The 2nd annual Women’s Storytelling Festival is approaching rapidly and we’re looking forward to bringing you 36 of the best women storytellers anywhere. Some are familiar to our Better Said Than Done audiences, while others are brand new to our (virtual) stage. Let’s start with the tellers who are returning from last year’s inaugural festival:
Sheila Arnold is a co-founding member of Artists Standing Strong Together. Ms. Sheila, as she is known, describes herself as a “professional imaginator.” She is particularly known for her historic character presentations and Christian monologues, but you never really know what you might hear her tell, as she engages with her audiences. But, at heart, she is a builder of community – whether it be in person or (over the past year) virtual.
Jane Dorfman performed in the lunch showcases on Saturday last year. She tells told folktales and personal stories at numerous venues, including the Hans Christian Andersen statue in New York. She has recently discovered the liberating art of lying. She is also president of the D.C. area guild, Voices in the Glen.
Megan Hicks was the fourth featured teller at last year’s inaugural festival. How resilient is Megan? Well, she and her husband kept putting on house concerts (in pre-pandemic times) despite a tree falling on their house. She’s had to move to zoom, like everyone else, but she remains her self-honest, audacious, and irreverent self. Last year, she delighted the audience with stories ranging from her folk music career in Australia to a unique approach to a health crisis. Wherever she takes us this year, it’s sure to be engaging.
Arthuretta Holmes-Martin is an advocate for human and civil rights. She inspires her audiences with her personal stories of healing and transformation. Last year, she performed on Friday the 13th, but the audience at the Auld Shebeen realized her story made it their lucky day.
Jessica Robinson is the founder of Better Said Than Done – and the Women’s Storytelling Festival. Over the past year, she’s produced as many as three virtual storytelling shows a week, as well as monthly story swaps. And that’s on top of performing in other people’s shows and raising two young children! She is especially known for her skill at telling “difficult “stories, with topics including death, struggles with fertility, and overcoming fear. We can only hope that someday she’ll share the story of where she gets her boundless energy!
Sarah Snyder hosted the Friday night showcase at last year’s festival and stepped in to perform in the lunch showcase. She is the author of several books, including her memoir Plant Trees, Carry Sheep, and blogs about retreats and self-care.
Diana Veiga was also featured in the Friday the 13th kick-off show. In addition to being a storyteller, she is a writer and comedian, who has been featured at venues throughout the DC area. She finds humor and beauty in the everyday experiences she shares with her audiences.
Donna Washington is always an audience favorite, for her mixture of folktales and personal stories, told in an animated style and vocal pyrotechnics. She is unique for never having had any job other than storytelling. She is the other founder, with Sheila Arnold, of Artists Standing Strong Together, which was founded to assist storytelling artists to learn about best business practices, provide a platform for showcasing their skills, and provide a fund to help in challenging times like the past year. We’ve all heard the term “living the dream.” Somewhere in there she’s had time to write a new children’s book, due out in September. Donna is truly a woman who demonstrates her ability to live her dreams and inspire those of others.
