Amy Scadden has a chicken with lips.
And as if a chicken with lips weren't enough, this particular chicken even went to Hollywood. But if you want to hear the whole story, well, you'll just have to hear Amy tell it.Scadden, a 13-year-old from Lehi, will tell her story, "Chicken Lips," at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, which runs Friday and Saturday, Aug. 27 and 28.
The festival began four years ago as a fund-raiser by the Friends of the Orem Public Library to raise money for a new children's library. It has grown from obscurity to one of the best storytelling festivals in the country.
Librarian Janet Lowe wants Utah to be known for three cultural events: the Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City, the Sundance Film Festival at Sundance and the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival at Ashton Gardens in Orem. And she thinks the storytelling festival is well on its way to holding its own.
Besides Scadden, who will be telling tales with five other students from the Alpine School District, the festival includes six featured storytellers of national acclaim as well as many talented local and regional tellers.The festival was originally dreamed up by Karen Ashton, at whose home it is held, Lowe said. Ashton is a member of the Friends of the Orem Public Library and decided a storytelling festival would be the best way to raise money and awareness for a children's library.
"Drop every other effort; we're going to have a storytelling festival," she told Lowe. And that's what they did.
The festival has raised approximately $30,000 each year. That, along with the work of the Friends of the Orem Public Library, has provided enough money to pay the interest on the expansion that will begin Sept. 14. This year's festival will pay for tables, chairs and books in the new children's library.
Despite all that, Lowe looks at the dollar amount and asks, "Who cares?" The money is not the important thing, she said.
"It (the festival) deserves to exist for itself," she said.
Lowe said many people originally thought storytelling was only for children. She now tells people to leave their kids at home and come enjoy for themselves. That's because Lowe sees in storytelling the epitome of true com-mu-ni-ca-tion.
"It's the way people are supposed to be working together," she said. "You can see through the hangups and the prejudice and see the way things could and maybe should be."
The featured tellers are Anndrena Belcher, Bill Harley, Len Cabral, Syd Lieberman, Heather Forest and Jackie Torrence. Their stories and experience range from the Southern Appalachians to the Middle East to living through the worst flood in U.S. history.
Each teller has his own style, but the audience will be entertained with body language, music, instruments and poetry, in addition to the fluctuating vocal cords of the teller.
Two night performances will be held at the SCERA Shell: "Ghost Tales" on Friday and "Laughin' Night" on Saturday.
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(Schedule)
Storytelling festival
When: Friday and Saturday, Aug. 27 and 28, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Where: Day performances: Ashton Gardens, 900 E. 600 South, Orem; night performances: SCERA Shell, 400 E. 600 South, Orem.
Cost: One day - Child $5, adults $10
Entire festival - Child $15, adult $25, family (5 people) $65
Night events: $5
More information: Call the Orem City Library at 224-7161.