Dan Keding

Story telling is nothing new to the Chicago native, Dan Keding.  From personal narratives to ghost stories, Keding can always keep a crowd wanting to hear more.  He's also known for his outstanding singing, as well as the guitar, banjo and spoons.  Keding is a winner of many prestigious awards, including the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Story Telling Network he received in 2000.  As an author, he has released many popular pieces, as well as many recordings.  The recordings that he's produced have been have been ones such as Tales Across The Ocean, Promises Kept and Promises Broken.  He's held many different positions in the storytelling community, including serving on the Board of Directors of the National Storytelling Association from 1996-1998.  As of today, Keding writes a column on storytelling for Sing Out, a folk music magazine.

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When one thinks of a storyteller who tells stories based off imagination and creativity, they would most likely think about Jennifer Munro. Since 1987, she has been wowing many audiences with her unique and fun stories.  Most of her stories are based off of myths, folktales, fairy tales, etc.  Munro attended University College of North Wales and received her Bachelor of Education with majors in English Literature and Dramatic Art.  Today she teaches Language Arts in Connecticut for eighth graders.

Being in the storytelling business for 15 years, Kim Weitkamp has accomplished many achievements and is still today a fan favorite.  She began to do non profit work for the youth in her community and retired from that career and found her passion with comedy and storytelling.  Weitkamp has showcased her talents in locations such as Utah, Tennessee and Virginia.  She has also produced two CD projects, which are  "This Ain't Bull It's Fertilizer" and her self titled album. Wietkamp is also the founder of The Wrinkles Project, which is a nationwide program to help the awareness of talented individuals and for them to express their talents.   Today, she is the President of the Virginia Storytelling Alliance and is the Virginia State Rep for the National Youth Storytelling Showcase.

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Jessica Carleton

Jessica Honor Carleton has been storytelling professionally since she was 12-years-old. Jessica graduated cum laude from Northwestern University, with degrees in Theatre and Creative Writing for the Media. Since then, she has worked as a storyteller and actor in the Chicago area, performing at schools, libraries and festivals.  This fall, she will be playing Mick Kelly in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter at Steppenwolf Theatre. 
Jessica is also the senior writer and original ensemble member on Green Screen Adventures, a national children’s television show that adapts and performs the writing of elementary school students to encourage literacy. In the past four years, they've adapted the work of 1,500 in more than 250 episodes.   It airs in Chicago on WCIU and MeToo and nationally on networks THIS and MeTV. It can also be seen at greenscreenadventures.tv.
Jessica tells a range of stories, from folktales for children to personal stories for adult audiences. This year she was deeply honored to be a recipient of the J.J. Reneaux Mentorship Grant. Jessica is thrilled to be telling at the Cape Girardeau Storytelling festival.

 Andy Offutt Irwin

Some people have inner-kids.  Andy Offutt Irwin has an outer-kid.  With a manic Silly Putty voice, astonishing mouth noises and hilarious stories, he is equal parts mischievious school boy and Marx Brothers.  People are drawn to him like magnets to a refrigerator.  And inside, it's all Mountian Dew and Jolt Cola. 
A native of Covington, GA, Andy is a storyteller, humorist, singer, songwriter, musician, whistler, walking menagerie of sound effects and dialect, and so much more; some of his talents are hard to categorize. 

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-Assumption, IL