Fanny Crawford loves honing her personal, historical and traditional stories by telling for diverse audiences – from young children, to elders, to families, to identity-focused groups of adolescents and adults. An experienced teller for Better Said Than Done and other regional story venues, she is thrilled to be part of the first ever Women’s Festival and delighted to spend time with the astonishing roster of storytellers who will gather for this event!
Fanny Crawford founded and coordinates the Stories In The Round series, a small intimate venue now in its seventh season in Western MD. For a list of tellers for the ten 90 minute sessions in 2020 – generally at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month, March through December – contact her at fanitsky@hotmail.com.
I asked Fanny how she would describe her storytelling style. She responded, “I try to adapt my narratives to the different audiences I prepare for. In general, children’s stories require a more animated and energetic style than historical portrayals for adult audiences or true personal tales in the “urban story narrative.” I do find that humor works well for me in almost every setting.”
I asked Fanny how she got into storytelling in the first place. Fanny replied, “I’ve been telling stories professionally since I started leading workshops 30 years ago – in educational settings for adults. Stories were a way both to engage those students and to illustrate how well story narratives can bridge different perspectives in a group. I grew up with naturally enthusiastic elders who understood and modeled storytelling as a way to warm up a group, but I was a well into adulthood before I understood that the ability to tell a story well could literally be a life-saving skill. “
When I asked Fanny why she wanted to be involved in the Women’s Storytelling Festival, she said, “Jessica Robinson is a master storyteller and a master at identifying and recruiting tellers for specific audiences, especially around stories focused on the challenges and strengths of women and feminists. When I learned that Jessica was gathering tellers for a Women’s Festival – how could I NOT want to be part of this? The women coming together for this event are each impressive leaders and teachers in some aspect of female power and wisdom. I will be listening and learning all weekend.”
Finally, she added, “Several years ago, Jessica Robinson brought together a group of women and asked them to share original stories they created to present their own experiences with woman-power and their responses to socially limiting roles and exploitation in our larger society. (See Roar: True Tales of Women Warriors) That evening, hearing the moving and personal narratives that they shared made a deep impression on me, changing in some profound ways what I saw as possible for a group of committed artists. That moment in time will never be exactly replicated. Yet, when I learned that Jessica was again creating a space for feminine creativity and free expression, I knew I wanted to help create that experience for others.”
Come see Fanny perform, along with 17 other female storytellers, at the Women’s Storytelling Festival in the City of Fairfax, March 13 and 14, 2020. Details here.
