Storytelling is how we communicate. We share experiences and knowledge through stories. Tellabration! was started by internationally acclaimed storyteller J.G.”Paw Paw” Pinkerton in Connecticut in 1988 as a means of building community through storytelling. The following year it expanded nationwide under the umbrella of the Storytelling Network, and by 1998, there was Tellabration! events in cities and towns around the world.

Guests are invited to join the Institute for American Indian Studies on Saturday, November 18 at 1 p.m. for a Tellabration! at the Washington Montessori School on 240 Litchfield Road in Washington, Connecticut. Guests will enjoy an amazing array of stories that are personal, traditional, humorous, historical, poetic, spiritual, and instructional.

Darlene Kascak (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, and Education Director at IAIS) will make history come alive from the oral traditions of her indigenous ancestors that have been passed down and preserved from one generation to the next. Motoko, whose repertoire includes Asian folktales, Rakugo and Zen tales, and oral memoirs from her childhood in Osaka, Japan, will enchant audiences of every age. Drawing from her travels, internationally known storyteller Valerie Tutson will bring to life an assortment of myths, folktales, and historical accounts from the African continent and African Diaspora.

After the storytellers have concluded their performances, there will be an open mic opportunity for up-and-coming storytellers to share their stories with a live audience.

One of the many important takeaways from this event is that the audience will learn that the art of storytelling is not just reading from a book. It’s a performance that captures the essence of what a book or folktale wants to convey and brings people together. Storytelling is one of the most important ways in which we come to understand our world.

Participants are asked to pre-register for this event by visiting https://iaismuseum.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/13983  

The price of participation is $15 for the general public and $10 for members of the Institute. This program is supported by a grant from the Connecticut Humanities and presented in partnership with the Connecticut Storytelling Center.