Tim Couch
Tim considers one of his greatest storytelling triumphs to have occurred while sharing ghost stories to students around a campfire. One of the boys jumped up at a climactic point in the story and said: “That’s it, I’m out of here.” He suddenly looked startled and asked: “Did I say that out loud?” And he sat down to hear the ending.
For 14 years, Tim practiced law in Dallas. Most of that time he was employed by the District Attorney’s Office and prosecuted child abuse cases. In 1993 Tim decided to change careers. He joined the faculty of the Episcopal School of Dallas and began to teach religion classes to middle school students. It was at this time that Tim developed his love of storytelling.
Tim is the vice-president of the Dallas Storytelling Guild, has served as the president of the Dallas Guild, and is a past-president of the Tejas Storytelling Association. He has spun yarns for students, children, adults, scouts, and corporate executives. He has told at schools, libraries, churches, the Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas Heritage Village, the Texas State Fair, the Crow Collection of Asian Art Museum, the Texas Storytelling Festival, the Spirit of Oklahoma Storytelling Festival, and the Texas Storytelling Conference. He has served as the emcee at the Spirit of Oklahoma Storytelling Festival and the Oklahoma City Storytelling Festival. He has lead workshops at storytelling guilds, for teachers in the Fort Worth School District, and at the Texas Storytelling Conference.
Tim was the recipient of the John Henry Faulk Award by the Texas Storytelling Association in 2022.
214-503-0777
timothy7774@att.net
Elizabeth Ellis
The Dallas Morning News has called Elizabeth “Dallas’ premier storyteller.” She is that, and more. A repeat favorite at the National Storytelling Festival, she is a recipient of the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network and has been the Teller in Residence at the International Storytelling Center. She shares her stories with all ages, having told to more than a million school children and almost as many adults in her thirty-three year career.
An extensive repertoire which features Appalachian and Texas tales, ghost stories, world folktales, stories of heroic American women and personal stories makes it possible for her to tailor a program that will fit your needs. On the Touring Roster of the Texas Commission on the Arts, some monies may be available to help defray Elizabeth’s expenses through a simple Performance Support grant.
214-282-7701
storyellis9@gmail.com
www.elizabethellis.com
Gene and Peggy Helmick-Richardson
Twice Upon a Time Storytellers
Want to be entertained, enchanted, empowered to battle life’s dragons? This tandem storytelling team shares myriad folktales, fairy tales, ghost stories and personal narratives with humor and insight for all ages and environments.
With almost 60 years of combined storytelling experience, Gene and Peggy are recipients of the coveted John Henry Faulk Award for significant contributions to storytelling in the Southwest in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Gene and Peggy also work part-time as historical interpreters for Old City Park in Dallas. In addition, they are both on the board of the Dallas Storytelling Guild, Peggy currently as secretary. They have also served on the Tejas Storytelling Association board of directors, Gene as president and Peggy as secretary.
They have been featured tellers for both the Texas Storytelling Festival and Texas Storytelling Conference, and storytellers for the 2005 National Storytelling Conference Regional Concert in Oklahoma City. In addition to schools, libraries, festivals, conferences and community events, Gene and Peggy have told multiple times for a federal penitentiary, state prison, and county jail, and hosted weekly programs for a drug and alcohol treatment center. They have presented storytelling workshops for Richland College’s Emeritus program, Texas Storytelling Festival, Texas Storytelling Conference, and National Storytelling Conference.
469-955-0595
peggy@twicetellers.com
www.twicetellers.com
Shayne Larango
A sugar-coated hellcat who dearly loves to laugh, Shayne is the StorySource for Ten-Gallon Texas Tales – original fiction with just enough “believable absurdity” to be awarded the coveted title of “The Biggest Liar in Texas” from the George West StoryFest.
The roots of her name can be traced to Seanchaí – Gaelic for custodian of tradition through story. She even kissed the Blarney Stone to seal the deal; however, Shayne is uniquely Texan. Her personal stories reveal a vulnerable strength that was shaped by this mythic land.
Telling stories around Texas and across the USA, Shayne has been even known to wow an international crowd savvy enough to understand her accent. In addition to hosting a Dinner Storytelling Salon, she shines at non-traditional venues where rules come undone: political rallies, fundraisers, private parties, concerts, festivals, progressive libraries and schools, cocktail hours, the occasional wedding, dining room tables, and around the bed of pickup trucks parked in pastures.
Shayne loves stories and believes a healthy society will value Creatives, Artists, Writers, and Performers, but does have a formula to determine her value in today’s economy if your up-front offer isn’t enough.
Richard W. Nash
The Digital Coyote
Richard Nash spends his time on his boat, The Blue Coyote, or walking in the woods of East Texas playing his flute to the deer who will listen and having coffee with the coyotes. According to Richard, “Stories have floated in our collective minds since we were born. Stories have been handed down from grandparents, aunts and uncles, parents, teachers, spiritual leaders and our own experiences and will be passed to the next generations, until there is no one left to hear.”
