New England School Performing Artists Directory, Social Studies, occupations

NEW ENGLAND SCHOOL PERFORMING ARTIST DIRECTORY

SOCIAL STUDIES

OCCUPATIONS

COWBOY || FARMER || MILL WORKER
SAILOR / WHALERMAN | RAILROAD WORKER

COWBOY

MUSIC

photo of Tom Callinan and Ann Shapiro

TOM CALLINAN and ANN SHAPIRO

c/o Crackerbarrel Entertainments
55 East Town Street
Norwich, CT 06360-2345
Phone and Fax: (860) 889-6648
E-Mail: tom.c@crackerbarrel-ents.com
Website: http://www.crackerbarrel-ents.com/tomann01.htm
For over 30 years, the husband and wife team of Tom Callinan and Ann Shapiro has toured an assortment of informative and entertaining participatory programs throughout the Eastern Seaboard of the United States for audiences as diverse as nursery schools through nursing homes. Whether appearing as solo artists or as their duo, they blend their extensive repertoire of songs, which span many centuries, with an impressive array of instruments from the wind, string, and percussion families. As storytellers, they were among the Featured Tellers at the National Storytelling Festival (1999), and "Tellers-In-Residence" at the International Storytelling Center (2003). Their stories are told in-tandem or individually, embellished with humor, music, sound effects, and audience involvement. Each has been designated a Master Teaching Artist by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
Tom, a former junior high school teacher with a B.S. in Secondary Education from Central Connecticut State University, and a M.A.L.S. from Wesleyan University, has written over 100 songs about Connecticut – more than anyone in history. Via legislation passed by the Connecticut General Assembly, and signed by then-Governor Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., Tom was designated Connecticut's first "Official State Troubadour" in 1991. His credits include: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; "Good Morning America"; "Shining Time Station"; among many others. Honors include: composing songs included in Emmy Award-winning documentaries and co-writing songs on Parents Choice Gold Award recordings, among others.
In addition to her work as a creative and performing artist, Ann also serves as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Storytelling Center, in-residence at Connecticut College. Ann is the recipient of a number of prestigious awards, including: The National Storytelling Network’s 2005 ORACLE Leadership and Service Award For The Northeastern United States; the 2008 Brother Blue and Ruth Hill Award from LANES (The League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling); and the 2009 Elizabeth L. Mahaffey Arts Administration Fellowship Recipient from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.
Tom and Ann have produced over a dozen recordings on CD and cassette (see website: www.Crackerbarrel-Ents.com). A downloadable order form is available at www.crackerbarrel-ents.com/Catalog/Order%20Form.htm, and printed study-guides pertaining to their Arts-In-Education programs are available on request. Information about teacher-training, consulting services, and custom songwriting are available as well.
Program Titles: Environmental Hootenanny; From Sea to Shining Sea; Brother Against Brother; Young America; Come On & Sing-Along; I'm Gonna Write a Song; Home Fires; Imagine Menagerie; Thumbs-Up for Connecticut; Sea Songs, Chanteys, and Nautical Lore; Irish and Irish-American Songs, Tunes, and Tales; Getting Along; Holiday Hodge-Podge, and more.
Audience Limit: 30/class; 300/assembly
Fees: Assembly- $500/solo [1st show. 2nd show @ $300]; $750/duo [1st show. 2nd show @ $450]; Classroom- $500 per day/4 classes-solo. Travel is included within Connecticut. Out of state: 55¢ per mile, round-trip from Norwich, CT.
Funding Sources: Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, New England Foundation for the Arts, BOCES (New York).
Special Requirements: Access to performance space 45 minutes before first show

BILL DOUGAL

243 Tobacco Street
Lebanon, CT 06249
(860) 456-9041
E Mail: bill@dougalart.com
Website: www.dougalmusic.net

FISH SONG FUN - Bill Dougal's original songs about sea life combine humor and education.

COWBOY BILLY - A colorful cowboy character educating and entertaining through original songs and comedy. The Wild & Witty West Show provides a humorous look into the lifestyle of the cowboy. The OK Corral Show emphasizes character values. Songs teach moral lessons like being nice to your neighbor, and peaceful conflict resolution.

FUN SONGS FROM BILL'S HAT - Bill Dougal's original songs educate young people, and incorporate humor. Songs include; "Fact collection", "Mr. Gravity", "It's My Brain" and "Ooey Gooey". A large cartoon visual accompanies each tune.

