June 14, 2024 - Out with a Laugh!

 

Host: Tom Forrest

 

Tom Forrest - Nasrudin Hodja Stories

Ange Frymire - CATalogue of Atticus's Daring CATalytic CATaclysms, Chapter Two

Lee Porteous - The Salesman's Tale

Catherine Sheehan - The Smokeroom on the Kyle

 

*****

 

May 10, 2024 - Kiss the Blarney Stone and Other Tales of Wit and Mischief

 

Host: Ange Frymire

 

Sandy Cole - I Have the Gift

Gerry Guiden - Aaron Kelly

Russell Hirsch - The Fox with the Silver Tongue, and

                            Frederico the Fool

Rachel Muller - Grace and the Banshee

 

*****

 

April 12, 2024 - Hidden History

 

Host: Lee Porteous

 

Marsha Flad - The Fortieth Way Trees Can Save Us

Ange Frymire - The End of Ange's No-Bra Trend

Lee Porteous - After the Battle

and Rotary exchange students:

Fonda Tungkaserawong (Thailand) - The Dance Journey

Antosia Ras (Poland) - Goodbyes

 

*****

 

March 8, 2024 -  Hags with Attitude: Wisdom of the Crones

 

Host: Margaret Murphy

 

Pat Forrest - Gawain and the Lady Ragnell

Rachel Muller - The Wild Woman of the Woods

Margaret Murphy - The Old Bone Woman

Cindy Shantz - This is the Life, Isn't It? 

Music by Leah Hokanson (piano, ukelele with chants, and voice effects on Margaret's story)

 

*****

 

February 13, 2024 - Taking the Leap

 

Host: Tom Forrest

 

Heather Bell - Taking the Leap: A Midlife Crisis

Susan Boland - How I Became the Granola Bar Queen

Jule Briese - My Preparedness

Christel Martin - Lucky Does Not Mean Smart

Janos Varga - Sugarloaf

 

*****

 

January 12, 2024 - No Looking Back

cancelled due to snow

 

******

 

December 8, 2023 - Moments of Joy - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall and on Zoom.

 

Host: Ange Frymire

 

Judith Bilodeau - Joyce and Edmond

Pat Forrest: Christmas in Belise

Tom Forrest: Christmas in Belise

Rachel Muller: The House in the Hollow

Eleanor Voegeli: The Gift

 

******

 

November 10, 2023 - In Search of Peace - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND Zoom,      only for committee members to test Zoom functionality

 

Host: Lee Porteous

 

Jennifer Ferris - Peaks and Valleys

Margaret Murphy - A Voice of Women for Peace: Muriel Duckworth

Diane Verhiel - Shining Armour

Susan Warner - One by One by One by One

Jennifer Ferris and Susan Warner- Improv.

 

******

 

October 13, 2023 - Thrills and Chills - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND Zoom,            only for committee members to test Zoom functionality

 

Host: Tom Forrest

 

Pat Forrest - Choosing to Follow

Ange Frymire- The Seance

Christel Martin - Remind Me: Why Did I do This??

Lee Porteous - Sredni Vashtar

Catherine Sheehan - Noppera Bo

 

******

 

September 8, 2023 - Under a Harvest Moon - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND on Zoom   Host: Judith Bilodeau   Barbara Botham - St. Modomnoc and the Bees Rachel Muller - The Woman Who Could Call the Wind Margaret Murphy - The Image Maker Lee Porteous - The Naming of Chinese Lunar Spacecraft Susan Warner -  The Woman in the Moon   ******   June 9, 2023 - Away We Go! - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND on Zoom Host: Judith Bilodeau Judith Bilodeau - Strike it Rich Ian Gartshore- Finding the "Good" in Goodbye Christel Martin - Snuffy  Ange Frymire - Jonathan Livingston Seagull's Great, Great, Great, Great-Grandson Rachel Muller - Bucksaw Willie ****** May 12, 2023 - Moments in History - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND on Zoom Host: Lee Porteous Marva Blackmore - That Indians Call Her Ningah Jule Briese- The Hot Chocolate & Decadent Cake Society Marsha Flad - Easter Island Ange Frymire - Cat-astrophic Tales Cindy Shantz - Caviar ****** April 14, 2023 - Storyteller Favourites - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND on Zoom Host: Deborah Graham Christine Clarke-Johnsen - That Senior Moment Pat Forrest - Don't Rock the Boat Tom Forrest - A Few Tales of the Hodja Lee Porteous - Farishta-Moh, The Longed-For Lady Janos Vargas - The Man Who Planted Trees ******   March 10, 2023 - Fur and Feathers - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND on Zoom Host: Lee Porteous Barbara Botham - The Golden-Haired Dog Marsha Flad - Allerleirauh Deborah Graham - Feathers on Fur Lee Porteous - A Story Janos Vargas - The Bear and the Djembe ******   February 10, 2023 - Love and Other Misadventures - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND on Zoom Host: Cindy Shantz Pat Forrest - To Run or Not to Run Veera Lahdensuo - What Could Be Better? Luzia Oberndorfer - The Paper Laurie Giffin - Stinger's Out Susan Warner - Expect the Unexpected   ****** January 13, 2023 - Mysteries & Magic! - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND on Zoom Host: Deborah Graham Judith Bilodeau - Mystery of the Ghost Ship Deborah Goodman - A Garment for the Moon Margaret Murphy - The Magic Garden Lee Porteous - The Loathly Lady Susan Warner - Little Daughter of the Snow   ****** December 9, 2022 - The Perfect Gift - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND on Zoom Host: Pat Forrest Pat Forrest - Never Time for This Maurice Gallant - Ming's Christmas Deborah Graham - The Greatest Gift Rachel Muller - Even You, Especially You Cindy Shantz - The Perfect Gift   ****** November 11, 2022 - Stories of Courage - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND on Zoom Host: Lee Porteous Ian Gartshore - Himmat Laurie Giffin - Cinderella Catherine Sheehan - The Last Leaf Lee Porteous - The Twelve Wild Geese Rachel Muller - Trouble on Triple Island ******

