marches, waltzes, polkas and early couple dances, particularly of the Revolutionary and Civil War eras.

Ballroom Dances of the Twentieth Century (grades 3 and up): Starting with ragtime and animal dances at the turn of the century, students participate in the progression of dance from blues to roaring twenties, Latin, swing, country, novelty, rock and additional possibilities for the next generation.

Swing Dance Intensive (grades 4 and up): Swing dance is “in,” so invite Brian for a workshop or residency to learn the hops, spins, jumps, kicks, spins and twirls that made swing dancing famous. Learn some hip combinations or a full swing routine.

Fee: $400/one performance; $700.00/two performances; $450.00/evening and special events; Workshops: $600.00/day. Libraries and camps; $250/one performance



ARBOR DAY

  MICHAEL CADUTO
PO Box 1052
Norwich, VT 05055
(802) 649-1815
Website: www.p-e-a-c-e.net
Email: michaelcaduto@p-e-a-c-e.net

Using traditional storytelling techniques, song, dance, guitar, Native instruments, discussion and activities, Michael Caduto immerses his audiences in programs about World cultures and Earth Stewardship. Performances are available based on Native cultures and the environment from throughout North America and beyond.

Michael's natural history and environmental programs include slides, folklore, guitar and song, field trips and, in some cases, live animals. These programs help children understand, appreciate and care for Earth --- the plants, animals and cultures with whom we share this planet.

Michael is the author of the award-winning Earth Tales From Around the World and In the Beginning: The Story of Genesis and Earth Activities for Children (A new color picture book for 2004), and co-author of the best-seller, Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children.

Program Titles: Keepers of the Earth; Earth Tales from Around the World; The Rainbow Garden (Celebrating Cultural Diversity); Native American Thanksgivings; Keepers of the Animals; Keepers of the Night; Flying Turtles and Talking Bears; Nature in Native American Myths; Italian Tales of Wisdom; Earth Gardens and the Seeds of Life; The Loon's Necklace; The Children Who Plant Trees; Tales from the Deep: Legends of the Living Waters; and Touching the Sky Dome:Tales of the Sun, Stars and Moon

Audience Limit: 50/class; 250+/assembly

Fee: $225-350 for each performance/workshop, plus .30/mile. Residencies are $600/day.

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts, Vermont Arts Council, New Hampshire Council on the Arts.

Special Requirements: Michael works in all kinds of environments, from classrooms and school libraries to assemblies and outdoor festivals. When indoors, a quiet space that can be darkened enhances the performance.



CHRISTMAS

photo of Crabgrass Puppet Theatre
   CRABGRASS   PUPPET   THEATRE
Encore Performing Arts, Inc
Roberta Wolinsky
PO Box 630
Melville, NY 11747
(800) 669-9850
Fax: (631) 423-1795
Email: puppets@encoreperforming.com
Website: http://www.crabgrasspuppets.com/

Crabgrass Puppet Theatre presents quality puppet theatre featuring a variety of intricate and unusual puppets, colorful scenery, music, and expert manipulation. Programs available include:

"Anansi, Spiderman of Africa" is a side-splitting selection of famous folktales from Africa starring Anansi the spider, whose appetite always overrules his intellect. The show is a dynamic blend of traditional African design, infectious music and fabulous puppetry.

“The Bremen Town Musicians” is an enchanting Brothers Grimm folktale. Thrown off their farms because they are too old to work, a donkey, a cat and a rooster form a singing group and set off for the big city to make it in show biz. Along the way they meet a nasty bunch of robbers, and it’s up to the animals to get rid of them. In doing so, they discover that everyone has a special talent and that only by working together can they achieve their dreams.

"Mr. Punch's Christmas Carol" is a lighthearted adaptation of Dickens' holiday classic, starring Mr. Punch as Scrooge.

"The Last Dragon on Earth" is a modern fairytale about learning to live together in peace. It tells the story of a Princess that does not need to be rescued from a misunderstood dragon who happens to be the very last one on earth.

Program Titles: Anansi, Spiderman of Africa; The Bremen Town Musicians; Mr. Punch's Christmas Carol; The Last Dragon on Earth

Special Requirements: 9 ft. ceiling clearance

Fee: $875-1000 for 1; $1150-1300 for 2 back-to-back

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts, Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, VT Council on the Arts


photo of Galapagos Puppet Theater
   GALAPAGOS   PUPPET   THEATER
Margaret Moody
78 Varnum Street
Arlington, MA 02174
(781) 643-1228
Email: mmne@galapagospuppets.com
Website: www.galapagospuppets.com/index.htm

Galapagos performs folk and history tales of Chinese, Jewish and Scandinavian cultures with expressive hand puppets. Using traditional Chinese puppets and choreography we present three episodes of the Chinese epic Journey to the West. "The Golem" and "Trolls in the Kitchen" offer entertaining introductions to Jewish and Scandinavian folktales. In "Esther's Story," a life-sized puppet shares the Holocaust diaries of the teenaged Esther Cohn. Galapagos has toured the East Coast since 1987, and has extensive experience in schools, libraries and museums.

Program Titles: Fire Cloud Cave; The Banana Princess; Monkey Wreaks Havoc; Esther's Story; Trolls in the Kitchen; The Golem

Audience Limit: 275/assembly; 125 small group

Fee: Most shows: $500 single performance; $800 two performances on same day
Shows by solo puppeteer for audiences of no more than 125; $200

Special Requirements: "Esther's Story" needs a room that can be darkened


photo of Lisa & Friends
   *Lisa & Friends*
15 Julie Drive
Wrentham, MA 02093
(508) 384-1442
E Mail: lisamusic@comcast.net
Website: www.lisamanning.com

Lisa Manning of *Lisa & Friends* has entertained thousands of people over the decades in many venues. Music helps keep children's attention, and when it's coupled with puppets and interactive games, learning becomes more enjoyable and memorable. Below are program offerings and descriptions:

Spirit of America This program offers a general scope of American history from the plight of the pilgrims and the courage of the pioneers to modern eras. The show touches on the Revolutionary War, Civil War, WW1 and WW2, and the reasons they happened. Topics such as immigration, reconstruction, and the railroad are also discussed. Interactive games and the musical puppets heighten awareness.

The Fabulous Fifties This show reflects the simple, pleasant, and patriotic decade when people realized the American Dream of home ownership. Lisa narrates the great advancements made in the decade: in medicine (polio vaccine), social conflicts (racial segregation was ruled unconstitional), and technology (television and outer space missions). Lisa wears a poodle skirt and joins Elvis, Mickey, and others, singing songs of the era. There's an audience discussion on family values and conflict resolution as well as interactive games that include a hula hoop contest.

Cruise Jubilee This journey takes the assembly from the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal to Mexico, and over to Hawaii (an interesting stretch of the imagination). The Cruise Director gives an informative travelogue on what to do and see at each port. The information includes a discussion on dialects, a bit of Spanish, foods, and traditions. Delightful calypso music, sung by Lisa and her puppet friends, keeps the show lively as well as educational. Interactive games include a limbo contest.

Hooray for Hollywood Ever wonder how Hollywood became the moving picture capital of the world? This program begins with 3 minutes of mime, depicting the silent movies, accompanied by vintage music. It continues on to feature film favorites including Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Marilyn Monroe, and Mickey Mouse! The show talks about social events such as the Depression, WW2, and the advent of TV, and how these events impacted on the movie industry. This extravaganza involves 15 large puppets, (and multiple props) singing movie favorites from the talkies of 1927 through today. Children volunteer to dress as movie stars on Oscar night as well as other interactive games.

Old Fashioned Christmas All the Christmas favorites, plus puppets, to make the season bright! Highlights include "O Tannenbaum" sung by a lit Tree, Matilda sings "Mary's Boy Child". Susie sings "Jingle Bells", and the Dog howls!! With help from the kids, we keep the Grinch from stealing Christmas (a magic trick!). Kids play clackers to "Rockin' Round the Christmas Tree ", prance with Rudolph, and dance as angels while everyone sings carols (lyric sheets furnished).

Program Titles: Spirit of America; The Fabulous Fifties; Cruise Jubilee; Hoorary for Hollywood;Old Fashioned Christmas

Grade Level Suitability: K - 6th

Audience Limit: 300/assembly

Fee: $350/assembly, plus travel; additional programs on same day 1/2 price

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts, Local Cultural Councils


photo of Debbie O'Carroll
   DEBBIE   O'CARROLL   MAGICAL  THEATRE   FOR   CHILDREN
Debbie O'Carroll
51 Olive Street
Newburyport, MA 01950
(978) 462-9954
Fax: (978) 462-9954
Email: debbie@debbieocarroll.com
Website: www.debbieocarroll.com

Debbie O'Carroll is a 'one of a kind' performer. She combines stage magic, theatre, and dance with lots of audience participation. Her appealing props, delightful costumes, enchanting magic and lively stage movement both educate and entertain.

Program Titles: The Magic Library (reading); Celebrate the December Holidays (diversity); Whoops the Wizard (science); The Irish Magic Show (children's literature); The Yankee Doodle Magic Show (social studies); The Railroad Magic Show (geography); The Magic of Exercise (physical fitness); Tall Tales from a Small World (geography); Magical Medley (performing arts); Shorten the Road, Tales of Ireland; Tom & Debbie O'Carroll, The Music & Magic of Ireland; Addacadabra (Math)

Grade Level Suitability: Pre-K through 6

Audience Size Limit: None.

Fee: $300 - $400; Block Booking rates for two or more performances. Discounts for after school programs.


photo of Michael Graham's Spring Valley Puppet Theater
   MICHAEL   GRAHAM'S   SPRING   VALLEY   PUPPETS
26 Howard Ave.
New Haven, CT 06519-2809
(203) 777-4601
E Mail: svpuppet@aol.com
Website: www.springvalleypuppets.com

Michael Graham, Director of the Spring Valley Puppet Theater, has been performing professionally since 1966 for schools and libraries throughout New England. His theatrical productions are drawn from fairy tales, folktales and fables, and feature beautifully crafted hand and rod puppets. A bilingual (English/Spanish) program is also available. Most programs are followed by a question and answer period.
Jack and the Beanstalk received the 1994 UNIMA "Citation of Excellence" in the Art of Puppetry.

Program Titles: Jack and the Beanstalk; The Three Wishes; The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing; Puss in Boots; The Lazy Fox/El Zorro Perezoso (bilingual available); A Christmas (Holiday) Fantasy (all music, non-verbal program. (In the works - Aladdin)

Audience Limit: 350/Assembly

Fee: Jack and the Beanstalk (35-40 min.) $345 for first show, $280 for second show same school
The Three Wishes" & The Wolk in Sheep's Clothing, (30-35 min.) $335 for first show, $270 for second show same school
The Lazy Fox & The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (30-35 min.) $335 for first show, $270 for second show same school
A Christmas Fantasy & The Three Wishes (25-30 min.) $335 for first show, $270 for second show same school
The Lazy Fox & The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (30-35 min.) $335 for first show, $270 for second show same school
Puss in Boots (40-45 min.) $335 for first show, $290 for second show same school

Special Requirements: an indoor area 12' wide X 6' deep, near electricity, with a 10' ceiling height; a room that can be darkened or dimmed is preferable. 2 hrs. set-up


photo of The Wayne Martin Puppets
   THE  WAYNE  MARTIN  PUPPETS
Wayne Martin
134 Beach Street
Boston, MA 02111-2817
(617) 423-3663
Fax: (617) 348-2115
E Mail: wayne.martin@WayneMartinPuppets.com
Web Site: http://www.WayneMartinPuppets.com

The Wayne Martin Puppets school assembly programs showcase a series of sophisticated variety marionette and hand puppet vignettes performed "Open Stage" with dramatic lighting and special effects. Productions stimulate students' imagination onto a path of self-discovery and expression via this most integrated of art forms. Teacher guides and demonstrations included. (Grades K-6)

Since forming his company in 1966, Wayne Martin has worked as a principal puppeteer for the Heiken Puppets, Sid and Marty Krofft Productions and Jim Henson's Muppets.