CARICATURES - Cartoon-style portraits. Visual interpretation of various head shapes and facial features with exaggeration & humor. Cartooning presentation also. Lecture/demo, workshop or drawing by the hour.

Program Titles: Fish Song Fun, Cowboy Billy, Caricatures, Fun Songs From Bill's Hat

Fee: Start at $275

FARMER

STORYTELLING || MUSIC

STORYTELLING

photo of Jackson Gillman

JACKSON GILLMAN - "Stand-Up Chameleon"

PO Box 41
Onset, MA 02558
(508) 295-0886
E-Mail: jacksong@jacksongillman.com
Web site: www.jacksongillman.com
Sparkling with energy, wit and whimsy, the "Stand-Up Chameleon" magically transforms into a wide array of colorful characters. Through his many talents as songsmith, comic, mime and storyteller, Jackson engages and delights audiences of all ages with his highly visual and interactive performances. Many different shows to choose from including several educational nature programs. Has been a featured performer at festivals across the country. For 6-12 grades, his two substance abuse awareness presentations have been used annually by schools for their prevention programming. 30+ years experience, easy-going and flexible, references galore.
Program Titles:
Nature in Action, Story and Song - an educational romp on the wild and crazy side of natural science;
Riot in the Garden - fun-filled farm science, awarded Most Educational at the MOFGA Common Ground Fair;
BUGS! - doodlebugs, spiders, ants and other crawlies are featured in this low-life revue;
Once Upon a Tide - fun and fishy repertoire from the sandy beach to the briny deep;
On a Wing and a Song - a birds-eye view of the cycle of seasons;
Moon Crazy - captivating songs and stories to take you far away and pilot you happily home;

Autumn Wonders - a rich tapestry of the colors, sounds and smells in a heartwarming, story and song-filled celebration of the season;
Halloween Silly Willies - songs and stories to tickle your funny-bone without scaring your pants off;
Winter Wonders (or Holiday Huzzah for Christmas and/or Chanukah) - heartwarming celebrations of the seasons, holidays and the human spirit;
Spring Into Action and Song - celebrates spring and in all of its song-filled wonder;
The Man Who Planted Hope - an inspiring account of reforestation in Provence, adapted from the story by Jean Giono;

The Magic of Rudyard Kipling: Just So - the classic Just So Stories brought to life;
Levity in Motion - mime and stories for the family, airborne exploits and other childhood flights of fancy;
A Family Cabaret - an intergenerational look at daily rituals, wake-up to bedtime, from all perspectives;
The Dancing Man (with ASL) - lively, interactive songs and stories to move and groove with;

Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors - stories of friendship performed with sign language; Swamp Cake and Cattails - assembly program about anti-bullying and social acceptance, fancifully disguised as a prehistoric comedy with dinosaurs and dragons;
Hard Knocks - an intense one-man drama dealing with substance abuse within a family;
The Perfect High - a lighter-side look at the prevention of substance abuse;
Fee: starts at $375 + travel

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts

MUSIC

JIM DOUGLAS

53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
E-Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu

Jim Douglas sings history alive! Students love his "In Tune With the Times" programs because they are lively and entertaining. They enjoy hearing and singing great songs, seeing new and interesting folk instruments, and learning about other people and times. Teachers love the programs because they reinforce many classroom lessons. Enrichment providers love the programs because they bring to life a special part of our musical and cultural heritage in a way that is authentic, meaningful, and memorable.

During two decades as a full-time school performer, Jim has shared his love and extensive research of the past and its music with audiences of all ages in well over a thousand schools. Mr. Douglas has a Master's Degree in History (University of Connecticut), has published four books, and released seven recordings of New England songs and stories. His book, Songs of New England: A Sourcebook for Teachers, is being used extensively throughout the region, and his most recent book, Music in Every Classroom : A Resource Guide for Integrating Music Across the Curriculum, Grades K-8 (Libraries Unlimited), is helping teachers across the country enrich their classes. Jim's latest recording, Under A Spell, earned the prestigious American Library Association Notable Award.

Jim's work has been supported by such organizations as the National Foundation for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Young Audiences of Maryland and Connecticut, Connecticut Humanities Council, Old Sturbridge Village, Mystic Seaport, and Plimoth Plantation.