October 14, 2022 - Home and Harvest - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall AND on Zoom

Host: Deborah Goodman

Judith Bilodeau - The Kennedy House Phantom
Laurie Hutchinson - The Lady in Orange
Sheila Kellins - Going with the Flow
Margaret Murphy - The Hummingbird of Peace
Susan Warner - A Winter's Tale
 

******

 

September 9, 2022 - Stories of Sea and Sky - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall Host: Pat Forrest Marsha Flad - The Fisherman's Wife Lee Porteous - How Frog Got to Heaven Catherine Sheehan - Soul Cages Rachel Muller - The Invisible Boy Pat Forrest - Living the Dream? Deborah Graham - The Fisherman's Son ******

June 10, 2022 - Out With a Laugh - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall

Host: Cindy Shantz

Christine Clarke-Johnsen - Don't Go Down the Skunk River in a Rickety Rowboat
Pat Forrest - Stepping Thru Covid
Judy Millar - How I Got to Be a Smokin' Hot Babe
Marva Blackmore  - Driving Down Memory Lane
Russell Hirsch - Handshakes With Bono
Ian Gartshore - Words Can Have Surprising Meanings!

******

May 13, 2022 - Stories From 'Round the Globe - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall

Host: Lee Porteous

Barbara Botham - The Tinkers' Horses
Norma Cameron - Silly Jack and the Factor
Deborah Graham - Sofia's Revenge
Christel Martin - Running Away from Home
Lee Porteous - Ivar's Story
Catherine Sheehan - The Little Blue Hippopotamus

******

April 8, 2022 - Great Expectations - LIVE at the Unitarian Hall

Host: Pat Forrest

Cindy Shantz - Bathing Suits! Bathing Suits! Bathing Suits!
Lee Porteous - The Wishing Ring
Margaret Murphy - A Rumi Story
Rachel Muller - From the Sea
Pat Forrest - Doing the Covid Dance
Susan Warner - The Spring of Butterflies

******

March 11, 2022 - A Friend Indeed - ONLINE

Host: Lee Porteous

Christine Clarke-Johnsen - My Pal Bosco
Abegael Fisher-Lang - The Debate
Laurie Giffin - Lettice
Deborah Goodman - The Gift of Herring
Lee Porteous - The Hedley Cow

******

February 11, 2022 - Miracles Happen - ONLINE

Host: Lee Porteous

Christine Clarke-Johnsen - The Christmas Gift
Jennifer Ferris - The Tiger's Whisker
Ian Gartshore - The Miracle of Love
Noel Lewis-Watts - Iceboating
Rachel Dunstan Muller - The Ring

******

December 10, 2021 - Comforts and Joys - ONLINE

Host: Pat Forrest

Pat Forrest - The Stars in the Sky
Deborah Goodman - Comfort Food
Rachel Muller - Christmas in Sarajevo
Margaret Murphy - A Triptych in Comfort 
Lee Porteous - The Montreal Aunts
Susan Warner - The Old Woman Who Wanted a Gnome for Her Home

******

September 10, 2021 - Connections - ONLINE Host: Margaret Murphy Barbara Botham Christine Clarke-Johnsen Sandy Cole Pat Forrest Deborah Goodman Barbara Smith ****** June 11, 2021 - Laughter is the Best Medicine - ONLINE Host: Lee Porteous Christine Clarke-Johnsen Sandy Cole Christel Martin Judy Millar Cindy Shantz ******

April 9, 2021 - Life is an Adventure - ONLINE Host: Cindy Shantz Pat Forrest Susan Warner New Voices: Ulricke Bucksteg-Neuhoff, Eva Eusanio, Jeremiah Tang, Logan Trolitsch, and Lily Yu ****** February 12, 2021 - Tales From the Heart - ONLINE Host: Lee Porteous Marva Blackmore Laurie Giffin Deborah Goodman Cindy Shantz Carolyn Wilkinson ****** December 11, 2020 - Comfort and Joy - ONLINE Host: Margaret Murphy Sandy Cole - The Flying Canoe Ian Gartshore- Mama Bear Pat Forrest - Tales From the Path: A Waiting Game Lee Porteous - Investment in Christmas Susan Warner - Miser's Gold ******

September 11, 2020 - Anything Goes- Zoom

Host: Pat Forrest

Marva Blackmore - Life Doesn't Just Happen
Barbara Bothom - Rooted
Lee Kalnin - The  Tale of a Journeying Stream
Rachel Muller - The Thin Country
Margaret Murphy- The Hummingbird of Peace

Lee Porteous - Tattercoat

******

June 12, 2020 - The Last Laugh - ONLINE

Host: Lee Porteous

Chris Aronson - A Further Adventure of E.T. and Daisy
Marva Blackmore - The Old Country Shopkeeper
Sandy Cole -  Why the Armadillos Are Funny
Lee Porteous - Oink
Susan Warner - Danger! Explosive!

******

May 8, 2020 - Tellers' Favourites - ONLINE Host: Rachel Muller Christine Clarke-Johnsen - Pet-Free Paradise Cindy Shantz - Raging Rapids Rachel Muller - The House of the Cats Lee Porteous - The Stolen Child and Tam Lin Margaret Murphy- Crossing Bok Chitto by Tim Tingle ****** April 10 , 2020 - Stories of Hope - ONLINE Host: Pat Forrest Pat Forrest - Choosing to Follow Ian Gartshore - Daughter of Hope Deborah Graham - Hope Lee Porteous - The Hundred Dollar Bill Laurie Hutchinson- True Story of Hope ****** March 13, 2020 - Mishaps and Misadventures- CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 ****** February 14, 2020 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love Host: Pat Forrest Barbara Bothom - For the Love of Winter Words Lee Kalnin - Locomotive Love Rachel Muller - Flora and the Wind Laurie Hutchinson - Now That Is Love Jenny Vester - Pop Goes the Question Carolyn Wilkinson - Love and 50 Acres ****** January 10, 2020 - Anything's Possible Host: Lee Porteous Christine Clarke-Johnsen - The Cat's in the Bag Jefferson Halliday - So, Yeah. That Happened Christopher James - The Prince and the Magician Deborah Goodman - The Meeting Place Judy Millar - Wasn't That a Party Margaret Murphy- Anything's Possible: The Story of Adelaide Hunter Hoodless ****** December 13 - 'Tis the Season Host: Deborah Goodman Ian Gartshore - A Refugee Christmas Pat Forrest - Last Christmas in Calgary Christel Martin - The Xmas Gift Lee Porteous - Montreal Aunts Barbara Smith- Twas the Night Before Christmas Rachel Muller - POW Violin ****** November 8, 2019 - Every Day Heroes Host: Cindy Shantz Marsha Flad - Thor and Loki in Utgard Deborah Goodman- The Bubbling Well Christopher James - The Simple Faith of Pablo Vargas Noel Lewis-Watts - The Iron Chink Margaret Murphy - Tribute to Duncan Shields Carolyn Wilkinson - Not All My Heroes are Cowboys ******