Martin has been featured in numerous television programs and commercials that have earned him two Emmy Award nominations.

He has toured Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia and presents his one-man variety revue hundreds of times each year across the United States. All of the puppets are designed and built by Martin in an act that has appeared with such established artists as Bob Hope, Dolly Parton, The 5th Dimension and The Temptations.

Program Titles: Art of the Puppet; Spring into Easter; Drac's Back!; Santa's North Pole Express

Audience Limit: 350/assembly

Fee: Starts at $600.00

Special Requirements: Electricity, a performing area whose minimum dimensions are 16' wide X 12' deep, with 8' ceiling clearance, and a room that is preferably darkened.

Possible Funding Source: Massachusetts Cultural Council


photo of You and Me Puppets
   YOU   and   ME   PUPPETS
Ellen Weiner
Professional Artists Management
2411 Bay Road
Sharon, MA 02067
(781) 784-6394
Fax: (781) 784-5393
E Mail: elweiner@att.net
Website: www.elweiner.com

Judith O'Hare developed the You and Me Puppets in 1977 to provide a way for children to be expressive through the art of puppetry. Her style of participatory puppetry is unique and her work in puppetry in education has been recognized by the Puppeteers of America through a leadership award in 1994, and most recently she has been named a national education consultant. She oversees a yearly "Puppets: Education Magic" teacher training project, speaks at educational conferences and provides on-site teacher training for schools. She also works in partnership with teachers to develop classroom puppet plays from conception to performance. Student workshops are also available in a variety of subject matter.

Program Titles: Memories of a Chinese Grandmother (Grades K - 8); The Selfish Giant (Grades K - 6); Jessica's Friends (preK - 4); Hansel and Gretel (K - 6), Tales from Greek Mythology (Grades 5-8; Petite Puppet Plays (preK-4)

Audience Limit: 25/workshop/class; 200/assembly

Fee: Start at $350, reduction for same performance/same day/same location.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts, B.O.C.E.S. (New York)

Special Requirements: assistance for loading and unloading, electricity, space approx. 15X20



COLUMBUS DAY

photo of NOW Voyager Educational Programs
   NOW   VOYAGER   EDUCATIONAL   PROGRAMS
Carol Cohen
23 Pine Grove Ave.
Sharon, MA 02067
(781) 784-5197
E Mail: carolcohen@verizon.net
Website: www.nved.com

For over 12 years Now Voyager has been informing students and teachers about the world – it’s history, geography and culture in the most creative ways. We now offer nine programs, all aligned with state curriculum frameworks which we refer to as “IN SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS”. No busses, no waiting, just learning and fun. Programs include: Hands on Geography: Welcome to the World, Pioneers and the Westward movement, Ancient China, Ancient Greece, Digging up Ancient Civilizations, Voyage of Columbus , Alaska the Last Frontier and African Adventure. Residencies and Teacher Workshops are available as well.

Carol Cohen, the company’s creator, has many years experience working in the field of education. She is on the faculty of Lesley University Graduate School of Education where she teaches Social Studies Methods. She holds three Massachusetts teaching certifications and is an approved Massachusetts Professional Development Provider. In addition, Carol is a published historian having authored the Oregon Trail Jackdaw for Golden Owl Publishing in New York.

A brief description of some of our most popular programs:

Ancient China: Living history program that transports students to Ancient China during the Bronze age. At this hands on workshop in a recreated Chinese home, students visit the kitchen for food tasting, step into the shop where they can put on clothing and accessories of the time, visit the music room where they will participate in a wonderful ancient Chinese folktale and spend time at the school room to practice calligraphy. ( Individual classes – 1 hour )

The Oregon Trail Our program about the movement west begins with a play called Journey to Oregon. (one hour - up to 100 students ) The play is followed by Ft. Laramie, a hands on pioneer workshop complete with general store. ( Individual classes –one hour )

Hands On Geography: Welcome to the World - Interactive geography presentation using a oversized world map. Hands on activities and storytelling. Individual classes attend. Appropriate for all elementary and middle school grade levels as either an introduction or review. Program for each grade varies with tie to framework. i. e 4th grade - focus on the worlds physical features and the geography of North America.

Digging Up Civlizations - Multimedia two part workshop introducing the science of archeology and six ancient civilizations. Combination of storytelling, hands on archeology and an oversized board game activity.) Part one up to 50 students attend for one hour. Part two individual classes attend for one hour )

Ancient Greece - Living history program which is designed to introduce students to daily life in Athens during it’s Golden Age 442 B.C. through a hands on approach to history. We will transform your school gym into Ancient Athens for the day complete with a marketplace, school, home, theatre and pottery shop. ( Individual classes- 1 hour )

Voyage of Columbus - Join Columbus and his first mate in this interactive living history program. Each student will join the crew of the Santa Maria and help Columbus outfit his ship for his second voyage. Geared for grades K-2. ( Individual classes 1 hour )

Colonial School Days - Living History Program - Prudence Gray – owner of a dame school in Colonial America invites students in for lessons and recess. ( Individual classes – 1 hour ).

Please contact us or view our website for more complete information about our programs.

Program Titles: Hands on Geography: Welcome to the World; Pioneers and the Westward movement; Ancient China; Ancient Greece; Digging up Ancient Civilizations; Voyage of Columbus; Alaska the Last Frontier; and African Adventure.

Audience Limit: 100

Special Requirements: Area (not necessarily a stage) for large covered wagon & scenery; setup

Fees: Prices range from $150.00 for individual class workshops to $500.00 for larger group performances.


EARTH DAY


  MICHAEL CADUTO
PO Box 1052
Norwich, VT 05055
(802) 649-1815
Website: www.p-e-a-c-e.net
Email: michaelcaduto@p-e-a-c-e.net

Using traditional storytelling techniques, song, dance, guitar, Native instruments, discussion and activities, Michael Caduto immerses his audiences in programs about World cultures and Earth Stewardship. Performances are available based on Native cultures and the environment from throughout North America and beyond.

Michael's natural history and environmental programs include slides, folklore, guitar and song, field trips and, in some cases, live animals. These programs help children understand, appreciate and care for Earth --- the plants, animals and cultures with whom we share this planet.

Michael is the author of the award-winning Earth Tales From Around the World and In the Beginning: The Story of Genesis and Earth Activities for Children (A new color picture book for 2004), and co-author of the best-seller, Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children.

Program Titles: Keepers of the Earth; Earth Tales from Around the World; The Rainbow Garden (Celebrating Cultural Diversity); Native American Thanksgivings; Keepers of the Animals; Keepers of the Night; Flying Turtles and Talking Bears; Nature in Native American Myths; Italian Tales of Wisdom; Earth Gardens and the Seeds of Life; The Loon's Necklace; The Children Who Plant Trees; Tales from the Deep: Legends of the Living Waters; and Touching the Sky Dome:Tales of the Sun, Stars and Moon

Audience Limit: 50/class; 250+/assembly

Fee: $225-350 for each performance/workshop, plus .30/mile. Residencies are $600/day.

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts, Vermont Arts Council, New Hampshire Council on the Arts.

Special Requirements: Michael works in all kinds of environments, from classrooms and school libraries to assemblies and outdoor festivals. When indoors, a quiet space that can be darkened enhances the performance.


photo of Jackson Gillman
   JACKSON   GILLMAN -   "Stand-Up   Chameleon"
PO Box 41
Onset, MA 02558
(508) 295-0886
E-Mail: jacksong@jacksongillman.com
Web site: www.jacksongillman.com

Sparkling with energy, wit and whimsy, the "Stand-Up Chameleon" magically transforms into a wide array of colorful characters. Through his many talents as songsmith, comic, mime and storyteller, Jackson engages and delights audiences of all ages with his highly visual and interactive performances. Many different shows to choose from including several educational nature programs. Has been a featured performer at festivals across the country. For 6-12 grades, his two substance abuse awareness presentations have been used annually by schools for their prevention programming. 28 years experience, easy-going and flexible, references galore.

Program Titles: Nature in Action, Story & Song; Riot in the Garden; BUGS!; Applemania; Autumn Wonders; Halloween Silly Willies; Winter Revels; Spring into Action; On a Wing and a Song; The Man Who Planted Hope; Kipling: "Just So"; Levity in Motion; Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors (with ASL); The Dancing Man (with ASL); Holiday Revels (with ASL); Hard Knocks - substance abuse program (grade 6 and up)

Fee: starts at $375 + travel

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts


photo of Steve Schuch
  STEVE SCHUCH
Night Heron Music
267 Center Road
Hillsboro, NH 03244
(800) 785-9678
E Mail: info@nightheron.com
Website: http://www.NightHeron.com

Join award-winning musician, author, and storyteller STEVE SCHUCH on a voyage of discovery. Striking pieces for violin and whales... magical tales of from around the world... lively singing, fun with languages, and the science of sound... all are part of Steve’s wide-ranging repertoire. Music and story selections are grade level appropriate, exemplifying arts education at its best. All programs include a free set of Books, CD’s and Educator Prep Materials. Steve offers encouragement for young writers and musicians as well. Honors include Artist Fellowships, composer awards and five fiddling championships. Steve’s musical story, A Symphony of Whales, received five national book awards, and his children’s recording, Trees of Life, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Schools often include an Author Book/CD Signing with a portion of the proceeds going back to the school. Details at: www.NightHeron.com.

"Warmth and storytelling magic." –Los Angeles Times

"Exceptionally fine... Schuch brings as much skill and intelligence to folk music as he does to classical." –The Boston Globe

Sample Program: A Symphony of Whales
Learn about whales, their songs and their encounters with humans. Listen to a true tale of arctic rescue and hear Steve’s unforgettable“Whale Trilogy” –– a solo violin piece played with these mysterious songs of the deep. Weaving together science and performance, this program includes material from Steve’s travels, CD’s and award-winning book, A Symphony of Whales. “Riveting indeed.” –Smithsonian

Program Titles: A Symphony of Whales; The Author’s Story; Songs & Tales Around the World; Music & Tales of Ireland; Songs & Tales of the Earth; Life in a Third World Village (music & slide program); Roots of Rhythm & Harmony; Fiddler on the Loose; Imagination & the Art of Storytelling; The Writer's Workshop; Parent/Educator Workshops; Family Concerts; Artist Residencies.