Program Titles: Yankee Doodle and His Cousin (colonial songs); A Peddler's Pack (songs of old New England); (Your State) Songster; Thar She Blows! (songs the whalemen sang); A House Divided (songs of the Civil War); The American Saga (American folk songs); From Farm to Factory; Across the Western Ocean (Irish immigration); Freedom Is A Constant Struggle (the Constitution); Thereby Hangs A Tale (tall tales from New England)

Audience Limit: 40/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $350 - 1 assembly; $275for each assembly after; $400/day of classes (up to 4/day)

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council

YANKEE NOTIONS

Jim Douglas
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
Fax: (508) 213-2333
E Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu
Website: www.timvanegmond.com

Years ago, friends and neighbors gathered at community and family events to share stories, play tunes and sing songs. Times have changed, but those songs, tunes and stories continue to delight, especially when performed by Yankee Notions.

Yankee Notions is Jim Douglas and Tim Van Egmond. Both are accomplished singers, storytellers, and musicians (guitar, hammered dulcimer, English concertina, pennywhistle, Appalachian dulcimer). Performing throughout New England for close to 20 years, Yankee Notions has been featured in hundreds of community concerts and festivals, schools, libraries, senior centers, and heritage museums (including Old Sturbridge Village (MA), Historic Deerfield (MA), Mystic Seaport (CT), Old Bethpage Village Restoration (NY), and Plimoth Plantation (MA)).

Because of their extensive repertoire and experience in working with audiences of all ages in a wide variety of situations, Yankee Notions can provide a concert program tailored to your audience’s interests and needs. (We also provide indoor/outdoor sound system at no extra cost.)

Sample School Programs Include:

A Peddler’s Pack: An eclectic mix from New England and beyond. Lively Irish and French Canadian tunes, traditional and contemporary songs sung in two-part harmony.
The Sailor’s Trade: Shanties (work songs) and fo’c’sle songs (songs for recreation) from the days of ‘wooden ships and iron men.’
The Jolly Farmer: Perfect for agricultural fairs and the like. Songs and tunes from 18th and 19th century New England, when ‘the farmer was the man’
Seasonal/Holiday Samplers: Whether it’s a Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, First Night, Old Home Day, St. Patrick’s Day or other special day, here’s the entertainment to help celebrate it in style!

Program Titles: A Peddler's Pack; The Sailor's Trade; The Jolly Farmer; Seasonal/Holiday Samplers

Fee: Starts at $650 for 2 assemblies, same day, same school. Block booing discounts available.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts

MILL WORKER

MUSIC

JIM DOUGLAS

53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
E-Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu

Audience Limit: 40/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $350 - 1 assembly; $275for each assembly after; $400/day of classes (up to 4/day)

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council

PROMISED LAND

In Massachusetts: Young Audiences of Massachusetts
1050 Commonwealth Ave. Suite 201
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
(617) 566-9262
Out of Massachusetts:
Ellen Lawrence Weiner
2411 Bay Rd.
Sharon, MA 02067
(781) 784-6394
Fax: (781) 784-5393
E Mail: elweiner@att.net
Website: www.elweiner.com

Who Are We In America?

Trace with Promised Land the story of immigrants searching for a better life. Hear the story of the people, from the original native Americans through the European explorers, to the waves of 19th and 20th century immigrants.

Join in, as the members of Promised Land weave their family's stories into the tapestry we all share. Using sing-alongs, a multitude of musical instruments, engaging tales and old photographs, they combine history, music, language studies, and other aspects of the curriculum into an entertaining and educational program.

Program Title: Promised Land (Assembly only)

Audience Limit: 250/assembly

Fee: In Massachusetts: $575/single,$725 for a pair and $990 for a triple. Out of state:$700 for one performance, reductions for multiples and block booking

Special Requirements: 1 microphone with floor stand and PA system, 6 easels or music stands

YANKEE NOTIONS

Jim Douglas
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
Fax: (508) 213-2333
E Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu
Website: www.timvanegmond.com

Sample School Programs Include:

A Peddler’s Pack: An eclectic mix from New England and beyond. Lively Irish and French Canadian tunes, traditional and contemporary songs sung in two-part harmony.
The Sailor’s Trade: Shanties (work songs) and fo’c’sle songs (songs for recreation) from the days of ‘wooden ships and iron men.’
The Jolly Farmer: Perfect for agricultural fairs and the like. Songs and tunes from 18th and 19th century New England, when ‘the farmer was the man’
Seasonal/Holiday Samplers: Whether it’s a Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, First Night, Old Home Day, St. Patrick’s Day or other special day, here’s the entertainment to help celebrate it in style!