October 11, 2019 - Family Ties
Host: Ann Ronald

Christine Clarke-Johnsen - Baby-San On Board!
Pat Forrest - Home
Laurie Giffin - The Shell
Deborah Goodman - Qi: The Breath of Life
Judy Millar - You Got Me What?!
Lee Porteous - Gudbrand of the Hillside

******

September 13, 2019 - Just My Luck
Host: Lee Porteous

Marva Blackmore - Dutch Toilet
Pat Forrest - Christmas Eve in Belize 
Mary Gavan - The Luck of the Irish
Christel Martin - Nikki Meets the Chicks
Rachel Muller - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
Allan Webner - Just My Luck

******

June 14, 2019 - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Host: Lee Porteous

Marva Blackmore - The Schnapps Idea
Christine Clarke-Johnsen - The Auction
Ian Gartshore -  The Perfect Wedding
Rachel Muller -  Incident at Elk Lake
Cindy Shantz - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Jeanene Williams - Know When to Let it Go

******

May 10, 2019 - How Extraordinary!
Host: Lee Porteous

Barbara Bothom- The Tinkers' Horses
Deborah Goodman - Yin and Yang
Christel Martin -  The Friendship Orchard
Lois Peterson -  The Woman Who Called Down Owls
Lee Porteous - Dr. Snow and the Ghost Map
John Young - Lucky or What?!

******

April 12, 2019 - It Happened One Spring
Host: Deborah Goodman

Christine Clarke-Johnsen - A Sackful of Stories
Pat Forrest - It Happened One Spring
Mary Gavan -  In Perilous Times
Deborah Graham - The Fisherman's Son
Fred Bailey - A Sailor in the Desert

******

March 8, 2019 - A Twist in the Road Host: Lee Porteous Marsha Flad - The Devil's Three Hairs Maurice Gallant - No Country for Old Men with Sensitive Stomachs Lee Porteous -  A Tale of the Oki Islands Laurie Giffin -  The Man on the Moon Jennifer Ferris - Break and Enter Rachel Muller - The Magical Fiddle ****** February 8, 2019 - Love Lost and Found Host: Margaret Murphy Noel Lewis-Watts - Ice Sailing Christine Clarke-Johnsen - Love Lost and Found Pat Forrest - Fair Exchange Rachel Muller - The Reluctant Bride Jan and Sig Reuter - Songs ****** January 11, 2019 - Breaking the Rules Host: Lee Porteous Fred Bailey - It's Funny Now Jennifer Ferris - Hans and Greta Deborah Goodman -  Uncharted Waters Margaret Murphy - The Bone Talker Lee Porteous - Abu Jmeel's Daughter ****** December 14, 2018 - Miracles and Mysteries Host: Lee Porteous Christine Clarke-Johnsen - Doctola Deborah Goodman - Paper Work Anna Marie Trester - From V to Double-V Rachel Muller - Safe Return Doubtful Lee Porteous - Alli Bean - Songs ****** November 9, 2018 - Home Host: Ann Ronald Cindy Shantz - On the Road Again Judy Millar - You Are My Sunshine Ian Gartshore - Coming Home Again for the First Time Lois Peterson - In Slippers and a Blue Housecoat Lee Porteous - The Island Marty Howe and the Atkinson Brothers - Songs ******

 

 

October 12, 2018 - Water Tales
Host: Deborah Goodman

Laurie Giffin - Fishing
Christine Clarke-Johnsen - Jean Britisse, the Champion
Margaret Murphy - The Princess Sophia Remembered
Howe Sound (Jill King, Jake Galbraith, Bryon Thompson - Kagan
Marva Blackmore - The Ghost Ship
Sandy Cole - The Well

******

September 14, 2018 - Long Ago & Far Away
Host: Lee Porteous

Maurice Gallant - The Crystal Heart
Pat Forrest - Gawain and the Lady Ragnall
Lee Porteous - The Coming of the Unicorn
Rachel Muller - The Girl Who Lost Her Shadow
Cyndi Doell - Songs

******

June 8, 2018 - It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time
Host: Ann Ronald

Chris Aronson - The Caeserian Adoption
Ian Gartshore - A Mountain Walk
Deborah Goodman - Miss Pronunciation
Jeff Halliday - A Blind Man and a Dog in the Woods on an Island in the Night
Noel Lewis-Watts - A Different Kind of Train Travel
John Young - Like Night and Day

******

May 11, 2018 - Wise and Wily Women
Host: Cindy Shantz

Christine Clarke-Johnsen - The Shaman
Laurie Hutchinson - Granny
Judy Millar - Wanna Get Lucky?
Angelique Nash-Thurmeier- Woman's Hand
Lois Peterson - Why the Tides Ebb and Flow
Barbara Smith - Poem

******

April 13, 2018 - Truth or Lie
Host:  Laurie Hutchinson

Christine Clarke-Johnsen - A Fair Price for a Story
Pat Forrest - The Field of Boliauns
Laurie Giffin - Stingers Out
Deborah Goodman- Ghost Signs
Jill King and Jake Galbraith - George 'n' Lizzie
Huckleberry Holler - Music
******

