The Story People of Clallam County have partnered with Olympic Theatre Arts, 414 N. Sequim Ave., to bring master storyteller Will Hornyak of Oregon to the gathering hall stage at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, to perform “Erin’s daughters: Irish goddesses, hags and heroines.”
OTA representatives said that the hall will be “transformed into the Tir na Nog pub, named for the mythic Irish land beneath the seas.”
Admission is $15; tickets will be on sale online on the OTA website, and at the door. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with alcoholic beverages available for purchase.
Hornyak will share 75 minutes of Irish tales, poems and songs featuring strong and powerful women of history, myth and legend, engaging mature audiences — late teens and older — with voice and gesture.
A teacher and “an advocate for storytelling as a change agent in personal and collective life,” according to his website, https://willhornyak.net/
Hornyak has been a guest in Clallam County of the Story People multiple times, both as a storyteller and as a teacher, according to Erran Sharpe, the group’s treasurer and past president who has studied under Hornyak.
“When he performs it seems so natural and easy,” Sharpe said. “He takes these ancient stories and part of what is so magical about his telling is that he makes them relevant to the people of today. We as humans still struggle with the same things.”
“From the Grimm’s brothers to the Greeks I’ve always been drawn to the power of traditional myths and fairytales,” said Hornyak. “I re-tell these tales staying true to the narrative structure. But of couse, I embroider, embellish and color them with my own voice, point of view and style.
“The Irish stories resonate in my bones,” Hornyak explained. “My mother’s people were Kennedys and McCarthys and came from Ireland where storytelling has a long and venerable tradition.
“The ancient Irish tellers were known as ‘shenanhies’ (Shan AH kees). Along with the poets they were trained rigorously by the druids in recitation and memory. In the absence of written language storytellers and poets were the “living libraries” of their people and were virtual repositories of myth, history, genealogy, local codes and customs. Naturally they were expected to be entertaining and interesting as well!
“When I drop into the vein of an Irish story I feel a part of that age old tradition. I feel like I have a foot in two worlds: the mythic timeless world of the story and the here and now where I’m bringing the tale to life with an audience.”
Photo courtesy of Will Hornyak “From the mythic Hag of Beara and Lusty Queen Maeve to the historic Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley, storyteller William Kennedy Hornyak celebrates the many faces of Irish goddesses, hags and heroines at Olympic Theatre Arts,” say representatives of OTA. On Wednesday, March 1st at 7 p.m., “join us for a fun, engaging and wild ride through tales, poems, songs and lore in honor of the unfettered Celtic feminine. For mature audiences only.”
Wright, Sharpe and Hornyak each said that with oral storytelling, the audience’s imagination is as vital as the stories themselves.
“Despite a plethora of new storytelling platforms and media, the age-old manner of a storyteller telling a tale to a throng of listeners all gathered in one place will always remain compelling,” Hornyak said.
“Storytelling is not merely a performance but a ritual of community making. And storytelling is a precursor to drama, and a more elemental form,” he said. “Without staging or props, the teller is virtually asking the audience to create the stage, characters and settings in their own imaginations. We all might be hearing the same story but everyone is creating their own unique version. This is profoundly different than T.V., film or even theatre where much of the visual imagery is ready-made for our eyes.
“Traditional telling relies upon the audience’s inner eye, the five senses and the image making muscle of the imagination to succeed. It is a collective creation and experience.”
Story People origins
Since Josephine Pederson, Elaine Grinnell and Elsa Johnson founded the organization in 1992, the Story People of Clallam County have been volunteering their time and passion to keep that ancient art alive on the Peninsula. The guild is made up of 70 members and welcomes more.
From 1995-2019, they drew world-class storytellers to Peninsula College for the annual Forest Storytelling Festival. (The 2020 festival was on Zoom.)
“The COVID years hit us hard,” said president Christy Wright, explaining that group members hope to continue the festival in 2024. This year, they said they are dedicated to bringing smaller events to the community while they build up their membership base and their board.
Beyond special events like “Erin’s Daughters” and their upcoming collaboration with the Juan de Fuca Festival to bring Kim Weitkamp of Ohio, a musician, humorist and storyteller, to Port Angeles on May 27, the Story People offers the community regular opportunities to engage with storytelling.
The group hosts Story Swap from 7-9 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at the Raymond Carver room in the Port Angeles library, 2210 S. Peabody St. The first hour is an open mic for people at any level who want to practice their skills and in the second half, they have a featured local or regional teller who does an hour presentation, Wright said.
The Story People also offer “Story Work: Grow your story,” online the third Monday of every month on Zoom, a workshop in which tellers sign up in advance to practice all or part of a story, eight minutes maximum, with the opportunity to receive feedback. Listeners are very welcome. Email clallamstorypeople@gmail.com to receive an invitation or for more information.
About the Story People, Hornyak said, “[they] have helped grow and foster storytellers in Clallam County and opened the door wide to tellers from near and far.”
Contact the Story People of Clallam County at clallamstorypeople@gmail.com, or Wright at wrightwings@olypen.com.
Or, visit clallamstorypeople.org, facebook.com/people/Story-People-of-Clallam-County/100064844732103 or olympictheatrearts.org/team/story-people.