Audience Limit: 250/assembly; 30/workshop; call to discuss Family Concerts and Artist Residencies

Fee: Contact artist for details.

Funding Sources: Title II Grants, New England Foundation for the Arts, New Hampshire Arts Council, B.O.C.E.S. (New York)



EASTER


photo of The Wayne Martin Puppets
   THE  WAYNE  MARTIN  PUPPETS
Wayne Martin
134 Beach Street
Boston, MA 02111-2817
(617) 423-3663
Fax: (617) 348-2115
E Mail: wayne.martin@WayneMartinPuppets.com
Web Site: http://www.WayneMartinPuppets.com

The Wayne Martin Puppets school assembly programs showcase a series of sophisticated variety marionette and hand puppet vignettes performed "Open Stage" with dramatic lighting and special effects. Productions stimulate students' imagination onto a path of self-discovery and expression via this most integrated of art forms. Teacher guides and demonstrations included. (Grades K-6)

Since forming his company in 1966, Wayne Martin has worked as a principal puppeteer for the Heiken Puppets, Sid and Marty Krofft Productions and Jim Henson's Muppets.

Martin has been featured in numerous television programs and commercials that have earned him two Emmy Award nominations.

He has toured Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia and presents his one-man variety revue hundreds of times each year across the United States. All of the puppets are designed and built by Martin in an act that has appeared with such established artists as Bob Hope, Dolly Parton, The 5th Dimension and The Temptations.

Program Titles: Art of the Puppet; Spring into Easter; Drac's Back!; Santa's North Pole Express

Audience Limit: 350/assembly

Fee: Starts at $600.00

Special Requirements: Electricity, a performing area whose minimum dimensions are 16' wide X 12' deep, with 8' ceiling clearance, and a room that is preferably darkened.

Possible Funding Source: Massachusetts Cultural Council

HALLOWEEN

MUSIC || PUPPETRY || STORYTELLING


MUSIC


photo of Jim Douglas
   JIM   DOUGLAS
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
E-Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu

Jim Douglas sings history alive! Students love his "In Tune With the Times" programs because they are lively and entertaining. They enjoy hearing and singing great songs, seeing new and interesting folk instruments, and learning about other people and times. Teachers love the programs because they reinforce many classroom lessons. Enrichment providers love the programs because they bring to life a special part of our musical and cultural heritage in a way that is authentic, meaningful, and memorable.

During two decades as a full-time school performer, Jim has shared his love and extensive research of the past and its music with audiences of all ages in well over a thousand schools. Mr. Douglas has a Master's Degree in History (University of Connecticut), has published four books, and released seven recordings of New England songs and stories. His book, Songs of New England: A Sourcebook for Teachers, is being used extensively throughout the region, and his most recent book, Music in Every Classroom : A Resource Guide for Integrating Music Across the Curriculum, Grades K-8 (Libraries Unlimited), is helping teachers across the country enrich their classes. Jim's latest recording, Under A Spell, earned the prestigious American Library Association Notable Award.

Jim's work has been supported by such organizations as the National Foundation for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Young Audiences of Maryland and Connecticut, Connecticut Humanities Council, Old Sturbridge Village, Mystic Seaport, and Plimoth Plantation.

Program Titles: Yankee Doodle and His Cousin (colonial songs); A Peddler's Pack (songs of old New England); (Your State) Songster; Thar She Blows! (songs the whalemen sang); A House Divided (songs of the Civil War); The American Saga (American folk songs); From Farm to Factory; Across the Western Ocean (Irish immigration); Freedom Is A Constant Struggle (the Constitution); Thereby Hangs A Tale (tall tales from New England)

Audience Limit: 40/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $350 - 1 assembly; $275for each assembly after; $400/day of classes (up to 4/day)

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council


photo of Yankee Notions
   YANKEE  NOTIONS
Jim Douglas
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
Fax: (508) 213-2333
E Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu
Website: www.timvanegmond.com

Years ago, friends and neighbors gathered at community and family events to share stories, play tunes and sing songs. Times have changed, but those songs, tunes and stories continue to delight, especially when performed by Yankee Notions.

Yankee Notions is Jim Douglas and Tim Van Egmond. Both are accomplished singers, storytellers, and musicians (guitar, hammered dulcimer, English concertina, pennywhistle, Appalachian dulcimer). Performing throughout New England for close to 20 years, Yankee Notions has been featured in hundreds of community concerts and festivals, schools, libraries, senior centers, and heritage museums (including Old Sturbridge Village (MA), Historic Deerfield (MA), Mystic Seaport (CT), Old Bethpage Village Restoration (NY), and Plimoth Plantation (MA)).

Because of their extensive repertoire and experience in working with audiences of all ages in a wide variety of situations, Yankee Notions can provide a concert program tailored to your audience’s interests and needs. (We also provide indoor/outdoor sound system at no extra cost.)

Sample School Programs Include:
  • A Peddler’s Pack: An eclectic mix from New England and beyond. Lively Irish and French Canadian tunes, traditional and contemporary songs sung in two-part harmony.
  • The Sailor’s Trade: Shanties (work songs) and fo’c’sle songs (songs for recreation) from the days of ‘wooden ships and iron men.’
  • The Jolly Farmer: Perfect for agricultural fairs and the like. Songs and tunes from 18th and 19th century New England, when ‘the farmer was the man’
  • Seasonal/Holiday Samplers: Whether it’s a Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, First Night, Old Home Day, St. Patrick’s Day or other special day, here’s the entertainment to help celebrate it in style!

Program Titles: A Peddler's Pack; The Sailor's Trade; The Jolly Farmer; Seasonal/Holiday Samplers

Fee: Starts at $650 for 2 assemblies, same day, same school. Block booing discounts available.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts


PUPPETRY


photo of Galapagos Puppet Theater
   GALAPAGOS   PUPPET   THEATER
Margaret Moody
78 Varnum Street
Arlington, MA 02174
(781) 643-1228
Email: mmne@galapagospuppets.com
Website: www.galapagospuppets.com/index.htm

Galapagos performs folk and history tales of Chinese, Jewish and Scandinavian cultures with expressive hand puppets. Using traditional Chinese puppets and choreography we present three episodes of the Chinese epic Journey to the West. "The Golem" and "Trolls in the Kitchen" offer entertaining introductions to Jewish and Scandinavian folktales. In "Esther's Story," a life-sized puppet shares the Holocaust diaries of the teenaged Esther Cohn. Galapagos has toured the East Coast since 1987, and has extensive experience in schools, libraries and museums.

Program Titles: Fire Cloud Cave; The Banana Princess; Monkey Wreaks Havoc; Esther's Story; Trolls in the Kitchen; The Golem

Audience Limit: 275/assembly; 125 small group

Fee: Most shows: $500 single performance; $800 two performances on same day
Shows by solo puppeteer for audiences of no more than 125; $200

Special Requirements: "Esther's Story" needs a room that can be darkened


photo of The Gerwick Puppets
   GERWICK   PUPPETS
Lenny Gerwick and Deborah Costine
6 Wood Street
Southborough, MA 01772
(508) 481-6260
E Mail: info@gerwickpuppets.com
Website: gerwickpuppets.com

Twenty-five years of performing for New England school children! Eight productions are available, designed for K-6. The productions are performed on our elaborate 15' wide puppet theater with scenery lighting and classical music. Curriculum materials available.

Demonstrations are offered on the various aspects of creating puppet theater.

Puppetmaking Workshops for the classroom are available as part of a puppetry unit.

Other workshop topics include hand puppet manipulation, developing character voices and creating a puppet script from a story.

The Gerwick Puppets are available as Artists in Residence and are approved by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Program Titles: Adventures from Thornton W. Burgess; Inside the Haunted House; Aladdin and the Magic Lamp; Aesop's Fables; Rip Van Winkle; Pilgrim Adventure to America; Brer Rabbit Trickster Tales; Mid Winter Magic; The Puppets Teach Fire Safety

Audience Limit: 250

Fee: 1 performance $700.00, 2 performances $1,000, 3 perf. $1250; Residency days are $250/day/artist

Special Requirements: The puppet theater requires a space of 15 ft. width, 10 ft. depth and 8 ft. height. A darkened room is best.


photo of KLS
  KLS  Magic  Castle  Puppet  Theater
Andrea O'Regan
24 Pearl Street Extension
Beverly, MA 01915
Toll Free: (866) 236-8208
E Mail: KLSPuppets@aol.com
Website: klspuppets.homestead.com

The KLS Magic Castle Puppet Theater has been performing in schools and libraries for more than 12 years. Providing science enrichment for the lower elementary grades, our puppet theater can be set up in your caf, auditorium, library or classroom. Included are topics from the Curriculum Frameworks. Shows are interactive and include music. Children receive opportunities for growth of imagination and creative expression. (Prior to working in puppetry Andrea O'Regan was an elementary science teacher, graduating from Northeastern University with Graduate level work in the Creative Arts Program at Lesley University.)

Program Title: Oceans Away; Animals in Winter; The Pirate's Missing Pumpkin (Halloween); A Long Winter's Nap; Giorgio's Springtime Soup; Dinosaurs; The Rain Forest; The Amazing Life Cycle of the Butterfly. Animal Hibernation shows appropriate for each grade PreK through 2

Audience Grade Level Suitability: PreK - 3

Audience Size: up to 150 per show

Special Requirements: Electricity

Fee: $300 for one show; $500 for two shows same day; call for rates outside eastern Massachusetts


photo of Sparky's Puppets
  SPARKY'S  PUPPETS
Sparky Davis
28 Ferncrest Ave.
Cranston, RI 02905-3511
(401) 467-0159
E-Mail: Popcorn700@aol.com
Website: www.sparkyspuppets.com

Enjoy the lively antics of these colorful hand puppets as they perform adaptations of favorite children's books! Each show includes several stories full of action, humor and plenty of audience participation. Choose from dozens of tales to create a program for any season or occasion!

Sparky's Puppets have performed in schools, libraries and festivals throughout New England for over 25 years. A recent sponsor wrote, "Awesome! I was entranced through your whole show! Your folktales were very imaginative and they made the children think about natural happenings. They were positively, 100% engaged throughout the program! Keep up the great work!" Debbie Miceli, Grade 3 Teacher, West Vine St. School, Pawcatuck, CT. (Grades K - 4)

Program Titles: Aesop's Fables; Tales of Sea and Shore; The Book Detective; Stories from Snowy Lands; Hats Off to Reading; How Does Your Garden Grow?; Halloween Spells; A Golden Christmas; Trickster Tales; and more

Audience Limit: 35/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $275 + .40/mile round trip

Special Requirement: electricity


photo of The Wayne Martin Puppets
   THE  WAYNE  MARTIN  PUPPETS
Wayne Martin
134 Beach Street
Boston, MA 02111-2817
(617) 423-3663
Fax: (617) 348-2115
E Mail: wayne.martin@WayneMartinPuppets.com
Web Site: http://www.WayneMartinPuppets.com

The Wayne Martin Puppets school assembly programs showcase a series of sophisticated variety marionette and hand puppet vignettes performed "Open Stage" with dramatic lighting and special effects. Productions stimulate students' imagination onto a path of self-discovery and expression via this most integrated of art forms. Teacher guides and demonstrations included. (Grades K-6)

Since forming his company in 1966, Wayne Martin has worked as a principal puppeteer for the Heiken Puppets, Sid and Marty Krofft Productions and Jim Henson's Muppets.