March 9, 2018 - Into the Woods
Host:  Lee Porteous
Rachel Muller- Into the Woods
Lee Porteous - (Title Coming)
Pat Forrest - Strength
Margaret Murphy - The Skyblue Story Box
Barbara Smith - Sasquatch

Tony Turner - Music
******

February 9, 2018 - Out of Africa
Host:  Rachel Muller
Lee Porteous- Found on the Doorstep
Ian Gartshore - They Are Singing Your Song
Mbira Spirit - Music
Mary Gavan- The Traveller
Marva Blackmore- In Africa, Only Animals Sleep at Night
******

January 12, 2018 - Stories on the Doorstep
Host:  Lee Porteous
June Jefferies - Almost on the Doorstep
Gerry Guiden - African Story
Denis Lakusta - Music
Cindy Shantz- Ina
Seana Kozar - Ellen Bird
******

December 8, 2017 - Feeding the Fires: Stories that Warm Us
Host:  Lee Porteous
Christine Clarke-Johnsen - The Talking Cat
Gerry Guiden - Mary Had a Little Baby
Catherine Sheehan - Old Befana
Rachel Muller - The Traveller's Gift
Ted Girard - Saint Sammy
Musician: Penny Sidor
******

November 10, 2017 - Only in Canada
Host:  Rachel Muller
Lee Porteous - Whale's Milk
Mary Gavan - Murder: A Hard Act to Follow
Laurie Hutchinson- Just One of Those Days
Marva Blackmore - Identity Theft, Klondike Style
Musicians: Jan and Sig Reuter
******

October 13, 2017 - Tales From Afar
Host:  Lee Porteous
Dale Bent - Jakow Trachtenburg
Christine Clarke-Johnsen - Don't Go to Heaven Without an Invitation
Jill King- A Newfoundland Love Story 
Laurie Hutchinson - Hot Ride
Sandy Cole - The Blue Faience Hippopotamus
******

