International Storytelling Center

Elizabeth Ellis Matinee Show
2026-08-04 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-05 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-06 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-07 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-08 14:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | International Storytelling Center, 100 West Main St, Jonesborough, TN, 37659, United States
Designated an American Masterpiece Touring Artist by the NEA, Elizabeth Ellis grew up in the Appalachian Mountains hearing stories from her grandfather, a mountain minister. The “Divine Miss E” is a versatile and riveting teller of Appalachian and Texas tales and stories of heroic American women, though her personal stories are arguably her best. An award-winning author, she is a recipient of the John Henry Faulk award from the Tejas Storytelling Association, and the NSN ORACLE Circle of Excellence and Lifetime Achievement awards.

Buy Tickets Here

Elizabeth Ellis Evening Show
2026-08-06 19:30 - 20:30

Anne Rutherford Matinee Show
2026-08-11 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-12 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-13 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-14 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-15 14:00 - 15:00
A five-time champion of the Northwest Folklife Liar’s contest, Anne Rutherford’s tales ring true even when they’re completely false. From personal stories to prize-winning lies, she’s developed a wide-ranging repertoire over her 25 years of performing, including first-person accounts from her Wild West alter ego Clementine Ryder, who usually steals the show. Often accompanied by her mandolin playing, Rutherford’s telling bubbles with humor, heart, and a desire to connect and share meaning with her audience. “Without you,” Anne says, “I’m talking to myself!”

Buy Tickets Here

Hannah Harvey Matinee Show
2026-08-18 14:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-19 14:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-20 14:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-21 14:00 - 17:00, 2026-08-22 14:00 - 17:00
Hannah Harvey is a contemporary Appalachian storyteller whose boundless energy is undeniably contagious. With equal parts humor and gravity, she draws on her Ph.D. in Performance Ethnography to develop her knowledge of Appalachian folklore into theatrical works that highlight the lived stories of the region’s people and places. The strong folk heroines who emerge from the traditions of her native Northeast Tennessee and beyond show audiences how the past continues to live in the present—connecting memory, geography, and enduring identity. Harvey has performed widely, from national workshops for physicians and keynotes for multinational tech leaders, to festivals in the U.K. and intercultural workshops in Morocco, and in three storytelling courses with The Great Courses. Critics have called her work “very funny” (Theatre Guide London) and “deeply moving” (Classical Voice of North Carolina).

Buy Tickets Here

Tim Ereneta Matinee Show
2026-08-25 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-26 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-27 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-28 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-29 14:00 - 15:00
Storyteller Tim Ereneta connects ancient stories to modern-day life, as he shares classic and forgotten fairy tales with audiences of all ages—but especially adults. Trained as a playwright and actor, Ereneta is an award-winning storyteller based in Berkeley, California, who has performed on stages in schools, theaters, and festivals across the country. Originally interested in sketch comedy, Tim found he could get as big a reaction from audiences from telling a Grimm’s fairy tale as he could from performing original comedy.

Buy Tickets Here

April Armstrong Matinee Show
2026-09-01 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-02 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-03 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-04 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-05 14:00 - 15:00
April Armstrong is an award-winning actress, singer, and storyteller who weaves melodies and words into her multi-cultural folktales and historic accounts. April’s journey into storytelling began in the third grade, when she was invited back by the fifth grade to reprise her solo from the school play. Her reward? Cake, ice cream — and a calling she’s followed ever since. She has performed at numerous festivals, theaters, and schools nationwide, including the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem. Armstrong is the recipient of the National Storytellers Network’s 2020 J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist and the 2015 Bronx BRIO awards for Storytelling, and her debut CD, The Cat Came Back: Stories and Songs with a Jazzy Twist, won a Parents Choice Silver Award.

Buy Tickets Here

Sarah Brady Matinee Concert
2026-09-08 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-09 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-10 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-11 14:00 - 15:00
Storyteller, actress, teaching artist, and writer, Sarah Brady taught communication and theater at Hampton University before making her way toward the storytelling world in 2014. She has told stories in the US and UK, where she lived for three years as her roots grew deep in British soil. Sarah’s telling spans genres of historical, traditional, literary, and personal tales, while her awards include being chosen the Sunburst Performing Artist of the Year by Arts for Learning Virginia. Passionate about stories that help us see each other and the world around us, she specializes in finding the heart of each story she tells.

Buy Tickets Here