Martin has been featured in numerous television programs and commercials that have earned him two Emmy Award nominations.

He has toured Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia and presents his one-man variety revue hundreds of times each year across the United States. All of the puppets are designed and built by Martin in an act that has appeared with such established artists as Bob Hope, Dolly Parton, The 5th Dimension and The Temptations.

Program Titles: Art of the Puppet; Spring into Easter; Drac's Back!; Santa's North Pole Express

Audience Limit: 350/assembly

Fee: Starts at $600.00

Special Requirements: Electricity, a performing area whose minimum dimensions are 16' wide X 12' deep, with 8' ceiling clearance, and a room that is preferably darkened.

Possible Funding Source: Massachusetts Cultural Council


STORYTELLING


   MARK   BINDER
Pembroke Villa
PO Box 2462
Providence, RI 02906
(401) 272-8707
Email: mark@markbinder.com
Website: www.markbinder.com

Mark Binder is the author of the Everything Bedtime Story Book, and has had hundreds of short stories published in newspapers and magazines like The Family, Hadassah, and Cricket. He is a professional storyteller and recording artist, with five storytelling CDs, including the award-winning Classic Stories for Boys and Girls. Mark graduated from the Trinity Rep Theater Conservatory, earned a BA from Columbia University, an MA from Rhode Island College, and has taught as an adjunct professor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He is a Rhode Island Artist Educator, and on the New England Foundation for the Arts Touring Roster. He is a founder of the American Story Theater and has served on the board of the League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling. His programs have received grant funding from the United States Department of Education, the Rhode Island Department of Education, the City of Providence, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, National Storytelling Network, and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts.

Program Title: Tales for Peace, Eureka! Science and Math Stories; Tall Tales and Whoppers; The Instant Short Story; Silly Stories; Tales of Chelm; Holiday Stories and Songs; Spooky Stories; Tales from the Outdoors; Telling and Reading Stories with Children...

Audience Limit: 250/assembly

Fee: $750 half day, $1000 full day

Possible Funding Sources: RI State Council on the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts, B.O.C.E.S. (New York)


  MICHAEL CADUTO
PO Box 1052
Norwich, VT 05055
(802) 649-1815
Website: www.p-e-a-c-e.net
Email: michaelcaduto@p-e-a-c-e.net

Using traditional storytelling techniques, song, dance, guitar, Native instruments, discussion and activities, Michael Caduto immerses his audiences in programs about World cultures and Earth Stewardship. Performances are available based on Native cultures and the environment from throughout North America and beyond.

Michael's natural history and environmental programs include slides, folklore, guitar and song, field trips and, in some cases, live animals. These programs help children understand, appreciate and care for Earth --- the plants, animals and cultures with whom we share this planet.

Michael is the author of the award-winning Earth Tales From Around the World and In the Beginning: The Story of Genesis and Earth Activities for Children (A new color picture book for 2004), and co-author of the best-seller, Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children.

Program Titles: Keepers of the Earth; Earth Tales from Around the World; The Rainbow Garden (Celebrating Cultural Diversity); Native American Thanksgivings; Keepers of the Animals; Keepers of the Night; Flying Turtles and Talking Bears; Nature in Native American Myths; Italian Tales of Wisdom; Earth Gardens and the Seeds of Life; The Loon's Necklace; The Children Who Plant Trees; Tales from the Deep: Legends of the Living Waters; and Touching the Sky Dome:Tales of the Sun, Stars and Moon

Audience Limit: 50/class; 250+/assembly

Fee: $225-350 for each performance/workshop, plus .30/mile. Residencies are $600/day.

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts, Vermont Arts Council, New Hampshire Council on the Arts.

Special Requirements: Michael works in all kinds of environments, from classrooms and school libraries to assemblies and outdoor festivals. When indoors, a quiet space that can be darkened enhances the performance.


photo of Karen Chace
   KAREN   CHACE
97 Chipaway Road
East Freetown, MA 02717
(508) 763-8565
E Mail: storybug@aol.com
Website: www.storybug.net

Since 2000 Karen has presented her enthusiastic, interactive, and participatory programs at libraries, conferences and schools around the country. She is also the founder and director of a student storytelling program and since 2002 she has mentored over 85 student storytellers. She is a contributing author to the National Storytelling Network's recent publications, A Beginner’s Guide to Storytelling and Telling Stories to Children and writes a regular column for Storytelling Magazine. Her conference presentations include the National Storytelling Conference, Youth, Educators and Storytelling (YES), Sharing the Fire, and the Northland’s Storytelling Network.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature, she combines her passion for literacy and storytelling in delightful programs of stories from around the world. Karen believes that storytelling inspires students, offering them opportunities to succeed in ways they never imagined!

“Karen catches the children and never lets them go.” Karen Allen, New Bedford Whaling Museum, MA

Program Titles: Jaws, Claws and Paws: Animal Stories From Around the World; Tales With Scales: Fish Stories From Around the World; The Trickster Tour; The Treasure Chest; Book A Trip Around the World; Winter Wonderland; Spooktacular Stories; The Spirit of the Season; Pathways to Peace

Workshop/Residencies: Storytelling With Ease; Story by Story – Building a School Storytelling Club; S.T.A.R. (Stories Teach and Reach); Researching Stories on the Internet

Audience Limit: 25/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $250 plus travel; Block Booking rates available. Residencies, Teacher's In-services and Conferences vary and are negotiable

Possible Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council


photo of Jim Douglas
   JIM   DOUGLAS
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
E-Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu

Jim Douglas sings history alive! Students love his "In Tune With the Times" programs because they are lively and entertaining. They enjoy hearing and singing great songs, seeing new and interesting folk instruments, and learning about other people and times. Teachers love the programs because they reinforce many classroom lessons. Enrichment providers love the programs because they bring to life a special part of our musical and cultural heritage in a way that is authentic, meaningful, and memorable.

During two decades as a full-time school performer, Jim has shared his love and extensive research of the past and its music with audiences of all ages in well over a thousand schools. Mr. Douglas has a Master's Degree in History (University of Connecticut), has published four books, and released seven recordings of New England songs and stories. His book, Songs of New England: A Sourcebook for Teachers, is being used extensively throughout the region, and his most recent book, Music in Every Classroom : A Resource Guide for Integrating Music Across the Curriculum, Grades K-8 (Libraries Unlimited), is helping teachers across the country enrich their classes. Jim's latest recording, Under A Spell, earned the prestigious American Library Association Notable Award.

Jim's work has been supported by such organizations as the National Foundation for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Young Audiences of Maryland and Connecticut, Connecticut Humanities Council, Old Sturbridge Village, Mystic Seaport, and Plimoth Plantation.

Program Titles: Yankee Doodle and His Cousin (colonial songs); A Peddler's Pack (songs of old New England); (Your State) Songster; Thar She Blows! (songs the whalemen sang); A House Divided (songs of the Civil War); The American Saga (American folk songs); From Farm to Factory; Across the Western Ocean (Irish immigration); Freedom Is A Constant Struggle (the Constitution); Thereby Hangs A Tale (tall tales from New England)

Audience Limit: 40/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $350 - 1 assembly; $275for each assembly after; $400/day of classes (up to 4/day)

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council


photo of Jackson Gillman
   JACKSON   GILLMAN -   "Stand-Up   Chameleon"
PO Box 41
Onset, MA 02558
(508) 295-0886
E-Mail: jacksong@jacksongillman.com
Web site: www.jacksongillman.com

Sparkling with energy, wit and whimsy, the "Stand-Up Chameleon" magically transforms into a wide array of colorful characters. Through his many talents as songsmith, comic, mime and storyteller, Jackson engages and delights audiences of all ages with his highly visual and interactive performances. Many different shows to choose from including several educational nature programs. Has been a featured performer at festivals across the country. For 6-12 grades, his two substance abuse awareness presentations have been used annually by schools for their prevention programming. 28 years experience, easy-going and flexible, references galore.

Program Titles: Nature in Action, Story & Song; Riot in the Garden; BUGS!; Applemania; Autumn Wonders; Halloween Silly Willies; Winter Revels; Spring into Action; On a Wing and a Song; The Man Who Planted Hope; Kipling: "Just So"; Levity in Motion; Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors (with ASL); The Dancing Man (with ASL); Holiday Revels (with ASL); Hard Knocks - substance abuse program (grade 6 and up)

Fee: starts at $375 + travel

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts


photo of Rona Leventhal
   RONA   LEVANTHAL
439 West Road
Ashfield, MA 01330
(413) 586-0624/(413) 628-0031
E-mail: rona@ronatales.com
Website: www.ronatales.com

Rona Leventhal is one person, but many voices. Through her, skies talk, turtles sing, and magic happens! "Part mime, part singer, part actress, she walks her tales, talks them, sketches them with her hands, and stretches them from the ceiling to the floor" *. Rona will have you dancing, swaying in your seats, making funny noises, singing, and laughing, as she shares stories from the silly to the serious, from the mysterious to the monsterous! *Bruce Watson, Amherst Bullion, MA

Over the past fifteen years Rona has gained a reputation as an exuberant and dynamic Performer, bringing with her a cornucopia of voices, characters and cultural accents. Dramatic and engaging, she tells tales from many cultures, as well as original stories, giving us insights on how to live more clearly with ourselves, others, and the earth. She beautifully weaves together movement, songs, and humor, encouraging audience participation, and creating a joyful sense of community! Whether in the schools or in a public forum, Rona has the ability to communicate with the audience in a way that effectively imparts a message in a captivating and entertaining fashion.

But Wait! There’s more! Rona is also a Specialist of Improvisational Theatre and Movement and a Visiting Lecturer and Adjunct Faculty with the Education Departments at Columbia University, Lesley University and the University of Massachusetts. She’s a Certified Teacher and an Environmental and Outdoor Educator. Add to the mix her work in Integrating-the-Arts-into-the-Curriculum, creative writing and her work in Team Building and group dynamics and you have a multi-faceted Educator, Performer, professional development Trainer and Speaker.

An Eclectic Educator, Rona is deeply committed to working with teachers in school residencies to reach their curricula goals. Developing imagination is one of the keystones of her work...... an essential component, she believes, to inquiring and creative minds. She is also passionate about bringing literacy to students an an exciting, motivational, and accessible way. This includes in-school Residencies, Teacher Workshops and Parent/Literacy Nights.

Rona is an approved Teaching Artist and Performer with the Massachusetts, New York (BOCES), Alaskan, and Utah arts councils, the Wang Center for Performing Arts (Boston) and the New England Touring Roster (funding available). She is applauded for her enthusiastic spirit, supportive nature, and inspiring talent. In residencies, she works closely with teachers to meet curricua needs using an array of educational and fun activities to achieve goals. She tells stories, does residencies, gives keynote addresses, and leads workshops internationally. She performs the story-theatre piece "Degas and the Little Dancer", is co-editor of the book, Spinning Tales, Weaving Hope: Stories of Peace, Justice, and the Environment, which contains an article co-authored by Rona, “Ten Reasons to Use Storytelling in the Classroom”. The book received 2003 Honors Award from Storytelling World Magazine. Upcoming projects include several recordings, performances with historical content, and the book The Power of Imagination: Teaching to Creative Minds.