September 8, 2017 - Grace & Gusto
Host:  Ann Ronald
Deborah Goodman - The Blue Songbird
Cindy Shantz - The Gift
Rachel Muller - The Wedding Guests
Margaret Murphy- Crossing Bok Chitto
Musician:  Quinn Dusenbury
******
June 9, 2017 - Leave 'Em Laughing
Host:  Ann Ronald
Sandy Cole - Bedtime Prayers
Christine Clarke-Johnsen - The Secret of Youth
Barbara Smith - Siblings
Chris Aronson - Street Eats
Lee Porteous - Tormad Crupach
Judy Millar- Multitasking After Sixty
Musicians:  Jan and Sig Reuter
******
May 12, 2017 - Thinking Differently
Host:  Lee Porteous
Marva Blackmore - Drawing The Dragon
Jennifer Ferris - Many Moons by James Thurber
Ian Gartshore- A Very Special Love
Mary Gavan -  Think Differently? Sod Him!
Lee Porteous - Coyote Goes to the Land of the Dead
Elaine Spira - A Vulnerable Age
******
April 14, 2017 - Gifts
Host:  Lee Porteous
David Fraser - These Are the Gifts that Saved Me
June Jefferies - A Story Within a Story: Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant
Rachel Muller - He Was the Ears, She Was the Eyes
Barbara Smith -  The Gift
Cindy Shantz - Good Girls Don't
Christine Clarke-Johnsen - The Surgeon's Two Gifts
Musicians:  Quinn Dusenbury and David Svenstrup
******
March 10, 2017 : Transformation
Host:  Sharon Goldston
Shayna Jones - FEATURE TELLER
Roxane Strasbourg - 'Rix' - The Dog Who Would Be King
Deborah Goodman -  The Mountain that Loved a Bird
*******
February 10, 2017:  Narrow Escapes
Hoste: Lee Porteous
Lee Porteous - Coyote Steals a Blanket
Mary Gavan - The Old Lady
Marva Blackmore - Owen's Narrow Escape
Barbara Smith - Eddie's Amazing Close Calls
Anneke Bain -  David's Escape
Musician:  Tim Harrison
******
January 13, 2017: 10th Anniversary Celebration! Looking Back
Host:  Margaret Murphy
Christine Clarke-Johnsen - Information Please
Audrey Lomax - Mary Queen of Scots
Janet Sexsmith - Poems
Miyo Stevens - The Northern Gannet and the Sooty Tern
Laurie Hutchinson -  Another Reason I Lived So Long 
Margaret Murphy - The Border Guard
******
December 9, 2016:  A Christmas Carol
Host:  Ann Ronald
Laurie Hutchinson, Margaret Murphy, Noel Lewis-Watts, Sandy Cole, Barbara Smith, Gerry Guiden - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Musician:  Sue Averill - Selected Festive Songs
******
November 11, 2016:  Peace Tales
Host:  Lee Porteous
Ian Gartshore - The Rabbi's Gift
Laurie Giffen - Joe's Axe
Deborah Goodman - Housekeeping in Shanghai
Noel Lewis-Watts - A Soldier's Love Story
Lee Porteous - The Blind Man Catches a Bird
Musicians:  Mama's Kitchen
******
October 14, 2016 : It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
Host:  Ann Ronald
Marva Blackmore - Ma Yarwood's Wedding Ring
Sandy Cole - Jack and the Haunted House 
Jay Doige - The Widow's Broom
Gerry Guiden - Abi Yoyo
Judy Millar - Snoopy and Me and the King of Burundi
Rachel Muller - Grace and the Banshee
Musician:  Jim Elder
******
September 9, 2016:  What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Host:  Ann Ronald
Deborah Goodman - How Raven Brought Light to the World
Laurie Hutchinson - The Hole
Christine Clarke-Johnsen - The Skunk River Expedition
Barbara Smith - What Went Wrong?
Sandy Cole - The Wrestling Princess
Musicians:  Marty Howe and the Atkinson Brothers
*******
June 10, 2016 :  Surprise Endings
Host:  Lee Porteous
Chris Aronson - Daisy's Dilemma
Laura Halliday - Shaken and Stirred With a Twist
Christine Clarke-Johnsen - The Broken Promise
Lee Porteous - When Frog Went to Heaven
Rachel Muller - The Cart Thief
Laura Buzzard - Selected Songs
*******
May 13, 2016:  Beyond the Shore
Host:  Lee Porteous
Jay Doige - By Cauldrom Pool
Cindy Shantz - The Joy of Culture Clash
Mary Gavan - The Sea
Gerry Guiden- Aaron Kelly
Deborah Goodman - Needles and Pins
Rob Terstall - Dreaming of Far Away Places
*******
April 8, 2016:  Celtic Tales
Host:  Cindy Shantz
Roxane Strasbourg - Light Up
June Jefferies - Welsh Magic
Barbara Smith- A Celtic Tale
Anneke Bain - Helen's Brownie
Lee Porteous - The Day of the Scholars
Musician:  Karen Sim- Celtic songs
*******
March 11, 2016: Women: Strong, Wise and Fearless
Host:  Ann Ronald
Audrey Lomax - Seascape
Christine Clarke-Johnsen - Savitri
Patricia Boudier - Song To The River
Margaret Murphy- Cougar Annie Sightings
Tanya Horne - Fable
Marva Blackmore - The Chase
*******
February 12, 2016: The Heart Has Its Reasons
Host:  Lee Porteous
Laurie Hutchinson - Together Forever
Barbara Smith - Tam Lim
Sandy Cole- Mother's Lessons
Rachel Muller - The Gift (aka The Laughing Girl)
Cindy Shantz - What's In A Name
Musician:  Sam Connolly
*******
January 8, 2016:  Pirates and Scallywags
Host:  Ann Ronald
Jay Doige - The Twits
Elaine Spira - Brother XII
Lorne Bowles - The Pirates of St. Pierre
Marva Blackmore - The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate
Musician:  Laura Buzzard
*******
December 8, 2015:  Wisdom and Wonder
Host:  Lee Porteous
Lee Porteous - Montreal Aunts
Ian Gartshore - Downwind From Flowers
Rachel Muller - Even You; Especially You
Noel Lewis-Watts - My Christmas Eve
Margaret Murphy - The Journey
Marva Blackmore - The Thief Who Stole Christmas
Musician:  Gerry Guiden
*******
November 13, 2015:  Heroes
