The Tale Tellers of St. Augustine
Surviving and Thriving in the Year of COVID
by Debra Weller, President
Can a storytelling guild exist for twenty-eight years? Yes, it can!
The
Tale Tellers of St. Augustine is a performing guild of talented storytellers,
poets and actors who devote themselves to storytelling as both an art form and
entertainment medium. We are comprised of thirty members, some love to perform
and some are story enthusiasts and supporters. TTSA is an example of what a
small, local non-profit organization can accomplish. We have had a local, state
and national presence in St. Augustine and beyond since 1993.
In collaboration with local groups and service clubs, we have been able to have benefit performances on behalf of many local charities. This past year Chris Kastle and Debra Weller were able to return to some schools in the spring semester to continue our Art in Stories performances for the Crisp-Ellert Grant.
The storytellers told a story in classroom in the
St. Augustine Schools and the children created complementary art projects which
were displayed at our May Family Story Fest. In the past we have partnered with
The Florida School for the Deaf and Blind and the St. Johns County Public
Library. Many of our tellers have
participated in the Romanza Festivale and the Celtic Festival. We are hoping to
revive our Theater of the Mind: Storytelling presentations at the Limelight
Theater in the winter of 2022. Tellabration and Gory Stories are on the fall
line- up.
How did we
survive Pandemic restrictions? At first, we were in the stunned state trying to
pivot into new safe, virtual formats like Zoom. We lost out on using the St.
John’s Public Library, the Limelight Theater and using a local church for
meeting and performance space. Our Board of Directors met outside when the
weather permitted as we enjoyed seeing one another with social distancing
precautions. Then we began holding our
second Monday of the month meetings on Zoom. It took a few meetings to get
everyone familiar with the Zoom set up. It was a saving grace allowing us to
conduct business meetings, hold discussions and of course tell stories!
In January of
2021 we were able to secure a space on an outdoor stage in Vilano Beach. We
scheduled four performances, Eddie and Robin Mahonen, in February, XX Marks the
Spot, Celebrating Women’s History Month in March, Pirates, Crackers and Spanish
Dons in April and a Family Story Festival in May. Mother Nature caused us to
postpone and reschedule two of the events but we prevailed and had nice sized
audiences. There are some perils in
outdoor events.
Audiences turned out for The Tale Tellers new location in Vilano Beach
Our members are
quite active on the state, national, and international stages. Debra Weller and
Margaret Kaler serve on Board of Directors for the Florida Storytelling
Festival. Many of our members have served FSA in the past and have received
awards for service. We participate in the annual Florida Folk Festival. In this
Pandemic year Debra Weller and Chris Kastle have participated in storytelling
festivals on Zoom with audiences in India. Many members have been telling on
virtual stages for NSN and other national and international programs.
Storytelling has stood the test of time and has weathered the storm!
The guild was formed in 1990 when a small group of story enthusiasts worked with the renowned Florida storyteller, Gamble Rogers to produce the first St. Augustine Storytelling Festival. After his death in 1993, the people of the town requested more stories. This tiny group joined with energy, mind and spirit to form the Tale Tellers of St. Augustine to honor one man’s simple dream of having storytelling in his hometown. We continue to honor that legacy.
You can join the
Tale Tellers of St. Augustine or support our mission by visiting our web site, www.taletelers.org.
Debra Weller