Program Titles: A Peddler's Pack; The Sailor's Trade; The Jolly Farmer; Seasonal/Holiday Samplers

Fee: Starts at $650 for 2 assemblies, same day, same school. Block booing discounts available.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts

STORYTELLING

photo of Kate Carney

STORYTELLING FOR CHILDREN - KATE CARNEY

Kate Carney
51 Pettee Street
Newton, MA 02464
(617) 244-0209
Fax: (617) 926-7273
E Mail: carneyk@earthlink.net
Web site: www.katecarney.net
Need a riveting, versatile entertainer who can delight all ages and whet their curiosity? Need an artist-in-residence who can work effectively with children and teachers? Storyteller Kate Carney can meet these needs and more.
Since 1989, Kate has been telling stories to audiences young and old, at schools and libraries throughout New England, drawing on her broad repertoire of international folktales, myths and living history stories. Her presentations are highly interactive, educational and fun-filled.
An eclectic teacher/performer, with 25 years of teaching experience, Kate tells stories and gives workshops for all levels. Her programs tie in with on-going classroom studies -- from nature and the environment to living history to disability awareness.
Audiences describe her performances and workshops as inspiring, informative, and energizing, eg: "Kate has a wonderful way of engaging children of all ages -- she understands what interests and amuses them. I am impressed with how she creates a warm, friendly atmosphere in which shy children feel comfortable. She is a fine actor and a warm, pleasant person with many talents to share.” Ed G., Director, Old Schwamb Mill, Arlington, MA
Kate’s storytelling captivates students’ attention, helps them process ideas, follow narrative, develop sequential thinking and improve their memory. They grow personally involved in the subject -- values such as character development and conflict resolution sink in. Her engaging style encourages students to honor themselves, their community and their physical environment.
Her message is Yes! If you keep at it, you can be anything you want to be. She also focuses on appreciating differences and developing self-esteem. By integrating arts into the curriculum, she motivates students to want to read. The result? Inquiring and creative minds, students who find reading exciting and accessible.
In her Residencies and Workshops for Children, Kate humorously and interactively pulls drama and skills from her receptive listeners as they begin to create stories. They start by re-enacting the events and characters they’ve just heard about. They go on to learn how to select a story, sequence its beginning, middle and end -- and present it in a final Story Festival.
In her Teachers’ in-service trainings Kate is committed to helping teachers reach their curricular goals. Her work is based on the progressive educational tradition – she gives exercises which stimulate question-asking, encourage the ‘whole child’ and provide ‘real-world’ experiences for children.
Kate is a multi-faceted Performer, Educator, Coach and Speaker. She is a member of the League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling, has written articles for the LANES Museletter and is a regular presenter at the Sharing the Fire North East Regional Storytelling Conference. She is available for touring performances, Workshops and Residencies, Teacher in-Service Trainings and Coaching.
Study Guides are available for these 45-minute programs. Visuals enhance the programs and help kids to see what life was like ‘back then’.
Interactive Living History Stories (Grades 2-4) Kate's creative approach to teaching history and language arts weaves storytelling, song and dramatization into learning. Playing an historical woman, she tells stories, leads kids in period songs and invites them to act out events from that part of America’s history. Inquiring, creative minds and responsible citizenship develop as she and the group focus on culture, science, art, fashion and our diverse culture.
Kate is happy to plan ahead with teachers, and to adjust the program for that group’s goals. Students may want to bring questions to ask Kate's character (History, Reading for 2-5)
The American Revolution: What was it like to be a kid in colonial days? Kate introduces children to the riddles, tales, songs and games of children in Pre-Revolutionary Boston.
The Frontier: Using simple objects, students re-enact events in stories they’ve just heard about the Oregon Trail and the Frontier.
The Lowell Mills: After stories of how the mill workers lived, students imaginatively step into their shoes to learn how to spend their money wisely.
Immigration: After hearing immigrants’ stories, youngsters take a mock exam like the ones immigrants had to take to enter this country.
Helen Keller's World: What would it be like to be deaf, blind and mute? Kids explore the roles of the disabled and their guides, to find out how it would feel to experience that world.
The Girl Scouts: Juliette Low’s childhood led her to found the Girl Scouts. Children hear about what the early Scouts did and try out some of their activities.
Story Programs for younger kids- tailored to your needs
Greek Myths/Aesop's Fables: Kids hear and act out Aesop's fables, and/or talk over the misadventures of some Greek heroes, gods, and goddesses. (K-6)
Mother Nature's Myths: Tales of Nature’s quirks; activities to honor her. (K-4)
Multicultural Tales: folk stories, songs and games to help kids understand other cultures. (K-4).
Audience Limits: Prefer groups of 60 or fewer.
Fees: $280 plus mileage for groups up to 60. Larger groups - Negotiable. Discounts available for Residencies, Day-long Workshops, Co-sponsorship and Block Bookings.
Funding Sources: New England States Touring (NEST) program of the New England Foundation for the Arts