Host:  Lee Porteous
Catherine Samson - Sir Percival
Rob Terstall - The Liberation of Holland
Cindy Shantz - Hero?
Mary Gavan - Strange Heroes
Musician:  Eric Harper
*******
October 9, 2015:  Food, Glorious Food
Host:  Lee Porteous
Lee Porteous - Anansi Plays Dead; Old Uncle
Ian Gartshore - Heaven and Hell; Two Brothers
Rachel Muller - Bridget Sullivan
Laurie Hutchinson - Talking Turkey
Barbara Smith - Why The Sea Is Salt
Jennifer Ferris - The Swede
Musician:  Sue Averill
*******
September 11, 2015:  Friends: Furred, Feathered and Otherwise
Host:  Rachel Muller
Rachel Muller - The Ballad of Kentucky
Laurie Peck - Sailor: The Hangashore Newfoundland Dog
Lee Porteous - The Stare of the Cat
Sandy Cole - The Mitten
Jay Doige - Gershon's Monster
Musician:  Tim Harrison
******
June 12, 2015:  The Last Hurrah!
Hosts:  Ann Ronald and Laurie Hutchison
In Memory of Jack Styne
Cindy Shantz - The Cremation at Cedar Sea
Mary Gavan - Famous Last Words
Catherine Samson - The Last Ha Ha
Dunc Shields - Selected Stories with accompaniment by Barry Hall
*******
May 8, 2015:  How Did That Happen?
Host:  Margaret Murphy
Lee Porteous - The Bottle Imp
Jay Doige - The Tell-Tale Heart
Sandy Cole - Jacinth Wins Words
Audrey Lomax - A Peace River Story
Noel Lewis-Watts - How Did That Happen?
Musician:  Mama's Kitchen
*******
April 17-19, 2015:  Odyssey Epic Weekend
hosted by the Around Town Tellers
19 Storytellers from the US and Canada came to tell the entire
Odyssey by Homer, start to finish.  It was a marvelous and successful
weekend. 
Artistic Director:  Marva Blackmore
Operations Director:  Laurie Hutchison
Ably supported by the Around Town Tellers team.
Event was held at Cavallotti Hall in Nanaimo
Tellers from away were housed at The Painted Turtle Guesthouse.
*******
April 10, 2015:  No One Suspected
Host:  Rachel Muller
Patricia Boudier - Hudden, Dudden and Donald O'Neary
Ian Gartshore - A Father's Words
Angela Standbrook- The Living Quan Yin
Marva Blackmore - Geronimo
Diane Verhiel - Lonesome Dove
Musician:  Penny Sidor
*******
March 13, 2015:  Wish I May, Wish I Might
Host:   Fran Thiessen
Noel Lewis-Watts - Wish I May
Gerry Guiden - Me Ma and Me
Marva Blackmore - An Odyssey Teaser
Barbara Smith -
Margaret Murphy with Joan Wallace and Barry Hall - Peace is the Way
*******
February 13, 2015:  Treasures in the Attic
Host:   Lee Porteous
Jay Doige - Golem
Sandy Cole - Changing Farewell
Carolyn Sullivan - The Landlady
Marva Blackmore - Achilles and Odysseus: Draft Dodgers
Musician:  Chris Ronald - Stories and Songs
*******
January 9, 2015:  The First Time
Host:  Ann Ronald
Ian Symons - The Adventures of Barman Mick
Louise Duncan - All's Well That Ends Well
Judith Bilodeau - Being Millie
Judy Millar - Kissing For Klutzes
Audrey Lomax - My New Identity
Cindy Shantz - Letting Go
*******
December 12, 2014:  Darkness and Light
Host:  Lee Porteous
Ted Girard - The Clown of God
Jay Doige - Hershel and the Hanukah Goblins
Catherine Sheehan - How The Sun Was Rescued
Rachel Muller - The Troll Child Who Wasn't
Ian Gartshore - The Meaning of Life
Musician:  Just 4 Fun - Festive Songs
*******
November 14, 2014:  Stories of Nanaimo . . . And Beyond!
Host:  Cindy Shantz 
Sue McDonald - A Miner's Cottage
Judith Bilodeau - Coal Tyee and Mark Bates
Ron Blank - Nanaimo Memories
Pamela Mar - Lady Franklyn
Marva Blackmore - No Post
Musician:  Penny Sidor
*******
October 10, 2014:  Food and Family: A Feast of Stories 
Host:  Judith Bilodeau 
Miyo Stevens - On Sand Island
Lee Porteous - Wacu and the Eagle
Audrey Lomax - The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Diane Verhiel - Food and Family: Memories of A Hobby Farm
Musician:  Joshua Holloway
*******
September 12, 2014:  The Road Not Taken
Host:  Ann Ronald
Jay Doiges - "Untitled 1 and 2"
Victor Murphy - Potato People, Carrot People, Onion People
Laurie Hutchinson - Three Points of View
Margaret Murphy, Barry Hall and Sue Averill - Road Not Taken, Going By Water Instead
Rachel Muller - "The Reluctant Bride"
Sandy Cole - "The Peach Blossom Forest"
*******
June 13, 2014:  Stories Of Home
Host:  Ann Ronald
Jay Doiges - "The Witch's Child"
Laura Halliday - "Just Enough"
Trevor Cooper - "Time Warp"
Rachel Muller - "The Girl Who Spoke With Sparrows"
Sandy Cole - "Taro And His Grandmother"
Musician:  Laura Buzzard
*******
May 9, 2014:  The Lusty Month of May
Host:  Cindy Shantz
Judith Bilodeau - "What The Dragon Didn't Know"
Judy Millar - "Life Lessons"
Gisele Martin - "Clam People" and "Son of Deer"
Patricia Boudier - "Mother Skeena"
Musician:  Sherry Smith
*******
April 11, 2014:  Truths, Lies and Tall Tales
Host: Fran Thiessen
Robert Ferguson - "Untitled"
Wendy Henry - "The War Between The Sandpipers and Whales"
Laurie Hutchinson- "The Airport"
Marva Blackmore - "Phineas Ford's Fabulous Collection"
Sandy Cole - "Nasrudin Goes Shopping"
Judith Bilodeau - "When I Was a D.I."
*******
March 14, 2014:  Monsters and Dragons
Host:  Judith Bilodeau
Jennifer Ferris - "Veiled Truth"
Lee Porteous - "The Tale of the Oki Islands"
Diane Verhiel - "Dragon Soup"
Jay Doige - "Dragon Island"
Barbara Smith - "Oh My Gosh, It's Real!"
*******
February 14, 2014:  What They Don't Tell You About Love
