Once upon a time, the summer of 2007, to be more precise, a group of young storytellers came together to practice the many arts of sharing stories. These particular storytellers actually preferred stories of the scary variety. So, let's begin again.

It was a dark and stormy night. The storytellers gathered with their counselors around the campfire in the deep, dark, deserted woods (aka the Burke Museum). They spent a week at and around the museum exploring many different types of tales as well as different methods of telling stories. They acted out plays, created art, and became puppeteers, mimes, dancers, and authors, all very scary of course. They created their own stories and retold stories from around the world. A professional Native American storyteller, Roger Fernandes, even made a guest appearance to tell stories and talk about the importance of storytelling with the campers.

On the last day of camp, after much preparation and play, the campers performed their favorite stories from the week for an audience of parents and friends. It was an entertaining combination of puppetry, theater, readings of original works, and mime. In the end, it was clear that the campers were truly storytellers who would make Sylvia Von Sylvan proud. Who is this Sylvia Von Sylvan? Well, that is another story for another campfire.

Please click here to see the storytellers’ original story from this year's camp.

The reviews are in...

Participants described the education staff as "delightful, engaged, creative."