SAILOR/WHALERMAN

MUSIC || THEATER || STORYTELLING || HISTORICAL CHARACTER

MUSIC

TOM CALLINAN and DON SINETI

c/o Crackerbarrel Entertainments
55 East Town Street
Norwich, CT 06360-2345
Phone and Fax: (860)-889-6648
E-Mail: tom.c@crackerbarrel-ents.com
Website: http://www.crackerbarrel-ents.com/don_and_tom.htm

With banjo, concertina, guitar, spoons, bodhran, ocarina, penny whistles, bones, and limberjack, Tom and Don are masters of generating audience participation. Their infectious performing style blends sea songs and traditional folksongs with folk-revival and original compositions. Sea chanteys (work songs), done in powerful harmony, recall the days of wooden ships and iron men. Ballads and songs about the environment and the plight of the world's endangered whales bring out their more sensitive side. Effortlessly, the duo shifts gears from ballads, to toe-tapping instrumentals, to silly ditties. They are ideal for inter-generational/family audiences and fund-raisers.

Their programs can be specific or eclectic in theme, depending on the needs of the sponsoring organization (school, library, museum, etc.). Some feature the implementation of "home-made" apparatus to simulate the experience of working on a ship for volunteers selected from the audience. Rhythm instruments are often distributed to volunteers selected from the audience to form a "foo-foo" band, reminiscent of those found in immigrant communities, or on ship-board in the 18th, 19th, and early 20th Centuries. Music, songs, Don's award-winning illustrations, slides, and an assortment of hands-on artifacts raise the lecture/demo format to a multi-media experience.

Program Titles: Songs & Tales of Ships & Whales; Folksongs - Old & New; Songs For the Earth; Instruments & Instrumentals; Drawn By the Song of the Sea (Illustrations/Slides & Music).

Audience Limit: 30/class; 300/assembly

Fees: Assembly - $650/duo, $400/solo; Classroom - $400 per day/ 4 classes - solo; $.55 per mile, round trip from Norwich, CT

Funding Sources: Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, New England Foundation for the Arts, BOCES (in New York)

Special Requirements: Access to performance space 45 minites before first show

DAVID COFFIN, M.Ed

38 Haskell
Gloucester, MA 01930
(978) 282-4680
Fax: same, call first
E Mail: david@davidcoffin.com
Web site: www.davidcoffin.com

Since 1980, David has performed every year with the Christmas Revels, and since 1991, as Master of Ceremonies, teaching and leading Revels audiences in song. He has appeared at numerous festivals including the Newport Folk Festival, Mystic Sea Music Festival, and the Lunenburg, Nova Scotia Folk Festival. He has several recordings of his own and has been featured on many more. His music has also been featured on NBC.

Music for the King's Court: Exploring the Early Winds With characteristic panache, David Coffin has been delighting audiences both young and old in demonstrating his collection of Early Wind Instruments. His engaging presentation covers the history of the recorder from the primitive ocarina through the medieval gemshorns and the recorders of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. With complete sets of beautifully crafted instruments, David demonstrates each one proficiently with period examples of music written for that particular instrument. He illustrates with humor and vitality the evolution of the Early Instruments and the reasons they either evolved or became extinct. (Grades K-12)

From Boston Harbor: Take a virtual tour around Boston Harbor and hear historical anecdotes and songs that illustrate Boston's role in shaping a great nation. This is the 'land based' version of his popular summer boat tour Boston By Sea. (Grades 4-and up)

Life At Sea: Get the whole group singing the sea shanties as we 'hoist the sails,' leave Nantucket to go a-whaling, across the line and around the Horn. And just why did we do that anyway? (Grades K-12)

Brochures with full descriptions are available upon request. Video CD-ROM also available for the King's Court program.

Program Titles: Music for the King's Court; From Boston Harbor; Life At Sea

Audience Limits: Music for the King's Court: 150; Maritime Programs: 300

Fees (including travel): $700 and up; block booking discounts available and encouraged. Massachusetts Cultural Council and local cultural councils. Private subsidy is available.

Requirements: Music for the King's Court: power supply, access to space 45 minutes prior.

