Announcing The 2023 People’s Choice Storytelling Contest Contestants
The 7 storytellers competing in the 2023 People’s Choice Storytelling Contest at the Women’s Storytelling Festival are: Lona Bartlett, Julie Bradshaw, Bette Lou Higgins, Robin Kitson, Teri Lott, Gwendolyn Napier, and Stacy Parish!
The 2023 People’s Choice Storytelling Contest will take place on March 25, 2023 at 4:30pm EASTERN, both in-person at The Old Town Hall in Fairfax, VA, as well as streaming live online.
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THE CONTEST DETAILS
• The People’s Choice Storytelling Contest will take place in-person, at The Old Town Hall in Fairfax City, VA, at 4:30pm ET, on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
• Seven storytellers will perform. Each storyteller will have 7 minutes, with a 1-minute grace period. Any story that runs longer than 8 minutes will be disqualified.
• The story can be any style. Storytellers are not limited to personal stories in this contest. The theme is “Perseverance.”
• JUDGING will be based on audience votes combined with the judges’ scores. Our judges for the 2023 festival are Sheila Arnold and Noa Baum! Both the in-person audience and virtual audience votes will be counted. Audiences, however, can only vote during the live show, in-person or virtually.
–YOU, the audience, MUST HAVE either a Festival ticket or a Story Contest ticket to vote. If voting ONLINE, the LINK TO VOTE will be shared at the end of the live program. You will be required to enter the email address you used to purchase your ticket. Your (online) vote will not be counted if you do not have a valid email (that matches your ticket purchase email).
• The Winner Winner Chickpea Dinner. The second-place winner will receive $50. The first-place winner will receive $100 and a guaranteed invitation to perform at the 2024 Women’s Storytelling Festival.
Lona Bartlett
Lona Bartlett is a professional storyteller, puppeteer and educator who has delighted audiences throughout the U.S. and internationally for over 30 years. Degrees in education and a small town upbringing in the Catskill Mountains provide inspiration for a long list of programs and presentations. No matter the genre, whether folktales, fairytales, puppets, or personal stories, Lona loves bringing excitement and insight to audiences at schools, libraries, conferences, festivals, corporate gatherings and special events.
Julie Bradshaw
Julie Bradshaw grew up in St. Louis, MO. As soon as she could, she left what she calls “The Land
of Snow and Ice” to move South, where she has lived in Georgia, Florida, and now South
Carolina.
Julie is a natural born storyteller who shocked her husband a year ago when she got up on
stage and told a story at an Open Mic. The rest, as they say, is history.
She has told stories at St. Simons Storytelling Festival, Stone Soup Storytelling Festival (where
she was awarded second place in the Open Mic contest), and Six Feet Apart Productions.
Bette Lou Higgins
Bette Lou Higgins has an M.ED from Cleveland State University and a BA from Baldwin-Wallace College. She is the artistic director and a founder of Eden Valley Enterprises (EVE), where she has been involved in researching, writing, producing and performing more than forty original productions. Specializing in historical programs, EVE’s repertoire covers topics such as the Great Depression, World War II, the Great Lakes and profiles of historic figures often neglected by mainstream media. The company has also done a number of women’s history presentations. Find out more at www.edenvalleyenterprises.org.
Robin Kitson
Robin Kitson has been telling stories for over 20 yrs. She is known for her personal tall tales, civil rights and women’s historical stories, Cajun folktales, motivational stories, and international folktales.
Life changing events have influenced Robin’s life and stories, such as witnessing Ruby Bridges walking into school. Robin, a young single mother, overcame poverty by going back to school and becoming the first female power plant electrician as well as the first female Electric Meter Tech at Carolina Power and Light.
Robin’s life mission is to tell stories that educate, motivate, lift spirits, and sometimes just make people laugh.
Teri Lott
When Teri Lott retired from education, she embarked on a new career as a
professional storyteller. She shares her love of stories at festivals,
retirement communities, schools, libraries, and other places with listeners of
all ages. Teri enjoys telling folktales, humorous tales, seasonal stories, and
personal tales.
In 2020, she began a weekly Facebook presence – Tales on Tuesdays with
Teri – which attracted listeners as far away as India. Participating in virtual
story swaps and concerts as well as collecting some of her favorite tales and
publishing three books has kept this storyteller busy! So many stories, so
little time!
Gwendolyn Napier
Native of Atlanta and known to many as “Miss LuvDrop” the Storyteller, Gwendolyn Napier has been sharing stories for over 15 years locally and out of state. Retired educator, teaching and performing artist for the Georgia Council of the Arts Teaching Registry, Teaching and Performing Artist for the Wrens Nest Museum, founder of LuvDrop Storytelling Productions, and serving as an Atlanta Early Education Ambassador for GEEARS. Member of Kuumba Storytellers of Georgia, Southern Order of Storytellers, National Association of Black Storytellers, and she has served in the NABS Adopt-A-Teller’s Program for the last seven years going out into the Community of different States sharing STORIES in many Venues.
Stacy Parish
With a BS degree in art education from UM Mankato, and 11 years in broadcasting – as a professional disc jockey, voice talent and copywriter – Stacy Parish has been professionally involved in education and communication for over 25 years. A born storyteller, her popular podcast “Full Spirals” brings together two of her passions: using her voice as a vehicle for change and promoting the arts as tools for healing. A working local artist, she is also employed by Pinot’s Palette as a marketing coordinator, and her original paintings have been taught to tens of thousands of people nationwide.