Host:  Lee Porteous
Sandy Cole - "My Side Of The Bed"
Arla Jean Murch - "Luv"
Judith Bilodeau - "An Unusual Love Story"
Gerry Guiden - "Aaron Kelly"
Stephanie Brown - "Underpants, or Lack Thereof"
Musician:  Joshua Holloway
*******
January 10, 2014:  Imagine A World
Host:  Judith Bilodeau
Ted Girard - "Jake and the Kid"
Jay Doige- "Brave Irene"
Cindy Shantz - "Patterns"
Judy Millar - "The Mother of the Bride"
Musician:  Joshua Holloway "Come Home Soon" by Kendall Patrick
Musician:  Laura Buzzard
*******
December 13, 2013:  A Christmas Show
Host:  Lee Porteous
Noel Lewis-Watt - "My Christmas Eve"
Ann Ronald and Laurie Hutchinson - "A Porcupine in a Pine Tree: 12 Days of Christmas"
Cindy Shantz - Poem
Rachel Muller - "A Victorian Christmas Tale"
Musician:  Eric Harper
*******
November 8, 2013:  Things That Go Bump In The Night
Host:  Cindy Shantz
Jay Doige - Two Poems
Diane Verhiel - "Zombies!"
Marva Blackmore - "The Ghost Ship"
Carolyn Sullivan - "A Candle In The Night"
Rachel Muller - "The Thin Place"
*******
October 26, 2013:  A Special Presentation at the Nanaimo Yacht Club
Moby Dick - A Storytelling Adaptation by Dean Verger
*******
October 11, 2013:  What Are We Thankful For? 
Host:  Lee Porteous
Jay Doige - Roald Dahl's "The Twits"
Judith Bilodeau - "The Ghost Ship"
Denise - "Celtic Tale of the Goddess Brigid"
Open Mic - "What Are We Thankful For?"
*******
September 13, 2013:  Life As An Adventure 
Host:  Sharon Goldston
Lee Porteous - "How Gopher got His Warrior Stripes"
Marva Blackmore - "South of the Border"
Laurie Hutchinson - "Life is an Adventure"
Sandy Cole - "When Wishing Still Helped"
Sharon Goldston - "Deodorant Man"
Musician:  Penny Sidor
*******
June 14, 2013:  A Funny Thing Happened . . .
Host:  Ann Ronald
Judith Bilodeau - "The Ghost of Kennedy House"
Cindy Shantz - "Battle of the Bathing Suit"
Frances Wong - "Birdupmanship"
Ted Girard - "Bridges" - in memory of Kathryn Maurer
Rachel Muller - "Incident at Elk Lake"
Musician:  Dennis Lakusta
*******
May 10, 2013:  It's All In A Day's Work
Host: Cindy Shantz
Noel Lewis-Watts - "Hockey Hall of Fame"
Cindy Shantz - Poem: "Elsie's Diner"
Laurie Peck Hutchinson - "Five Things"
Rachel Muller - "A Piece of the Sky"
Marva Blackmore - "The Twelve Trials of Hercules"
Musicians:  Raymond Gourlay and Rebecca Muller
*******
April 12, 2013:  Beavers, Bears and Bravado: Tales of Canada
Hosts:  Margaret Murphy and Ann Ronald
Judith Bilodeau - "The Housekeeper"
Marva Blackmore - "The Miner's Angel"
Laurie Peck Hutchinson- "The Wrath of Vargas"
Ted Girard - "Stephen Leacock's 'My Financial Career'"
Musician:  Sue Averill
*******
March 8, 2013:  Her-story: Celebrating International Women's Day
Host:  Sharon Easton
David Fisher - "The Trout Sisters"
Brittny Ohs - "Dexter"
Diane Verhiel - "Re-touched By An Angel"
Musician:  Joan Wallace
*******
February 8, 2013:  When I Was a Kid
Host:  Sharon Easton
Laurie Peck Hutchinson - "Forever In-Between"
Susanne Lavander- "First Love"
Lee Porteous - "The Box"
Sandy Cole - "Duck Story"
Hayley Rickaby - "Adventure with the Rickaby's"
Ted Girard - "Stanley G. White, D.D.S."
*******
January 11, 2013:  Stories From The Heart
Host:  Sharon Easton
Arla Jean Murch - "An F Word"
John and Beth Yim - "A Man, A Mountain, A Mistake"
Robert Ferguson - "One Percent of the Fifty Percent of the One Hundred Percent"
Sandy Cole - "The Black Bull of Norroway"
Margaret Murphy - "The Enchanted Castle" by Italo Calvino
*******
December 14, 2012:  'Tis The Season 
Host:  Sharon Easton
Ted Girard - A Jake and the Kid Story
Sandy Cole, Clark Clark, Gerry Guiden, Noel Lewis-Watts, Margaret Murphy, and Laurie Peck - A Christmas Carol
*******
November 9, 2012:  The Great Adventure
Host:  Sharon Easton
David Fisher - Suffer Little Children
Sandy Cole - The Monkey's Heart
Lee Porteous - The Cat
Rachel Muller and Margaret Murphy - The Ramayana
*******
October 12, 2012:  What If?
Host:  Ann Ronald
Beth Yim - Yellow Shorts
Marva Blackmore - Lemon Meringue Pie
Lee Porteous - The Wood Maide
Hazel Lennox - The Crystal Spring
Musicians:  Cross-Canada Fiddle Students
*******
September 14, 2012:  Around the Campfire 
Host:  Ann Ronald
Marva Blackmore - Gold Mounted Guns
Miyo Stevens - The Gift
Margaret Murphy - Two Words
Rachel Muller - Finn McRaith
Musician:  Sue Averill - Song-Along Campfire Songs
*******
June 8, 2012:  Traveling Shoes
Host:  Sharon Goldston
Cindy Shantz:  Rafting the Colorado:  Life is a Daring Adventure, or Nothing! 
Ann Ronald - Grandmother's Story (A Hawaiian Folktale)
Susanne Lavender - Princess Royal - The Voyage of the First Coal Miners to Nanaimo
Margaret Murphy - Traveling Shoes
Musicians:  Bowen Senior Tap Dancers
*******
May 11, 2012:  Grimm and Grimmer
Host:  Sharon Goldston
Laurie Peck - The Goose Girl at the Well
Noel Lewis-Watts - The Sharp Knife
Rachel Muller - The Master Thief
Marva Blackmore - Faithful Johannes
Sandy Cole - Cinderella
*******
April 13, 2012:  Twisted Tales
Host:  Sharon Goldston
Hazel Lennox - Feature Teller
Lee Porteous
Diane Verheil
*******
March 9, 2012:  The Trees are Calling: Stories of the Wildwood
(A fundraising benefit for SEVA)
Host:  Sharon Goldston