Program Titles: Earth Celebrations!; Woven As One - Stories and Songs of Community; The Silkie's Song - Stories and Songs of the Sea;Turning the wheel: Seasonal Tales; Rising Up: Stories of Struggles, Justice, Freedom and Hope; Tales from Russia; Asian Sampler; Feel'in Proud: Stories of self-esteem; Go Girls!: Stories of Strong Women and Girls; A Kaleidoscope of Stories: A Medley of Tales from Around the World; Oy Vey!: Stories from the Jewish Tradition; Mysteries, Puzzles and Mind Twisters: Stories to Ponder and Play with; Haunts, Haints and Hollers: Stories for Halloween; Degas and the Little Dancer: A Story Theatre Piece; and Subject-Specific Stories upon request (additional fee for creating new shows).

School Residencies and Workshops: Kids telling Stories; Kids Creating Stories; Writing Outside the lines: Storytelling as a Gateway for Improving Children's Writing (descriptive language); Story Quilts; Moving the Body, Freeing the Mind: The Art of Storytelling; Improvisational theatre and Movement; Creative Writing; What Color is the Wind: Integrating the Arts into the Curriculum; History Alive!: Collecting and Performing Oral Histories; Fictional Tales of Truth: Diversity and Anti-Bias Education; Literacy/Parents Nights; Environmental Education, Hold On!: Building Cooperative Classrooms (team building). Many curriculum-specific possibilities.

Audience Limit: 200 max./assembly; prefer and highly recommend less!

Fee: $425-1250 for 1 - 4 shows;; Residency fees vary depending on number of days; Travel cost extra if one hour or more driving distance.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Touring Roster, Local Cultural Councils, local businesses.


photo of Rona Leventhal
   MARC   LEVITT
20 Pinehurst Street
Wakefield, RI 02879
(401) 783-0887
E Mail: marclevitt@aol.com
Website: www.marclevitt.org

Working throughout the United states and in over 25 countries, Mr. Levitt has brought his memoirs, his original folktales, his Halloween stories, and his writing instruction to thousands of schools and conferences. Considered a ‘master storyteller’ by School Library Journal, Marc Levitt uses a warm and engaging style to encourage students to honor themselves, their community and their physical environment. Author of over one hundred stories, award winning August House audio tapes, and a new book on writing, Teaching Writing from the Roots, Mr. Levitt humorously and interactively pulls stories and skills from his always receptive audiences. An award winning public humanist, educator and radio host, Mr. Levitt comes from a progressive educational tradition where the ‘whole child’ is encouraged, question-asking is stimulated and ‘real-world’ presentation in prioritized. His ‘museum-in-a-school’ project in Providence, Rhode Island, created through his unique philosophy of education, Site Specific Education has received national recognition and has been featured on ABC-TV affiliates throughout the United States. Mr. Levitt has also created musical narratives about houses, rivers, farms, and watersheds in New England. Mr. Levitt, additionally is an award winning radio host/producer and has recently completed a documentary film on Narragansett Tribal stonemasons.

Program Descriptions:

Assemblies: Mr Levitt’s programs are appropriate for K-12 and include ‘growing-up’ memoirs on topics such as getting lost, sibling rivalry and first dates, original folktale-inspired stories and juggling. These programs can be tailored for schools interested in encouraging writing and/or diversity celebration/non-violence/bullying prevention.

Tales From the October Moon: Original Halloween-type stories set within the New England landscape. (Award winning August House tape)

Johnny Appleseed; Gentle Hero: A one-person play on the life and times of this native New Englander. (Award winning August House tape)

Marco Polo: A Multi-Cultural Adventure: One-person show with music and props on this Venetian explorer. A multi-cultural adventure.

Writer-in-Residency: Mr. Levitt has created a series of stories, exercises, and games to motivate kids to write. Topics covered: sequential thinking, beginning, middle and endings, topic selection (see his new book Teaching Writing from the Roots, available from his website).

Allison and the Blackstone: A story about the history of the Blackstone River, told through the eyes of an eleven year old girl and accompanied by music from the well known and regarded 'Pendragon'.

Triple Decker: A story of a fictional triple decker in Providence, Rhode Island and of the six immigrant fammilies who moved in and out of the house over an eighty year period. Narrated by Mr. Levitt and storyteller Valerie Tutson and accompanied by original and traditional music performed by musicians from the different nationality groups depicted in this story of the immigration experience in the United States

Program Title: Tales From the October Moon, Johnny Appleseed: Gentle Hero, Marco Polo: A Multi-Cultural Adventure, Allison and the Blackstone, Triple Decker, Stories from a New York City Childhood, Writer in Residence, Diversity Celebration, Site Specific Education: Local Culture, Questions and 'Real World' Presentation

Audience Limit: 200

Fee: Starts at $500


photo of Mary Jo Maichack
  MARY   JO   MAICHACK   MINSTREL/STORYTELLER
Maichack Arts
93 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 532-3667
Fax (413) 538-6023
E Mail: EmJay7@aol.com
Website: www.maryjomaichack.com/

Mary Jo is a seasoned, national award-winning, dynamic storyteller, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and just plain entertaining performer who presents interactive variety shows for children and families. Participate in world folktales, sing, dance, laugh, listen to the fiddle, act in costumed story theater - all in one show! Since 1989, Mary Jo has performed more than 3,000 shows in libraries and schools, on PBS, featured at regional festivals: Three Apples Storytelling Festival (twice); CT Storytelling Festival; LAUGHS Fest (Virginia), Sharing the Fire conference workshop presenter, League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling, (L.A.N.E.S.) M.I.T., Boston, 2002-2005; Mark Twain Festival, Hartford, Conn.; Celebration Barn Theater, South Paris, Maine, 1992 and 1994; Norman Rockwell Museum since 1998, Schoodic Arts Festival, Northeast Harbor, Maine; and from San Francisco’s Chinatown to Scuola Gozzi in Venice, Italy. “A Great performer,” says Peg O’Sullivan, Director of the CT Storytelling Fest. Her multilingual show, “Everybody Says Hello” was nominated for a Mass. Cultural Council Gold Project Award for innovation and community building. Her audio tape, "Books Are Celebrations: Stories, Songs & Fiddling to Energize Young Readers" won a 1999 NAPPA Gold Award. New CDs include “Howlarious Halloween: Ghost Stories, Songs & Jokes from the Crypt,” and “Missing the Muffin Man,” a short story of historical fiction set in Dickens’s London.

"A consummate artist, at ease with audiences of all ages and sizes." Northampton Center for the Arts

Program Titles: Books Are Celebrations—the funniest reading show ever; Everybody Says Hello—Multilingual Fun in Story & Song; The People Could Fly/African-American Folktales and Music; Clever Maidens: Women's History in Folklore and Myth; Greek Myths—ALIVE!, Native American Tales; Skunk Grease & Turpentine (Hilarious Tall Tales & Tunes of American Pioneers); The Minstrel's Revels: A Medieval Romp; Or Would You Rather Be A Fish? Folklore & Songs of the Sea); Howlarious Halloween/Ghost Stories & Songs; Sun, Moon, Stars!; All Together Now/Stories & Songs to Celebrate Diversity; Round the World in Tales & Tunes multicultural show; The Lake of the Croaking Frogs and Other Tales & Tunes of Nature; Preschoolers’ Palooza!; Stinkbug Bugaloo: Stories & Songs of Insects; Meowls & Growls: Animal Tales; After-school programs incorporating performance with teaching kids storytelling skills; Workshops, in-service programs and residencies in storytelling for adults and children; “Oh, Behave! Family Audience Management Essentials for Event Hosts.”

Audience Limit: prefer audiences of 200 and under but will discuss any

Fee: $395 + travel (depends on distance)and up; strong block booking discounts

Funding Source: Massachusetts Cultural Council, local councils, CT Humanities Council, other


photo of Lisa & Friends
   *Lisa & Friends*
15 Julie Drive
Wrentham, MA 02093
(508) 384-1442
E Mail: lisamusic@comcast.net
Website: www.lisamanning.com

Lisa Manning of *Lisa & Friends* has entertained thousands of people over the decades in many venues. Music helps keep children's attention, and when it's coupled with puppets and interactive games, learning becomes more enjoyable and memorable. Below are program offerings and descriptions:

Spirit of America This program offers a general scope of American history from the plight of the pilgrims and the courage of the pioneers to modern eras. The show touches on the Revolutionary War, Civil War, WW1 and WW2, and the reasons they happened. Topics such as immigration, reconstruction, and the railroad are also discussed. Interactive games and the musical puppets heighten awareness.

The Fabulous Fifties This show reflects the simple, pleasant, and patriotic decade when people realized the American Dream of home ownership. Lisa narrates the great advancements made in the decade: in medicine (polio vaccine), social conflicts (racial segregation was ruled unconstitional), and technology (television and outer space missions). Lisa wears a poodle skirt and joins Elvis, Mickey, and others, singing songs of the era. There's an audience discussion on family values and conflict resolution as well as interactive games that include a hula hoop contest.

Cruise Jubilee This journey takes the assembly from the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal to Mexico, and over to Hawaii (an interesting stretch of the imagination). The Cruise Director gives an informative travelogue on what to do and see at each port. The information includes a discussion on dialects, a bit of Spanish, foods, and traditions. Delightful calypso music, sung by Lisa and her puppet friends, keeps the show lively as well as educational. Interactive games include a limbo contest.

Hooray for Hollywood Ever wonder how Hollywood became the moving picture capital of the world? This program begins with 3 minutes of mime, depicting the silent movies, accompanied by vintage music. It continues on to feature film favorites including Shirley Temple, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Marilyn Monroe, and Mickey Mouse! The show talks about social events such as the Depression, WW2, and the advent of TV, and how these events impacted on the movie industry. This extravaganza involves 15 large puppets, (and multiple props) singing movie favorites from the talkies of 1927 through today. Children volunteer to dress as movie stars on Oscar night as well as other interactive games.

Old Fashioned Christmas All the Christmas favorites, plus puppets, to make the season bright! Highlights include "O Tannenbaum" sung by a lit Tree, Matilda sings "Mary's Boy Child". Susie sings "Jingle Bells", and the Dog howls!! With help from the kids, we keep the Grinch from stealing Christmas (a magic trick!). Kids play clackers to "Rockin' Round the Christmas Tree ", prance with Rudolph, and dance as angels while everyone sings carols (lyric sheets furnished).

