Lending their talents to this celebration of the oral tradition of storytelling will be Molly Lemmons, Mustang, Ok; Kathryn Thurman, Del City, Ok; Salley Riffey, OKC, OK. MC for the event will be Marilyn A. Hudson, Norman, Ok. The event, part of an international event, is sponsored by the National Storytelling Network, the Oklahoma Territory Tellers, and the Oklahoma Association of Storyellers/ OKC Tellers guild. The evening is scheduled for Sat. Nov. 23rd, 2013 at Wesley UMC, NW 25th and Douglas Ave (just north of NW 23rd and Classen). A special guided tour of the historic sanctuary stained glass and architecture will be conducted from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the storytelling performances will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets for the benefit will be $10 per person with funds going to the preservation of the historic building dating to 1928.
All of the artists sharing their talents are experienced professional tellers who can delight any audience with stories diverse, humorous, thoughtful and challenging.
Molly Lemmons, "With Tales to Tell"
Molly Lemmons is an award-winning author, and the stories she tells are taken from her very own book, "Kind of Heart," released for publication in 2000. Her stories, told unashamedly from her heart, are stories of life, loves, childhood, relationships, family and friends as she lived it during her growing up years in the 1950's when things were as they ought to be.
Her stories will tug at your heartstrings and encourage you to celebrate God, families, and life. She believes that "No One Lives To Be Forgotten!" And keeping their stories alive, no one WILL be forgotten. She is also the author of "The Passing of Paradise," an inspirational romance novel that was released in 2005.
Her latest publications are: As Bright and as Pure as the Driven Snow, a study and worksheet manual written for young girls on the topic of God's plan for sexual purity before marriage, Seize the Flashbacks! a how-to manual on heart writing, Hold My Hand, My Precious Child, a book honoring mothers, and We are Invisible, a help-manual for caregivers everywhere. She has been published in the Chicken Soup Series, the Heavenly Patchwork Series, and many periodicals as well as newspapers in Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. All six of her books may be ordered from Amazon.com or directly from her via email.
Available for both storytelling and workshops, she has taught classes on How to Write and Tell Life's Memories (from the heart), adapting her classes to all ages. Her book, Seize the Flashbacks! is a companion book to her book, Kind of Heart and is the class manual used for her writing/telling classes.
For Oklahoma's Centennial, she has developed and performed the character of Mattie Beal, Lawton's lady who won the second drawing in the 1901 Land Lottery. She has also developed, and performed other stories that she has taken from Oklahoma's history, having grown up and lived in Oklahoma for seventy years. She is a member of Oklahoma City Writers, Inc.,Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.,Tejas Storytelling Festival, Women's Inspirational Network, Christian Storytelling Network, Oklahoma Association of Storytellers, Oklahoma Performers and Presenters, and is a member of Oklahoma Territory Tellers.
She was selected as first runner up for "Ms.Senior Oklahoma 2011," and is a member of the "Age of Elegance Club," a group of former Ms. Sr. Oklahoma contestants who have, at over age sixty, reached "the age of elegance."
Kathryn Thurman, "Contemporary Native American Flutist"
Kathryn Thurman is a professional Musician and Storyteller who uses her unique musical background to create entertaining stories that can be enhanced with different types of music. Audiences may see such instruments as the psaltery, slide whistle, finger cymbals, spoons, kazoos, and percussion frogs. She has spent the last twenty years performing in schools, libraries, museums, Girl Scout camps, civic groups and community events. Each program is crafted with an element of fellowship, friendship, and fun, perfect for any type of audience.
A published Author and Book Reviewer, she travels to diverse locations to perform for audiences of all ages, such as preschool children who love animal stories, Book Clubs looking for a book review, Seniors who enjoy family stories, school students learning about the Land Run, and Scouts who love Ghost Stories at the Campfire.
With a background involving over fifty theatrical and musical productions, Kathryn brings the spontaneity of the theater into her performances. When possible, she adds audience participation and interaction by teaching a song or dance movement, clapping a lively rhythm or rap rhyme.
Kathryn's background includes a (Muskogee) Creek Great-Grandmother who shared her heritage through stories, and began Kathryn's journey that has led her to becomming an accomplished Native American flute musician and teacher.
Her Musical Story Programs include: Fairy Tales & Folktales from around the World / Campfire and Ghost Stories / Land Run and Cowboy Stories / Oklahoma Tall Tales / Native American Trickster Tales and Animal Stories
Her stories will tickle your funny bone and pluck at your heart strings!
Sally is a native of Oklahoma City and feels that her roots go deep into Oklahomas red clay. Her stories have been called Stories from the Heart.
As a Storyteller, Sally enjoys telling folktales, original stories and stories of the season with a deep passion for Biblical stories. She has been a participant in the annual Easter drama The Great Plains Passion Play.
Sally does Biblical portrayals of Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of Jesus in Biblical costume as a solo drama presentation. A highlight of Sally's storytelling career was the recent opportunity to tell Biblical stories at several sites in Jerusalem and at the Sea of Galilee.
Sally has taken her stories behind prison walls to our state and federal prisons. She has been a featured teller at Tellabration and Oklahoma Olio. She has also told stories at WinterTales, the Oklahoma City Arts Festival, for the opening of the Oklahoma Trails at the Oklahoma City Zoo. She frequently tells stories for civic organizations, women's ministry groups, churches, schools, professional business groups, as well as Easter and Christmas presentations and programs.
Sally is a member of Territory Tellers which is Oklahoma's premier storytelling organization. She is also a past board member of Deaconess Hospital Health Venture Corporation.
Marilyn A. Hudson, MC and Guide on the Story Road
Marilyn A. Hudson is an author, historian, and storyteller who has been traveling the twists and turns of the "Story Road" for nearly 20 years. Her audience experience ranges from young children to senior adults and she has traveled each summer since 1999 sharing tales for public libraries during their summer reading emphasis. She presents original stories, as well as historical and folklore tales, with her own little twists.
She is also "The Ghost Teller" specializing in haunted tales of literature, history, and folklore. She frequently conducts benefit concerts at the historic Overholser Mansion in OKC, "Scary Tales and Twilight Tours." Marilyn is a member of the Territory Tellers, the Association of History Performers, and a facilitator of the Oklahoma City storytelling guild, Oklahoma Association of Storytellers.
She frequently conducts events blending both her storytelling and her writing for adult and teen audiences. Her published works include "The Bones of Summer", "Tales of Hell's Half Acre", "When Death Rode the Rails", "Murderous Marriages" and the novel, "The Mound".
For additional information on tickets, events, or interviews please email event facilitator,
Marilyn A. Hudson.
The lure is there, maybe a hold over from childhood, maybe an inclination to the dramatic; whatever the case some people really like costumes. The problem is they can take some getting used to if you use them to tell stories.
