StorytellersComing to Spin Yarn with Locals
(left)LeenyDel Seamonds (right)Paul Keens-Douglas
Storytellers from around the world willjoin their Caymanian counterparts over the next week to celebratethe international storytelling festival, Gimistory, which opensFriday, 23 November, in Bodden Town starting at 7:30pm.
The performers then continue their tourof the districts and Cayman Brac, with shows almost nightly, endingup in East End on November 30.
The upcoming line up features for the firsttime, legendary Trinidadian folklorist, Paul Keens Douglas, whosestories have been published widely and have been an entertainingresource for young performers in children's festivals in Caymanand around the region. An international performer and presenter,Mr Keens-Douglas makes regular tours of the Caribbean territoriesand metropolitan countries, entertaining and educating audienceswith his wit, poetry, storytelling and social commentary.
Among the other new faces to Cayman willbe the Governor General of Belize, Sir Colville Young. CNCF ArtisticDirector Henry Muttoo said, "We are honoured to have SirColville, who has made a lifetime of researching and documentingoral traditions and dialect speech, agree to come to Cayman andpresent his stories."
The local tellers are expected to make amemorable contribution as well; slated to perform are Aunt Sookieand Zekiel, Aunt Julia, Alan Ebanks, Herbie Martin, Dave Martins,Nasaria Suckoo-Chollette and Quincy Brown. A special show by youngstorytellers exclusively is scheduled for Savannah Wednesday,28 November.
Previously, the festival has attracted participantsfrom as far afield as Australia.
Sir Colville will be joined by Cuban-AmericanLeeny del Seamonds and Irish actor Jack Lynch, who had a featuredrole in the recent hit movie, 'Angela's Ashes'. Some other tellersmaking their first appearances are Grenadian Thelma Phillips andBarbadian Amanda Cumberbatch.
Others, like Jamaica's Amina Blackwood Meeks,Trinidad's Samantha "Ma Story" Pierre and Louis McWilliams,New Yorker, Alex Neptune, and Guyanese Ken Corsbie and Marc Matthewsof "Dem Two" fame, have already established themselvesas favourites with Caymanian audiences, especially school children.As was in the past, the tellers will make school visits and appearat the Book Fair, in a cooperative effort with the Departmentof Education.
Sponsors for this free storytelling sessionsare Ministry of Education, Human Resources and Culture; Air Jamaica;British Airways; Cable and Wireless; Bank of Butterfield; IndiesSuites; Sunshine Suites; BWIA; Marriott Beach Resort; Cayman Innand Resort; Hyatt Regency; Budget Rent-A-Car; Hertz Rent-A-Car;and Coconut Car Rentals.