JIM DOUGLAS

53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
E-Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu

Audience Limit: 40/class; 200/assembly

Fee: $350 - 1 assembly; $275for each assembly after; $400/day of classes (up to 4/day)

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council

PAUL KAPLAN

203 Heatherstone Road
Amherst, MA 01002
(413) 253-9484
E Mail: phkaplan@yahoo.com
Website: www.paulkaplanmusic.com

Paul Kaplan believes that music is unique in its ability to cross the boundaries of time and place, opening minds and hearts along the way. His programs include "Songs Around the World," adaptable to include music from cultures of your choice, "American Folksong Singalong," "Songs of the Sea," "Immigration Songs," "Songs for the Earth," and three interactive seasonal shows for young people: "Fall Frolic," "Wonders of Winter," and "Sing for Spring." Also, with bagpiper Larry Cole, "Music of the Isles (England, Ireland and Scotland)," and "The World of Bagpipes." All shows feature many opportunities for audience participation.

Program Title: Songs Around the World, Folk Singalong, Songs of the Sea, Songs for the Earth, Music of the Isles (England, Ireland and Scotland), Fall Frolic, Wonders of Winter, Sing for Spring

Audience Size: 350

Fee: $300 for one show; $450 for two; travel negotiable

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council (event)

YANKEE NOTIONS

Jim Douglas
53 Whittemore Road
Sturbridge, MA 01566
(508) 347-2065
Fax: (508) 213-2333
E Mail: jim.douglas@nichols.edu
Website: www.timvanegmond.com

Sample School Programs Include:

A Peddler’s Pack: An eclectic mix from New England and beyond. Lively Irish and French Canadian tunes, traditional and contemporary songs sung in two-part harmony.
The Sailor’s Trade: Shanties (work songs) and fo’c’sle songs (songs for recreation) from the days of ‘wooden ships and iron men.’
The Jolly Farmer: Perfect for agricultural fairs and the like. Songs and tunes from 18th and 19th century New England, when ‘the farmer was the man’
Seasonal/Holiday Samplers: Whether it’s a Harvest Festival, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, First Night, Old Home Day, St. Patrick’s Day or other special day, here’s the entertainment to help celebrate it in style!

Program Titles: A Peddler's Pack; The Sailor's Trade; The Jolly Farmer; Seasonal/Holiday Samplers

Fee: Starts at $650 for 2 assemblies, same day, same school. Block booing discounts available.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts

THEATER

PETTICOAT ADVENTURES

Ellen Weiner
Professional Artists Management
2411 Bay Road
Sharon, MA 02067
(781) 784-6394
E Mail: elweiner@comcast.net
Website: www.elweiner.com

Storyteller/actress Joan Gatturna presents women from history who have led unique and unusual lives. With the aid of costume and reproduction artifacts, Joan takes children into past centuries where they can meet and converse with women who defied the conventions of their times. Current productions include Petticoat Patriot-The Deborah Sampson Story, which tells of a woman who served as a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, Petticoats at Sea - which shares the adventures of a girl who lived her life at sea in the era of the Clipper Ships and the China Trade, and Petticoat and the Midnight Ride - which tells the story of Rachel Revere (Paul's wife) and her children. Hear about home life in a time of tumult and how Rachel and the children escaped occupied Boston, and much more. (Grade 3 and up; Assembly, Classrooms and Residencies)

Program Titles: Petticoat Patriot- The Deborah Sampson Story; Petticoats at Sea- The Clipper Ship Girl; Petticoat and the Midnight Ride

Audience Limit: 75 for school programs; none for public presentations

Fee: $500 for the first performance, $300 for each thereafter on same day/same location.

Funding Sources: Massachusetts Cultural Council, New England Foundation for the Arts, B.O.C.E.S.(New York); New Hampshire Humanities Council

Special Requirements: Small table and chair

STORYTELLING

photo of Jackson Gillman

JACKSON GILLMAN - "Stand-Up Chameleon"

PO Box 41
Onset, MA 02558
(508) 295-0886
E-Mail: jacksong@jacksongillman.com
Web site: www.jacksongillman.com
Sparkling with energy, wit and whimsy, the "Stand-Up Chameleon" magically transforms into a wide array of colorful characters. Through his many talents as songsmith, comic, mime and storyteller, Jackson engages and delights audiences of all ages with his highly visual and interactive performances. Many different shows to choose from including several educational nature programs. Has been a featured performer at festivals across the country. For 6-12 grades, his two substance abuse awareness presentations have been used annually by schools for their prevention programming. 30+ years experience, easy-going and flexible, references galore.
Program Titles:
Nature in Action, Story and Song - an educational romp on the wild and crazy side of natural science;
Riot in the Garden - fun-filled farm science, awarded Most Educational at the MOFGA Common Ground Fair;
BUGS! - doodlebugs, spiders, ants and other crawlies are featured in this low-life revue;
Once Upon a Tide - fun and fishy repertoire from the sandy beach to the briny deep;
On a Wing and a Song - a birds-eye view of the cycle of seasons;
Moon Crazy - captivating songs and stories to take you far away and pilot you happily home;