Richard blends the sounds of the Native American Flute with traditional and original stories, to provide an interactive story experience for any party, grand opening, public or private event. With stories of Texas, wildlife, folktales, and other topics, he will weave a verbal and musical tapestry to wrap around your mind and spirit.
214-564-0918
richard@richardwnash.com
www.richardwnash.com
Toni Simmons
Toni Simmons, a Dallas resident, has performed in many regions of the United States as well as Germany, South Africa and The Bahamas. Most recently Simmons performed in the Exchange Place venue at the internationally renowned National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Also, Toni is a Touring Artist for the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Louisiana Division of the Arts.
A former librarian and teacher, Simmons has been honored by Parents’ Choice and the Parent Council for her contributions in producing excellent products for children. Her DVD and Video “Stories Alive! African and African American Folktales” has been distributed on Amazon.Com, Barnes & Noble, Reading Rainbow and Positive Promotions. Simmons has performed at the Miami International Book Festival, Dallas Children’s Festival, The Tulisoma Book Festival, The Corn Island Storytelling Festival, Good Morning Texas, The National Black Storytelling Festival and numerous storytelling events across the country.
Toni is also a Featured Author in classrooms and libraries throughout Texas.
Toni Simmons is a Speech and Drama graduate from Fisk University and she received her Masters from Atlanta University, School of Library Science.
(952) 239-3787
toni@tonisimmons.com
www.tonisimmons.com
Shawn Small
With each new travel adventure embarked on from points around the globe, Shawn hears and learns glorious tales from the indigenous people he visits.
As the new century was unfolding, Shawn Small began to question where his life was going. Aside from his spiritual faith, wife Cheryl and their three children, what did he love most? Traveling and stories!
At age 23, Shawn had taken his first out-of-the-country trip exploring ancient ruins, sipping tea with desert Bedouins, and visiting the catacombs beneath Rome. Hooked on traveling, Shawn began to lead groups of young people to visit indigenous tribes in the Guatemalan mountains, hike through Alaskan rainforests to hidden glacier lakes, and explore ancient Celtic passage tombs in Ireland.
Taking a superb leap of faith, Shawn unveiled Wonder Voyage in 2000, a unique non-profit organization dedicated to leading seekers into the ancient and sacred sacrament of pilgrimage. Since then, Wonder Voyage has led thousands of pilgrims to over forty countries and continues to expand into new territories. Shawn later established Boundless Expeditions, a travel company focusing on schools, colleges, corporations or lone travelers—those who look at adventure travel as a chance to change the world.
Although he continues to lead several trips and retreats a year, Shawn considers himself first and foremost a storyteller—before audiences and in print. In 2008, Providence House Publishers released his first book, The Via Crucis, bronze medal winner of the Inspirational/Spiritual category at the 13th annual Independent Publisher Book Awards. His second book The Via Advent,was released in 2010 and awarded the silver medal in the Inspirational/Spiritual category at the 15h annual Independent Publisher Book Awards. He is currently working on an independent documentary filmed in South Sudan.
(972) 355-1712
shawn@wondervoyage.com
www.ShawnSmallStories.com
Jyoti Subramanian
Jyoti has been sharing Hindu mythology stories for more than 15 years in the Dallas metroplex.
Her storytelling journey began in 2006 when the public library in Irving was looking for someone to share stories from India. She accepted the invitation and used it to dig into her own heritage which she had taken for granted while growing up in India. She had walked by temples of many deities scattered in every nook and corner of the city, and seen Swamis in saffron robes moving around on the streets, but never thought much of them.
She was raised in a broad-minded family in the cosmopolitan city of Bombay, where most of the middle class had already adopted western attire and behavior. Her work environment in a five-star hotel also required her to wear western clothing and speak English, also the medium of teaching in her school. She hardly ever spoke the two Indian languages in which she was affluent. She speaks more Hindi and Sindhi to her folks now than she ever did while living in India.
Although her family did not follow a routine of worshipping in temples, her best teachings came from her family. Her highly spiritual mother who had personal experiences with miracles taught her about faith in God, being open-minded to all religions, and accepting people of all colors, backgrounds and beliefs. Her father, who had travelled to faraway lands, taught her how to live a healthy life in society while maintaining boundaries, dressing appropriately and social etiquette. The baby amongst five kids, she developed a high level of patience and tolerance on which she comments, “By the way, that was the biggest gift I’ve received from my siblings, it helps my emotional-self coping with this world, a temporary home!”
Jyoti is grateful for the Dallas Storytelling Guild, the medium between her and the public library in Irving where she debuted as a Hindu mythology storyteller. Her most memorable storytelling moments are the ones where she shared the stage with her daughter, Meena, telling tandem tales.
469-441-4390 or 972-395-3941
Gotmythstorytellrs@gmail.com