NH Theatre Project's 4th Annual Storytelling Festival Expands

New Hampshire Theatre Project (NHTP) celebrates Traditional Tales, Legends & Myths in the 4th Annual Storytelling Festival, expanded to 3 weekends in 2020. Featured artist Diane Edgecomb will teach a 3-week workshop on Friday evenings (6:30-9:00 pm) for both experienced and novice storytellers. "The Golden Thread: Finding Meaning in Traditional Tales" will focus on Voice, Movement, Characterization and Narration techniques.

"We will discover the true power inherent in folktales, fairy tales and myths," says Ms. Edgecomb, "as we creatively adapt these ancient stories for contemporary audiences."

Participants in The Golden Thread workshop will perform in the Storytellers Showcase on Sunday, March 22 at 2 pm, hosted by Pat Spalding. The Golden Thread Workshop fee of $190 includes tickets to three performances during the Festival along with the 3-week workshop.

Other workshops during the Festival include: "Native American Storytelling" with Anne Jennison on Saturday, March 7 (9:30am-12:30pm), focusing on learning a traditional story and telling it from the heart; "Irish Music & Storytelling" with Regina Delaney on Saturday, March 14 (9:30am-12:30pm) which incorporates song, dance and poetry into storytelling; and "Mythologizing Oral History & Personal Stories" with Genevieve Aichele on March 21 (9:30am-12:30pm), exploring techniques to enhance personal stories and oral histories to make the personal both universal and archetypal. Each workshop is $60 and includes a ticket to one Festival performance.

Each weekend of the Storytelling Festival has unique theme. Performances on March 7-8 celebrate the earth, nature and springtime. On Saturday, March 7 (8pm), Diane Edgecomb will perform In the Groves, accompanied by harper Margot Chamberlain, with stories that celebrate the deep spirit of the natural world. On Sunday, March 8 (2pm), Anne Jennison, of Abenaki and European descent, will perform Native American Tales.

The second Festival weekend celebrates all things Celtic in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Diane Edgecomb, performs An Irish Rhapsody on Saturday, March 14 (8pm) with storytelling treasures like the humorous "Legend of Knockgrafton" and the hauntingly beautiful "Deirdre of the Sorrows," again accompanied by harper Margot Chamberlain. On Sunday, March 15 (2pm) master flutist and whistler Sarah Bauhan, accompanied by Kent Allyn, performs classic and original Celtic music and accompanying stories.

NHTP's season theme of "Can one person make a difference?" takes center stage on the Festival's final weekend. Diane Edgecomb will perform A Thousand Doorways on Saturday, March 21 (8pm), the story of how one woman risked her life to journey through the remote mountains of Turkey and record the last Kurdish storytellers. The final performance on Sunday, March 22 (2pm) will feature storytellers who have honed their craft in The Golden Thread Workshop.

Tickets for all Saturday 8 pm performances are $25; all Sunday 2 pm performances are $20. All performances and workshops will be held at New Hampshire Theatre Project, 959 Islington Street, Portsmouth NH.

NHTP's 4th Annual Storytelling Festival is sponsored by Heinemann Publishing in Portsmouth, dedicated to teachers for over 50 years, with additional funding from the New England State Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts.