Stir the Style: Wasn't Expecting That....

You thought you knew what was coming. You thought you knew what the end would be. But when you get there, you realize it is something entirely different. It makes you think, “Hmmm… wasn’t expecting that!”

This year we Stir the Style with narratives of surprise, disappointment, triumph, and transformation—tales where the destination wasn't quite what was imagined, but the journey proved remarkable nonetheless.

You might find yourself laughing at life's unpredictable nature or shedding tears in shared understanding. Each person's reaction will be uniquely their own, as personal as the memories these works evoke.

What we can promise is an engaging evening that resonates with your own life experiences, leaving you entertained, moved, and perhaps seeing your own journey in a new light.

Musical Guest: Lara Herscovitch

Carol Birch

Returning to the International Festival of Art and Ideas, is Carol Birch whose storytelling style revitalizes language. Her art is an absence of artifice, and her stories offer memories worth keeping – even the funny ones!

Since Birch began performing in 1971, she’s received two National Endowment for the Humanities grants to develop a storytelling program for television; toured nationwide with multiple appearances at the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee, as well as invitational performances in Australia, Europe, and Singapore. She received an Oracle Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network. Her two books Who Says? and The Whole Story Handbook, along with her eight recordings have earned multiple awards. Under her direction, eight other storyteller’s recordings received awards.

Birch taught storytelling on both coasts, including University of Southern California, UCLA, Wesleyan (CT) and Southern Ct Universities, and led five storytelling tours through Ireland, Scotland, and England. Media appearances include ABC's Nightline, CBS' Morning Show and National Public Radio. “[Her] voice is a magnet for ears and the tales she tells make the heart beat with a little more confidence … a warm and enchanting style.”  –NUVO Weekly

www.carolbirchstoryteller.com

Lara Herscovitch

Lara Herscovitch is a singer-songwriter-poet-performer gem. As described in The Boston Globe, she brings “a luminous voice and a buoyant stage presence… big-hearted lyrics embrace the sum of life… Herscovitch’s music blows on the embers of a lagging spirit or a dormant creative life.” Lara leads with authenticity, integrity, humor and heart. Sound Waves Magazine described her music as “expertly written prose… songwriting at its best… good for your ears AND your soul.” Acoustic Live in New York City added, “She possesses not only a huge reservoir of musical talent and a voice with a bell-like clarity, but a keen sense of global concern and a fierce intellect... It might seem too good to be true, but true it is.” LaraHerscovitch.com

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