Autumn Wonders - a rich tapestry of the colors, sounds and smells in a heartwarming, story and song-filled celebration of the season;
Halloween Silly Willies - songs and stories to tickle your funny-bone without scaring your pants off;
Winter Wonders (or Holiday Huzzah for Christmas and/or Chanukah) - heartwarming celebrations of the seasons, holidays and the human spirit;
Spring Into Action and Song - celebrates spring and in all of its song-filled wonder;
The Man Who Planted Hope - an inspiring account of reforestation in Provence, adapted from the story by Jean Giono;

The Magic of Rudyard Kipling: Just So - the classic Just So Stories brought to life;
Levity in Motion - mime and stories for the family, airborne exploits and other childhood flights of fancy;
A Family Cabaret - an intergenerational look at daily rituals, wake-up to bedtime, from all perspectives;
The Dancing Man (with ASL) - lively, interactive songs and stories to move and groove with;

Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors - stories of friendship performed with sign language;
Swamp Cake and Cattails - assembly program about anti-bullying and social acceptance, fancifully disguised as a prehistoric comedy with dinosaurs and dragons;
Hard Knocks - an intense one-man drama dealing with substance abuse within a family;
The Perfect High - a lighter-side look at the prevention of substance abuse;
Fee: starts at $375 + travel

Funding Sources: New England Foundation for the Arts

MARY JO MAICHACK MINSTREL/STORYTELLER

Maichack Arts
93 Homestead Ave.
Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 532-3667
Fax (413) 538-6023
E Mail: EmJay7@aol.com
Website: www.maryjomaichack.com/

Mary Jo is a seasoned, national award-winning, dynamic storyteller, singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and just plain entertaining performer who presents interactive variety shows for children and families. Participate in world folktales, sing, dance, laugh, listen to the fiddle, act in costumed story theater - all in one show! Since 1989, Mary Jo has performed more than 3,000 shows in libraries and schools, on PBS, featured at regional festivals: Three Apples Storytelling Festival (twice); CT Storytelling Festival; LAUGHS Fest (Virginia), Sharing the Fire conference workshop presenter, League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling, (L.A.N.E.S.) M.I.T., Boston, 2002-2005; Mark Twain Festival, Hartford, Conn.; Celebration Barn Theater, South Paris, Maine, 1992 and 1994; Norman Rockwell Museum since 1998, Schoodic Arts Festival, Northeast Harbor, Maine; and from San Francisco’s Chinatown to Scuola Gozzi in Venice, Italy. “A Great performer,” says Peg O’Sullivan, Director of the CT Storytelling Fest. Her multilingual show, “Everybody Says Hello” was nominated for a Mass. Cultural Council Gold Project Award for innovation and community building. Her audio tape, "Books Are Celebrations: Stories, Songs & Fiddling to Energize Young Readers" won a 1999 NAPPA Gold Award. New CDs include “Howlarious Halloween: Ghost Stories, Songs & Jokes from the Crypt,” and “Missing the Muffin Man,” a short story of historical fiction set in Dickens’s London.

"A consummate artist, at ease with audiences of all ages and sizes." Northampton Center for the Arts

Program Titles: Books Are Celebrations—the funniest reading show ever; Everybody Says Hello—Multilingual Fun in Story & Song; The People Could Fly/African-American Folktales and Music; Clever Maidens: Women's History in Folklore and Myth; Greek Myths—ALIVE!, Native American Tales; Skunk Grease & Turpentine (Hilarious Tall Tales & Tunes of American Pioneers); The Minstrel's Revels: A Medieval Romp; Or Would You Rather Be A Fish? Folklore & Songs of the Sea); Howlarious Halloween/Ghost Stories & Songs; Sun, Moon, Stars!; All Together Now/Stories & Songs to Celebrate Diversity; Round the World in Tales & Tunes multicultural show; The Lake of the Croaking Frogs and Other Tales & Tunes of Nature; Preschoolers’ Palooza!; Stinkbug Bugaloo: Stories & Songs of Insects; Meowls & Growls: Animal Tales; After-school programs incorporating performance with teaching kids storytelling skills; Workshops, in-service programs and residencies in storytelling for adults and children; “Oh, Behave! Family Audience Management Essentials for Event Hosts.”