Dr. Marty Spencer - Introducing SEVA
Margaret Murphy - The Magic Garden
Sandy Cole - The Miser and His Cherry Tree
Terry Mack - Flute music and a creation myth
Laurie Peck - Get-Away Weekend
Rachel Muller - The Dryad
*******
February 10, 2012:  Only Fools Rush In: The Many Faces of Love
Host:  Sharon Goldston
Marva Blackmore - Meddling at Wal-Mart
Lee Porteous - Farishta-Moh: The Longed-For Lady
Sam Connolly - Making Space
Paul Glassen - A Wedding Story
Judith Heather - Song: Misalliance
Sandy Cole - The Blue Hippopotamus
Musician:  T.G. Muir
*******
January 13, 2012:  A Thousand Welcomes: Irish Stories
Host:  Rachel Muller
Jack Styne - What Makes You Think I'm Irish?
Margaret Murphy - The Call of the Sea
Gerry Guiden - Memories
Feature Teller: Mary Gavan - The Old Sailor, and The Story of Nell
Musician:  Jeremy McDonald
*******
December 9, 2011:  Christmas Past and Present
Host:  Sharon Goldston
Gerry Guiden - Caroling
Sandra Schulte - The Doll
Judith and Richard Heather - Wassailing
Marva Blackmore - Stubby Pringle's Christmas
Rachel Muller - Gran's Gift by Sue Holmes McDonald
Sandy Cole - Twas the Night Before Christmas
Noel Lewis-Watts - As Santa
*******
November 11, 2011:  Imagine Peace
Lee Porteous - Godmother Death
Ann Ronald and Gerry Guiden - John Lennon's "Imagine"
Diane Verhiel - Shining Armour
Margaret Murphy with Musical Guests Joan Wallace and Barry Hall - The Story of Muriel Duckworth
*******
October 14, 2011:  Behind the Mask
Rachel Muller - The Stone Child
Sandy Cole - Behind the Mask: A Canadian's Story
Laurie Peck - Lizzy: A Woman of Resilience
Marva Blackmore - The Legend of Charley Parkhurst
Jack Styne - Getting Older
Musician:  Penny Sidor - Songs from "Not One Mile"
*******
September 9, 2011:  Hoodoos and Wheatfields: Prairie Stories
Marva Blackmore - The Indians Called Her Ningah:  Marie-Anne Lagimodiere
Ted Girard - Elbow Room (A Jake and the Kid Story)
Rachel Muller - The Stone
Noel Lewis-Watts - The Train
Musician:  Joan Wallace
*******
June 10, 2011:  Modern Telling of Classic Tales
Host: Sharon Goldston
Sandy Cole - The True Story of the Three Pigs
Diane Verhiel - Rindercella
Rachel Muller - The Pied Piper of Nanaimo
Ted Girard and Margaret Murphy
Diane Berthchilde - Tales From Da nte's Inferno
Musician:  Laura Buzzard
*******
May 13, 2011: Journey of the Heart
Laurie Peck - The Power of a Simple Hug
Beth Hardry-Yim  - The Legacy of a Story
Featured Teller:
Marva Blackmore -  Sky Burial
*******
April 8, 2011:  Could Be True
Sandy Cole - Wedding Dress $7.50
Richard Brind - The Eddystone Light and The Flying Cloud
Ted Girard - Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Cindy Shantz - The Hengbokhan Haru Hotel
Rachel Muller - The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter
*******
March 18, 2011:  Celebrating World Storytelling Day 
Quenching Your Thirst for Story:  Water Tales from Around the World
Margaret Murphy
Laurie Peck
Diane Verhiel
Rachel Muller - A Tale of Two Women
Noel Lewis-Watts
Special Musical Guest: SHINE!
*******
February 11, 2011:  Out of Africa
Sandy Cole - What the Squirrel Saw  from Tales from Africa by K. Arnott
Ann Roland - The Slave's Story
Gerry Guiden - An African Folktale
Rachel Muller - The Cure For A Broken Heart
Shalema Gantt - A Southern Childhood
Jack Styles - A Folktale
Musician:  Laura Buzzard
*******
January 14, 2011:  It's Tough Being a God/Goddess
Diane Verhiel -
Marva Blackmore - Pandora
Margaret Murphy -
Featured Teller: Jean Pierre Makosso
*******
Dec 10, 2010:  Stories of the Season- “A Christmas Carol”
Hosts: Sharon Goldston & Noel Lewis-Watts
Marva Blackmore - Six Days Before Christmas
Rachel Muller - Christmas CeasefireNoel Lewis-Watts - Introduction to A Christmas Carol
Margaret Murphy - Stave One
Gerry Guiden - Stave Two
Laurie Peck - Stave Three
Clark Squared - Stave Four
Sandy Cole - Stave Five
Musician:  Laura Buzzard
*******
Nov 12, 2010:  Stories of the Prairies
Clark Squared - If You're Not From the Prairie
Marva Blackmore - The Perfect Summer
Rachel Muller - Prairie Bride
Laurie Peck - Some Tuesday
Ted Girard - Two Different Kinds of Sinners
Musician:  Penny Sidor
*******
Oct 8, 2010:  Ghost Stories: “Things that Go Bump in the Night”
Clark Squared -Tell-Tale Heart
Marva Blackmore - The Boo Hag
Rachel Muller - The Wild Woman of the Woods
Diane Verhiel  - Ti-Flor and the Devil
*******
Sept 10, 2010:  You Won’t Read this in the History Books
Host: Sharon Goldston & Noel Lewis-Watts
Mavra Blackmore  - The Laundryman Who Overthrew the Qing Dynasty 
Sandy Cole - Jack's Story 
Rachel Muller. - Margaret Sullivan
Sue Holmes MacDonald - Nanaimo Miner's Home
Jack Styles - TBA
Darlene Patrick - Antwerp Diamond Heist
Robert Johnson - Ladysmith's Name
*******
June 11, 2010:  One Myth, One Glove, One Legend - Tales Wide Open
Hosts: Sharon Goldston & Noel Lewis-Watts
Sandy Cole  - The Mitten
Clark Squared - Bartholomew and the Oobleck
Andrea Styve -
Anna Atkinson - Entwined
Diane Verhiel - The Leaf
*******
May 14, 2010:  Emily Carr's The Book of Small
Host: Noel Lewis-Watts
Laurie Peck -
Featured Teller: Melanie Ray... The Book of Small
*******
April 9, 2010:  Happy Tales to You - Barn Yarns of the Wild West
Margaret Murphy -
Clark Squared - Little House on the Prairie
Sandy Cole - The Boy Who Would Be Peanut
Diane Verhiel -
Marva Blackmore -The Blood Bay
Musicians: Dos Amigos - Noel Lewis-Watts & Jeff
Host: Sharon Goldston & Jack Styles
*******
March 12, 2010:  History of the Blues 
Hosts: Sharon Goldston & Jack Styles
Gerry Guiden - Devil in the Pouch
Jack Styles - An Island Woman
Joan Wallace and Barry Hall ... History of the Blues
*******
February 12, 2010:  Beautiful Losers
Hosts: Sharon Goldston and Jack Styles
Sandy Cole - Jasmine Winds Words
Jack Styles - An Island Woman
Andre Begin - The Man from Eldorado 
Clark Squared. - Improv stories with Tyler Ray Sauve
Mary Holland -
*******
January 8, 2010:  Stories of Childbirth and Other Beginnings
Hosts: Sharon Goldston and Jack Styles
Andre Begin - Birth of My Daughter
Diane Verhiel - Miracles and Vision Boards
Margaret Murphy - The Herstory of ATT
Laurie Peck - Swimming Desnudo
Margaret Murphy 
    & Clark Squared - Improv Story a la Ping-Pong
*******
December 11, 2009: Spinning A Yarn - Homemade
Hosts: Sharon Goldston and Jack Styles
Ted Girard - from Jake and the Kid
Laurie Peck - TBA
Clark Squared - The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
Sandy Cole - The Elderly Inuit Woman and the Lesson Learned
Musician:  Laura Buzzard
*******
November 13, 2009:  The Bells of November Remember - Tell Me A Song
Hosts: Bev and Sandy Cole
Noel Lewis-Watts - A Soldier's Love Story
Clark Squared -  Alice's Restaurant
Diane Verhiel - Lonesome Dove
Anna Atkinson - Ballads
Musicians:  Dennis Lakusta & Guest
*******
October 9, 2009:  Thank the Devil - Ghosts and Gratitude
Host: Bev Cole
Sandy Cole - Paper Bag Princess
Clark Squared - The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
Peter Reid - Humorous Anecdote
Tribula -  Songs of Drums
Ted Girard - The Devil's Noodles
*******

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Past Shows