Program Titles: Spirit of America; The Fabulous Fifties; Cruise Jubilee; Hoorary for Hollywood;Old Fashioned Christmas

Grade Level Suitability: K - 6th

Audience Limit: 300/assembly

Fee: $350/assembly, plus travel; additional programs on same day 1/2 price

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts, Local Cultural Councils

photo of Tim Van Egmond
  TIM VAN EGMOND
Folksinger & Storyteller
118 E. Chestnut Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351-9541
(413) 367-9304
E-mail: timve@rcn.com
Website: www.timvanegmond.com

Tim Van Egmond waves together tales, tunes, and songs -- from the rib- tickling to the spine-tingling to the heart-warming. Music flows in and around his stories through his singing and playing on a wide variety of traditional instruments (including limberjack, hammered and mountain dulcimer, mouth bow, guitar, conga drum, and pennywhistle). His dynamic style incorporates dramatic movement, voice, and facial expression to make stories come alive. His gift of encouraging participation makes for high-spirited and engaging programs. Each program is tailored to meet special needs and interests of sponsors and participants.

Teacher and Student Workshops also available.

Program Titles: Building Bridges - A Celebration of Multicultural Diversity and Understanding; Hearing Nature's Voice; You're (Not) So Different From Me - Disability Awareness; Sun and Moon and Stars; The Story Bag; Sing, Jump, Say, Clap! - Language and Literacy Readiness Activities for Early Childhood; Young Fogies & Old Whippersnappers - intergenerational programs with students and seniors.

Audience Limit: 50/class; 200/assembly (Extra charges for classes over 50 or assemblies over 200)

Fee: 1 show- $350 + travel; 2 shows - $525; 3rd and 4th show, $175 each; Block-booking discount available.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council Creative Teaching Partners Program


photo of Yankee Notions
   YANKEE  NOTIONS
Jim Douglas
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
Fax: (508) 213-2333
E Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu
Website: www.timvanegmond.com

Years ago, friends and neighbors gathered at community and family events to share stories, play tunes and sing songs. Times have changed, but those songs, tunes and stories continue to delight, especially when performed by Yankee Notions.

Yankee Notions is Jim Douglas and Tim Van Egmond. Both are accomplished singers, storytellers, and musicians (guitar, hammered dulcimer, English concertina, pennywhistle, Appalachian dulcimer). Performing throughout New England for close to 20 years, Yankee Notions has been featured in hundreds of community concerts and festivals, schools, libraries, senior centers, and heritage museums (including Old Sturbridge Village (MA), Historic Deerfield (MA), Mystic Seaport (CT), Old Bethpage Village Restoration (NY), and Plimoth Plantation (MA)).

Because of their extensive repertoire and experience in working with audiences of all ages in a wide variety of situations, Yankee Notions can provide a concert program tailored to your audience’s interests and needs. (We also provide indoor/outdoor sound system at no extra cost.)

Sample School Programs Include:
  • A Peddler’s Pack: An eclectic mix from New England and beyond. Lively Irish and French Canadian tunes, traditional and contemporary songs sung in two-part harmony.
  • The Sailor’s Trade: Shanties (work songs) and fo’c’sle songs (songs for recreation) from the days of ‘wooden ships and iron men.’
  • The Jolly Farmer: Perfect for agricultural fairs and the like. Songs and tunes from 18th and 19th century New England, when ‘the farmer was the man’
  • Seasonal/Holiday Samplers: Whether it’s a Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, First Night, Old Home Day, St. Patrick’s Day or other special day, here’s the entertainment to help celebrate it in style!

Program Titles: A Peddler's Pack; The Sailor's Trade; The Jolly Farmer; Seasonal/Holiday Samplers

Fee: Starts at $650 for 2 assemblies, same day, same school. Block booing discounts available.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts



MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY


photo of Abigail
  ABIGAILp; JEFFERSON
P.O. Box 176
Peacedale, RI 02883
(401) 932-6565 or (401) 783-4982
EMail: abijef@cox.net
Website: www.abigailjefferson.com

Abigail "Ifatola" Jefferson, storyteller, dancer and arts educator, performs and conducts workshops nationally. Through a unique blend of story, dance, song, and rhythm, Abigail brings to life traditional stories from around the globe. Her performance presentations are highly interactive, educational and fun-filled. Audiences of all ages have described her performances and workshops as inspiring, informative, and energizing.

Abigail has conducted workshops and performed in schools, churches, prisons, shelters, theatres, festivals and libraries. She is a graduate of Howard University with a B.F.A. in theatre, and holds a M.Ed. from Lesley University. Currently, Abigail is an adjunct professor for Lesley University's Creative Arts and Learning Program, and the co-director of Celebration of Culture, a program designed to increase students' and educators' appreciation of diversity. She has traveled to Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, and Cuba to study cultural traditions.

Program Title: Dance, Drum, Story or Celebration of Culture

Audience Limit: 200

Fee: $500 plus travel

Funding Source: New England Foundation for the Arts, Rhode Island State Council for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, local councils.

  MICHAEL CADUTO
PO Box 1052
Norwich, VT 05055
(802) 649-1815
Website: www.p-e-a-c-e.net
Email: michaelcaduto@p-e-a-c-e.net

Using traditional storytelling techniques, song, dance, guitar, Native instruments, discussion and activities, Michael Caduto immerses his audiences in programs about World cultures and Earth Stewardship. Performances are available based on Native cultures and the environment from throughout North America and beyond.

Michael's natural history and environmental programs include slides, folklore, guitar and song, field trips and, in some cases, live animals. These programs help children understand, appreciate and care for Earth --- the plants, animals and cultures with whom we share this planet.

Michael is the author of the award-winning Earth Tales From Around the World and In the Beginning: The Story of Genesis and Earth Activities for Children (A new color picture book for 2004), and co-author of the best-seller, Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children.

Program Titles: Keepers of the Earth; Earth Tales from Around the World; The Rainbow Garden (Celebrating Cultural Diversity); Native American Thanksgivings; Keepers of the Animals; Keepers of the Night; Flying Turtles and Talking Bears; Nature in Native American Myths; Italian Tales of Wisdom; Earth Gardens and the Seeds of Life; The Loon's Necklace; The Children Who Plant Trees; Tales from the Deep: Legends of the Living Waters; and Touching the Sky Dome:Tales of the Sun, Stars and Moon

Audience Limit: 50/class; 250+/assembly

Fee: $225-350 for each performance/workshop, plus .30/mile. Residencies are $600/day.

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts, Vermont Arts Council, New Hampshire Council on the Arts.

Special Requirements: Michael works in all kinds of environments, from classrooms and school libraries to assemblies and outdoor festivals. When indoors, a quiet space that can be darkened enhances the performance.


photo of Mary Jo Maichack
  MARY   JO   MAICHACK   MINSTREL/STORYTELLER
Maichack Arts
93 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 532-3667
Fax (413) 538-6023
E Mail: EmJay7@aol.com
Website: www.maryjomaichack.com/

Mary Jo is a seasoned, national award-winning, dynamic storyteller, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and just plain entertaining performer who presents interactive variety shows for children and families. Participate in world folktales, sing, dance, laugh, listen to the fiddle, act in costumed story theater - all in one show! Since 1989, Mary Jo has performed more than 3,000 shows in libraries and schools, on PBS, featured at regional festivals: Three Apples Storytelling Festival (twice); CT Storytelling Festival; LAUGHS Fest (Virginia), Sharing the Fire conference workshop presenter, League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling, (L.A.N.E.S.) M.I.T., Boston, 2002-2005; Mark Twain Festival, Hartford, Conn.; Celebration Barn Theater, South Paris, Maine, 1992 and 1994; Norman Rockwell Museum since 1998, Schoodic Arts Festival, Northeast Harbor, Maine; and from San Francisco’s Chinatown to Scuola Gozzi in Venice, Italy. “A Great performer,” says Peg O’Sullivan, Director of the CT Storytelling Fest. Her multilingual show, “Everybody Says Hello” was nominated for a Mass. Cultural Council Gold Project Award for innovation and community building. Her audio tape, "Books Are Celebrations: Stories, Songs & Fiddling to Energize Young Readers" won a 1999 NAPPA Gold Award. New CDs include “Howlarious Halloween: Ghost Stories, Songs & Jokes from the Crypt,” and “Missing the Muffin Man,” a short story of historical fiction set in Dickens’s London.

"A consummate artist, at ease with audiences of all ages and sizes." Northampton Center for the Arts

Program Titles: Books Are Celebrations—the funniest reading show ever; Everybody Says Hello—Multilingual Fun in Story & Song; The People Could Fly/African-American Folktales and Music; Clever Maidens: Women's History in Folklore and Myth; Greek Myths—ALIVE!, Native American Tales; Skunk Grease & Turpentine (Hilarious Tall Tales & Tunes of American Pioneers); The Minstrel's Revels: A Medieval Romp; Or Would You Rather Be A Fish? Folklore & Songs of the Sea); Howlarious Halloween/Ghost Stories & Songs; Sun, Moon, Stars!; All Together Now/Stories & Songs to Celebrate Diversity; Round the World in Tales & Tunes multicultural show; The Lake of the Croaking Frogs and Other Tales & Tunes of Nature; Preschoolers’ Palooza!; Stinkbug Bugaloo: Stories & Songs of Insects; Meowls & Growls: Animal Tales; After-school programs incorporating performance with teaching kids storytelling skills; Workshops, in-service programs and residencies in storytelling for adults and children; “Oh, Behave! Family Audience Management Essentials for Event Hosts.”

Audience Limit: prefer audiences of 200 and under but will discuss any

Fee: $395 + travel (depends on distance)and up; strong block booking discounts

Funding Source: Massachusetts Cultural Council, local councils, CT Humanities Council, other


photo of Sumner McClain
   SUMNER   McCLAIN
Ellen Weiner
Professional Artists Management
2411 Bay Road
Sharon, MA 02067
(617) 784-6394
Fax: (781) 784-5393
E Mail: elweiner@att.net
Website: www.elweiner.com

A respected and sought-after storyteller, Sumner's message is Yes! You can be anything you want to be. Appreciating differences and self-esteem are two topics close to his heart and ones that are frequently requested. In addition, he has in his repertoire many stories from folk literature as well as the African-American experience. His original story about Martin Luther King, Jr., "Daddy King" is heavily booked each year. Workshops for students and teachers are also available.

Audience Limit: 25/workshop; 200/assembly

Fee: Begin at $400 for the first performance, $250 for each thereafter same day/same location.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts, B.O.C.E.S. (New York)


PRESIDENT'S DAY


photo of Historical Perspectives for Children
   HISTORICAL   PERSPECTIVES   FOR   CHILDREN   INC.
Joan Schaeffer
1344 East Bailey Road
Naperville, IL 60565
(800) 305-0472
Fax: (630) 305-6042
E Mail: hpc_inc@yahoo.com
Website: www.historicalperspectives.net

Historical Perspectives for Children's full theatrical productions dramatize each character's life from their childhood through their adulthood, enabling children to see and understand the process each went through to achieve what they did. These dynamic, interactive and very entertaining programs are accented with slides, sound effects and voiceover to very visually bring each character to life.

Program Titles: Ben Franklin: Statesman and Inventor; Abraham Lincoln: American Pesident; Helen Keller: Champion of the Disabled; Clara Barton: A Great Humanitarian; Amelia Earhart: Pioneer in Aviation

Audience Limits: Assembly - 300

Fee: Ranges from $475 - $775, depending on location. Block-booking discounts available.