Audience Limit: prefer audiences of 200 and under but will discuss any

Fee: $395 + travel (depends on distance)and up; strong block booking discounts

Funding Source: Massachusetts Cultural Council, local councils, CT Humanities Council, other

RAILROAD WORKER

TOM CALLINAN and ANN SHAPIRO

c/o Crackerbarrel Entertainments
55 East Town Street
Norwich, CT 06360-2345
Phone and Fax: (860) 889-6648
E-Mail: tom.c@crackerbarrel-ents.com
Website: http://www.crackerbarrel-ents.com/tomann01.htm

For over 30 years, the husband and wife team of Tom Callinan and Ann Shapiro has toured an assortment of informative and entertaining participatory programs throughout the Eastern Seaboard of the United States for audiences as diverse as nursery schools through nursing homes. Whether appearing as solo artists or as their duo, they blend their extensive repertoire of songs, which span many centuries, with an impressive array of instruments from the wind, string, and percussion families. As storytellers, they were among the Featured Tellers at the National Storytelling Festival (1999), and "Tellers-In-Residence" at the International Storytelling Center (2003). Their stories are told in-tandem or individually, embellished with humor, music, sound effects, and audience involvement. Each has been designated a Master Teaching Artist by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

Tom, a former junior high school teacher with a B.S. in Secondary Education from Central Connecticut State University, and a M.A.L.S. from Wesleyan University, has written over 100 songs about Connecticut – more than anyone in history. Via legislation passed by the Connecticut General Assembly, and signed by then-Governor Lowell P. Weicker, Jr., Tom was designated Connecticut's first "Official State Troubadour" in 1991. His credits include: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; "Good Morning America"; "Shining Time Station"; among many others. Honors include: composing songs included in Emmy Award-winning documentaries and co-writing songs on Parents Choice Gold Award recordings, among others.

In addition to her work as a creative and performing artist, Ann also serves as the Executive Director of the Connecticut Storytelling Center, in-residence at Connecticut College. Ann is the recipient of a number of prestigious awards, including: The National Storytelling Network’s 2005 ORACLE Leadership and Service Award For The Northeastern United States; the 2008 Brother Blue and Ruth Hill Award from LANES (The League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling); and the 2009 Elizabeth L. Mahaffey Arts Administration Fellowship Recipient from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

Tom and Ann have produced over a dozen recordings on CD and cassette (see website: www.Crackerbarrel-Ents.com). A downloadable order form is available at www.crackerbarrel-ents.com/Catalog/Order%20Form.htm, and printed study-guides pertaining to their Arts-In-Education programs are available on request. Information about teacher-training, consulting services, and custom songwriting are available as well.

Program Titles: Environmental Hootenanny; From Sea to Shining Sea; Brother Against Brother; Young America; Come On & Sing-Along; I'm Gonna Write a Song; Home Fires; Imagine Menagerie; Thumbs-Up for Connecticut; Sea Songs, Chanteys, and Nautical Lore; Irish and Irish-American Songs, Tunes, and Tales; Getting Along; Holiday Hodge-Podge, and more.

Audience Limit: 30/class; 300/assembly

Fees: Assembly- $500/solo [1st show. 2nd show @ $300]; $750/duo [1st show. 2nd show @ $450]; Classroom- $500 per day/4 classes-solo. Travel is included within Connecticut. Out of state: 55¢ per mile, round-trip from Norwich, CT.

Funding Sources: Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, New England Foundation for the Arts, BOCES (New York).

Special Requirements: Access to performance space 45 minutes before first show

Don Sineti and Tom Callinan
c/o Crackerbarrel Entertainments
55 East Town Street
Norwich, CT 06360-2345
Phone and Fax: (860) 889-6648
E-Mail: tom.c@crackerbarrel-ents.com
Website: http://www.crackerbarrel-ents.com/don_and_tom.htm

Program Titles: Songs & Tales of Ships & Whales; Folksongs - Old & New; Songs For the Earth; Instruments & Instrumentals; Drawn By the Song of the Sea (Illustrations/Slides & Music).

Audience Limit: 30/class; 300/assembly

Fees: Assembly - $650/duo, $400/solo; Classroom - $400 per day/ 4 classes - solo

Funding Sources: Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, New England Foundation for the Arts, BOCES (in New York)

Special Requirements: Access to performance space 45 minites before first show

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