Mary Shea Rys

Who is it for?

• Grades PK-8

Options:

• In Person

Program Description:

I have been a storyteller for more than 25 years, and recently retired as a reading specialist after 41 years in the public school system. My passion is learning and telling stories from varying genres, and I now perform and teach Storytelling to students, families, teachers and communities.  I specialize in interactive stories, involving the audience as much as possible which doubles the fun for children and adults!. I have six performative programs you may choose from:

• Scared Silly - a mix of mildly scary and whimsical tales 
• Magic and Mayhem - which includes fairy tales and magical stories
• Noodleheads and Nincompoops - a collection of funny tales of foolish, silly and thoughtless characters
• Irish Tales of Wit and Wonder - Irish fairy tales, Leprechaun Tales and springtime stories.
• Story Detectives - a program that challenges the audience with riddles as well as critical reasoning, where participants have to ponder the “answer” to the story
• Animal Adventures - classic fables and animal tales for all ages

During my single performances,(which can involve one or more sessions depending on school or venue enrollment), I focus on story experiences that involve the audience directly, whether through echo and repetition, action and motion, or active participation where both children and adults become performers.  In the past four years, the Liverpool Public Library has hosted six Storytelling Camps for school-age students up through eighth grade, modeled on the Storytelling Clubs that I ran for over 25 years in local public schools. These camps are well attended and enthusiastically received!  A similar residency would allow us to meet daily for five consecutive days, for up to an hour and a half.  Participants would observe stories and performance techniques; choose from a wide array of tongue twisters, poems, fables, stories and fairytales; work with others to learn the material; and perform for their peers, teachers and families on a daily basis.  During the performance part, students are taught to give constructive criticism and positive feedback in a kind and caring manner. By the end of the week-long experience, students have not only learned to perform self-chosen pieces, but have also grown in public speaking skills, confidence, friendship and kindness toward others.  I encourage you to contact Joellyn Murray at the Liverpool Public Library for her perspective on the immense value of these programs. I can be reached via email or telephone, and my website at maryshearys.com should be operational within a month or so. I can provide references and clips of performances at different venues.  Students, teachers, administrators and families are delighted and enthusiastic about the Storytelling experience!
 

Program Tags: 

• Character education
• Public Speaking
• Storyteller