Funding Source: BOCES (New York)


SAINT PATRICK'S DAY


photo of Ann Shapiro and Tom Callinan Ann Shapiro and Tom Callinan
c/o Crackerbarrel Entertainments
168 Shore Road
Clinton, CT 06413-2340
(860) 669-6581; Toll-Free Outside Connecticut: (800) 565-3687
Fax: (860) 669-6648
E-Mail: tom.c@crackerbarrel-ents.com
Website: http://www.crackerbarrel-ents.com/tomann01.htm

For over 20 years, the husband and wife team of Tom Callinan and Ann Shapiro have toured an assortment of informative and entertaining participatory programs throughout the Eastern Seaboard of the United states for audiences as diverse as nursery schools through nursing homes. Whether appearing as solo artists or as their duo, they blend their extensive repertoire of songs, which span many centuries, with an impressive array of instruments from the wind, string, and percussion families. As storytellers, they tell stories in tandem or individually, embellished with humor, music, sound effects, and audience involvement. Each has been designated a Master Teaching Artist by the Connecticut Commission on the Arts,

Tom was designated as Connecticut's first "Official State Troubadour" in 1991. His credits include: The Kennedy Center, "Good Morning America," "Shining Time Station," and many others. Honors include: composing songs included in an Emmy Award-winning documentary and co-writing songs on a Parents Choice Gold Award recording, among others.

In addition to her work as a creative and performing artist, Ann also serves as the Education Director of the Connecticut Storytelling Center, in-residence at Connecticut College. Her administrative skills include writing grants and arranging residencies at schools and other cultural venues.

They have produced over a dozen recordings on CD and cassette. A catalog is available, along with printed study-guides pertaining to their Arts-In-Education programs. Information about their teacher-training and consulting services are available as well.

Program Titles: Come On & Sing; From Sea to Shining Sea; Holiday Hodge Podge; In the Good Old Colony Days; I'm Gonna Write a Song; Home Fires; Imagine Menagerie; Thumbs Up for Connecticut; Sea Songs, Chanteys, and Nautical Lore; Irish and Irish-American Songs and Stories; Let's Clean Up Our Act; Conflict Resolution, and more.

Audience Limit: 30/class; 300/assembly

Fees: Assembly- $650/duo, $400/solo; Classroom- $400 per day/4 classes-solo

Funding Sources: Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, New England Foundation for the Arts, BOCES (New York).

Special Requirements: Access to performance space 45 minutes before first show


photo of Don Sinetti and Tom Callinan Don Sineti and Tom Callinan
c/o Crackerbarrel Entertainments
168 Shore Road
Clinton, CT 06413-2340
860)669-6581; Toll-Free Outside Connecticut: (800) 565-3687
Fax:(860)669-6648
E-Mail: tom.c@crackerbarrel-ents.com
Website: http://www.crackerbarrel-ents.com/don_and_tom.htm

With banjo, concertina, guitar, spoons, bodhran, ocarina, penny whistles, bones, and limberjack, Tom and Don are masters of generating audience participation. Their infectious performing style blends sea songs and traditional folksongs with folk-revival and original compositions. Sea chanteys (work songs), done in powerful harmony, recall the days of wooden ships and iron men. Ballads and songs about the environment and the plight of the world's endangered whales bring out their more sensitive side. Effortlessly, the duo shifts gears from ballads, to toe-tapping instrumentals, to silly ditties. They are ideal for inter-generational/family audiences and fund-raisers.

Their programs can be specific or eclectic in theme, depending on the needs of the sponsoring organization (school, library, museum, etc.). Some feature the implementation of "home-made" apparatus to simulate the experience of working on a ship for volunteers selected from the audience. Rhythm instruments are often distributed to volunteers selected from the audience to form a "foo-foo" band, reminiscent of those found in immigrant communities, or on ship-board in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th Centuries. Music, songs, Don's award-winning illustrations, slides, and an assortment of hands-on artifacts raise the lecture/demo format to a multi-media experience.

Program Titles: Songs & Tales of Ships & Whales; Folksongs - Old & New; Songs For the Earth; Instruments & Instrumentals; Drawn By the Song of the Sea (Illustrations/Slides & Music).

Audience Limit: 30/class; 300/assembly

Fees: Assembly - $650/duo, $400/solo; Classroom - $400 per day/ 4 classes - solo

Funding Sources: Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, New England Foundation for the Arts, BOCES (in New York)

Special Requirements: Access to performance space 45 minites before first show


photo of Jim Douglas
   JIM   DOUGLAS
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
E-Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu

Jim Douglas sings history alive! Students love his "In Tune With the Times" programs because they are lively and entertaining. They enjoy hearing and singing great songs, seeing new and interesting folk instruments, and learning about other people and times. Teachers love the programs because they reinforce many classroom lessons. Enrichment providers love the programs because they bring to life a special part of our musical and cultural heritage in a way that is authentic, meaningful, and memorable.

During two decades as a full-time school performer, Jim has shared his love and extensive research of the past and its music with audiences of all ages in well over a thousand schools. Mr. Douglas has a Master's Degree in History (University of Connecticut), has published four books, and released seven recordings of New England songs and stories. His book, Songs of New England: A Sourcebook for Teachers, is being used extensively throughout the region, and his most recent book, Music in Every Classroom : A Resource Guide for Integrating Music Across the Curriculum, Grades K-8 (Libraries Unlimited), is helping teachers across the country enrich their classes. Jim's latest recording, Under A Spell, earned the prestigious American Library Association Notable Award.

Jim's work has been supported by such organizations as the National Foundation for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Young Audiences of Maryland and Connecticut, Connecticut Humanities Council, Old Sturbridge Village, Mystic Seaport, and Plimoth Plantation.

Program Titles: Yankee Doodle and His Cousin (colonial songs); A Peddler's Pack (songs of old New England); (Your State) Songster; Thar She Blows! (songs the whalemen sang); A House Divided (songs of the Civil War); The American Saga (American folk songs); From Farm to Factory; Across the Western Ocean (Irish immigration); Freedom Is A Constant Struggle (the Constitution); Thereby Hangs A Tale (tall tales from New England)

Audience Limit: 40/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $350 - 1 assembly; $275for each assembly after; $400/day of classes (up to 4/day)

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council


photo of Steve Schuch
  STEVE SCHUCH
Night Heron Music
267 Center Road
Hillsboro, NH 03244
(800) 785-9678
E Mail: info@nightheron.com
Website: http://www.NightHeron.com

Join award-winning musician, author, and storyteller STEVE SCHUCH on a voyage of discovery. Striking pieces for violin and whales... magical tales of from around the world... lively singing, fun with languages, and the science of sound... all are part of Steve’s wide-ranging repertoire. Music and story selections are grade level appropriate, exemplifying arts education at its best. All programs include a free set of Books, CD’s and Educator Prep Materials. Steve offers encouragement for young writers and musicians as well. Honors include Artist Fellowships, composer awards and five fiddling championships. Steve’s musical story, A Symphony of Whales, received five national book awards, and his children’s recording, Trees of Life, a Parents’ Choice Gold Award. Schools often include an Author Book/CD Signing with a portion of the proc?eds going back to the school. Details at: www.NightHeron.com.

"Warmth and storytelling magic." –Los Angeles Times

"Exceptionally fine... Schuch brings as much skill and intelligence to folk music as he does to classical." –The Boston Globe

Sample Program: A Symphony of Whales
Learn about whales, their songs and their encounters with humans. Listen to a true tale of arctic rescue and hear Steve’s unforgettable“Whale Trilogy” –– a solo violin piece played with these mysterious songs of the deep. Weaving together science and performance, this program includes material from Steve’s travels, CD’s and award-winning book, A Symphony of Whales. “Riveting indeed.” –Smithsonian

Program Titles: A Symphony of Whales; The Author’s Story; Songs & Tales Around the World; Music & Tales of Ireland; Songs & Tales of the Earth; Life in a Third World Village (music & slide program); Roots of Rhythm & Harmony; Fiddler on the Loose; Imagination & the Art of Storytelling; The Writer's Workshop; Parent/Educator Workshops; Family Concerts; Artist Residencies.

Audience Limit: 250/assembly; 30/workshop; call to discuss Family Concerts and Artist Residencies

Fee: Contact artist for details.

Funding Sources: Title II Grants, New England Foundation for the Arts, New Hampshire Arts Council, B.O.C.E.S. (New York)


photo of Roger Tinknell
   ROGER  TINCKNELL
78 Pratt Corner Road
Shutesbury, MA 01072
(413) 259-1146
E-Mail: roger@rogertincknell.com
Website: www.rogertincknell.com

Two-time Parents’ Choice Award-winning recording artist, Roger Tincknell offers participatory, curriculum-based music assemblies and workshops. As a former classroom teacher and music specialist, Roger provides enriching multi-cultural, historical, and environmental programs. His repertoire includes international folk-songs sung in a variety of languages as well as songs and dances from Native, African, European and Asian- American traditions. He plays guitar, banjo, mandolin, piano, ukulele, Irish bozouki, Incan charango, Russian balalaika, Puerto Rican cuatro, harmonica, Native American flutes, African drums and Latin percussion. His programs include: Across the Americas, a musical journey from Canada to South America; Earth Rhythms, an environmental program, Children's Songs and Singing Games, a participatory multicultural program for younger grades. Roger also offers songwriting workshops and hands-on programs for special needs and very young children. Comprehensive study guides are provided.

Program Titles: Across the Americas (can be tailored to include: Colonial America to the Revolution, Immigration and Industrial America; From Slavery to Civil Rights; Cowboys, Yodeling and Western Expansion; Latin American Songs, Dances and Instruments; Songs of the Sea.); Earth Rhythms (Celebrates and teaches environmental awareness); Children's Songs and Singing Games; Holidays from Around the World (Winter Solstice Celebration, Martin Luther King Jr., St. Patrick's Day, Halloween and others); Under One Sky: A Multicultural Musical Journey around the World

Audience Limit: 40/class; 400/assembly

Fee: $350-$400 (plus travel) sliding scale for one show with additional programs on same day 1/2 price.

Funding Source: MCC, Local Cultural Councils and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Very Special Arts, BOCES (NY), SCLC (CT)

Special Requirements: table and access to electricity


photo of Yankee Notions
   YANKEE  NOTIONS
Jim Douglas
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
Fax: (508) 213-2333
E Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu
Website: www.timvanegmond.com

Years ago, friends and neighbors gathered at community and family events to share stories, play tunes and sing songs. Times have changed, but those songs, tunes and stories continue to delight, especially when performed by Yankee Notions.

Yankee Notions is Jim Douglas and Tim Van Egmond. Both are accomplished singers, storytellers, and musicians (guitar, hammered dulcimer, English concertina, pennywhistle, Appalachian dulcimer). Performing throughout New England for close to 20 years, Yankee Notions has been featured in hundreds of community concerts and festivals, schools, libraries, senior centers, and heritage museums (including Old Sturbridge Village (MA), Historic Deerfield (MA), Mystic Seaport (CT), Old Bethpage Village Restoration (NY), and Plimoth Plantation (MA)).

Because of their extensive repertoire and experience in working with audiences of all ages in a wide variety of situations, Yankee Notions can provide a concert program tailored to your audience’s interests and needs. (We also provide indoor/outdoor sound system at no extra cost.)

Sample School Programs Include:
  • A Peddler’s Pack: An eclectic mix from New England and beyond. Lively Irish and French Canadian tunes, traditional and contemporary songs sung in two-part harmony.
  • The Sailor’s Trade: Shanties (work songs) and fo’c’sle songs (songs for recreation) from the days of ‘wooden ships and iron men.’
  • The Jolly Farmer: Perfect for agricultural fairs and the like. Songs and tunes from 18th and 19th century New England, when ‘the farmer was the man’
  • Seasonal/Holiday Samplers: Whether it’s a Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, First Night, Old Home Day, St. Patrick’s Day or other special day, here’s the entertainment to help celebrate it in style!

Program Titles: A Peddler's Pack; The Sailor's Trade; The Jolly Farmer; Seasonal/Holiday Samplers

Fee: Starts at $650 for 2 assemblies, same day, same school. Block booing discounts available.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts

THANKSGIVING

MUSIC || PUPPETRY || STORYTELLING


MUSIC


photo of Jim Douglas
   JIM   DOUGLAS
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
E-Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu

Jim Douglas sings history alive! Students love his "In Tune With the Times" programs because they are lively and entertaining. They enjoy hearing and singing great songs, seeing new and interesting folk instruments, and learning about other people and times. Teachers love the programs because they reinforce many classroom lessons. Enrichment providers love the programs because they bring to life a special part of our musical and cultural heritage in a way that is authentic, meaningful, and memorable.

During two decades as a full-time school performer, Jim has shared his love and extensive research of the past and its music with audiences of all ages in well over a thousand schools. Mr. Douglas has a Master's Degree in History (University of Connecticut), has published four books, and released seven recordings of New England songs and stories. His book, Songs of New England: A Sourcebook for Teachers, is being used extensively throughout the region, and his most recent book, Music in Every Classroom : A Resource Guide for Integrating Music Across the Curriculum, Grades K-8 (Libraries Unlimited), is helping teachers across the country enrich their classes. Jim's latest recording, Under A Spell, earned the prestigious American Library Association Notable Award.

Jim's work has been supported by such organizations as the National Foundation for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Young Audiences of Maryland and Connecticut, Connecticut Humanities Council, Old Sturbridge Village, Mystic Seaport, and Plimoth Plantation.

Program Titles: Yankee Doodle and His Cousin (colonial songs); A Peddler's Pack (songs of old New England); (Your State) Songster; Thar She Blows! (songs the whalemen sang); A House Divided (songs of the Civil War); The American Saga (American folk songs); From Farm to Factory; Across the Western Ocean (Irish immigration); Freedom Is A Constant Struggle (the Constitution); Thereby Hangs A Tale (tall tales from New England)

Audience Limit: 40/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $350 - 1 assembly; $275for each assembly after; $400/day of classes (up to 4/day)

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council


photo of Yankee Notions
   YANKEE  NOTIONS
Jim Douglas
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
Fax: (508) 213-2333
E Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu
Website: www.timvanegmond.com

Years ago, friends and neighbors gathered at community and family events to share stories, play tunes and sing songs. Times have changed, but those songs, tunes and stories continue to delight, especially when performed by Yankee Notions.

Yankee Notions is Jim Douglas and Tim Van Egmond. Both are accomplished singers, storytellers, and musicians (guitar, hammered dulcimer, English concertina, pennywhistle, Appalachian dulcimer). Performing throughout New England for close to 20 years, Yankee Notions has been featured in hundreds of community concerts and festivals, schools, libraries, senior centers, and heritage museums (including Old Sturbridge Village (MA), Historic Deerfield (MA), Mystic Seaport (CT), Old Bethpage Village Restoration (NY), and Plimoth Plantation (MA)).

Because of their extensive repertoire and experience in working with audiences of all ages in a wide variety of situations, Yankee Notions can provide a concert program tailored to your audience’s interests and needs. (We also provide indoor/outdoor sound system at no extra cost.)

Sample School Programs Include:
  • A Peddler’s Pack: An eclectic mix from New England and beyond. Lively Irish and French Canadian tunes, traditional and contemporary songs sung in two-part harmony.
  • The Sailor’s Trade: Shanties (work songs) and fo’c’sle songs (songs for recreation) from the days of ‘wooden ships and iron men.’
  • The Jolly Farmer: Perfect for agricultural fairs and the like. Songs and tunes from 18th and 19th century New England, when ‘the farmer was the man’
  • Seasonal/Holiday Samplers: Whether it’s a Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, First Night, Old Home Day, St. Patrick’s Day or other special day, here’s the entertainment to help celebrate it in style!

Program Titles: A Peddler's Pack; The Sailor's Trade; The Jolly Farmer; Seasonal/Holiday Samplers

Fee: Starts at $650 for 2 assemblies, same day, same school. Block booing discounts available.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts

PUPPETRY

photo of The Gerwick Puppets
   GERWICK   PUPPETS
Lenny Gerwick and Deborah Costine
6 Wood Street
Southborough, MA 01772
(508) 481-6260
E Mail: info@gerwickpuppets.com
Website: gerwickpuppets.com

Twenty-five years of performing for New England school children! Eight productions are available, designed for K-6. The productions are performed on our elaborate 15' wide puppet theater with scenery lighting and classical music. Curriculum materials available.

Demonstrations are offered on the various aspects of creating puppet theater.

Puppetmaking Workshops for the classroom are available as part of a puppetry unit.

Other workshop topics include hand puppet manipulation, developing character voices and creating a puppet script from a story.

The Gerwick Puppets are available as Artists in Residence and are approved by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Program Titles: Adventures from Thornton W. Burgess; Inside the Haunted House; Aladdin and the Magic Lamp; Aesop's Fables; Rip Van Winkle; Pilgrim Adventure to America; Brer Rabbit Trickster Tales; Mid Winter Magic; The Puppets Teach Fire Safety

Audience Limit: 250

Fee: 1 performance $700.00, 2 performances $1,000, 3 perf. $1250; Residency days are $250/day/artist

Special Requirements: The puppet theater requires a space of 15 ft. width, 10 ft. depth and 8 ft. height. A darkened room is best.


photo of Sparky's Puppets
  SPARKY'S  PUPPETS
Sparky Davis
28 Ferncrest Ave.
Cranston, RI 02905-3511
(401) 467-0159
E-Mail: Popcorn700@aol.com
Website: www.sparkyspuppets.com

Enjoy the lively antics of these colorful hand puppets as they perform adaptations of favorite children's books! Each show includes several stories full of action, humor and plenty of audience participation. Choose from dozens of tales to create a program for any season or occasion!

Sparky's Puppets have performed in schools, libraries and festivals throughout New England for over 25 years. A recent sponsor wrote, "Awesome! I was entranced through your whole show! Your folktales were very imaginative and they made the children think about natural happenings. They were positively, 100% engaged throughout the program! Keep up the great work!" Debbie Miceli, Grade 3 Teacher, West Vine St. School, Pawcatuck, CT. (Grades K - 4)

Program Titles: Aesop's Fables; Tales of Sea and Shore; The Book Detective; Stories from Snowy Lands; Hats Off to Reading; How Does Your Garden Grow?; Halloween Spells; A Golden Christmas; Trickster Tales; and more

Audience Limit: 35/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $275 + .40/mile round trip

Special Requirement: electricity


STORYTELLING


  MICHAEL CADUTO
PO Box 1052
Norwich, VT 05055
(802) 649-1815
Website: www.p-e-a-c-e.net
Email: michaelcaduto@p-e-a-c-e.net

Using traditional storytelling techniques, song, dance, guitar, Native instruments, discussion and activities, Michael Caduto immerses his audiences in programs about World cultures and Earth Stewardship. Performances are available based on Native cultures and the environment from throughout North America and beyond.

Michael's natural history and environmental programs include slides, folklore, guitar and song, field trips and, in some cases, live animals. These programs help children understand, appreciate and care for Earth --- the plants, animals and cultures with whom we share this planet.

Michael is the author of the award-winning Earth Tales From Around the World and In the Beginning: The Story of Genesis and Earth Activities for Children (A new color picture book for 2004), and co-author of the best-seller, Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children.

Program Titles: Keepers of the Earth; Earth Tales from Around the World; The Rainbow Garden (Celebrating Cultural Diversity); Native American Thanksgivings; Keepers of the Animals; Keepers of the Night; Flying Turtles and Talking Bears; Nature in Native American Myths; Italian Tales of Wisdom; Earth Gardens and the Seeds of Life; The Loon's Necklace; The Children Who Plant Trees; Tales from the Deep: Legends of the Living Waters; and Touching the Sky Dome:Tales of the Sun, Stars and Moon

Audience Limit: 50/class; 250+/assembly

Fee: $225-350 for each performance/workshop, plus .30/mile. Residencies are $600/day.

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts, Vermont Arts Council, New Hampshire Council on the Arts.

Special Requirements: Michael works in all kinds of environments, from classrooms and school libraries to assemblies and outdoor festivals. When indoors, a quiet space that can be darkened enhances the performance.


photo of Medicine Story
   MEDICINE   STORY
Mettanokit Outreach
173 Merriam Hill Road
Greenville, NH 03048
(603) 878-3201
E Mail: medicinestory@yahoo.com

NATIVE AMERICAN STORYTELLER, Medicine Story is a lecturer, workshop presenter, and author (Return to Creation, Children of the Morning Light, The Circle Way, and Ending Violent Crime). He tells stories of his Wampanoag and other Native peoples, and lectures and teaches about Native American society past and present, non-violence, spiritual ecology, communication and conflict resolution, community building through the way of the circle, and about the six successful prison programs that he currently directs.


photo of Tim Van Egmond
  TIM VAN EGMOND
Folksinger & Storyteller
118 E. Chestnut Hill Road
Montague, MA 01351-9541
(413) 367-9304
E-mail: timve@rcn.com
Website: www.timvanegmond.com

Tim Van Egmond waves together tales, tunes, and songs -- from the rib- tickling to the spine-tingling to the heart-warming. Music flows in and around his stories through his singing and playing on a wide variety of traditional instruments (including limberjack, hammered and mountain dulcimer, mouth bow, guitar, conga drum, and pennywhistle). His dynamic style incorporates dramatic movement, voice, and facial expression to make stories come alive. His gift of encouraging participation makes for high-spirited and engaging programs. Each program is tailored to meet special needs and interests of sponsors and participants.

Teacher and Student Workshops also available.

Program Titles: Building Bridges - A Celebration of Multicultural Diversity and Understanding; Hearing Nature's Voice; You're (Not) So Different From Me - Disability Awareness; Sun and Moon and Stars; The Story Bag; Sing, Jump, Say, Clap! - Language and Literacy Readiness Activities for Early Childhood; Young Fogies & Old Whippersnappers - intergenerational programs with students and seniors.

Audience Limit: 50/class; 200/assembly (Extra charges for classes over 50 or assemblies over 200)

Fee: 1 show- $350 + travel; 2 shows - $525; 3rd and 4th show, $175 each; Block-booking discount available.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council Creative Teaching Partners Program



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