creativeexpression
Tall Tales to Tell
local Storyteller Captivates Her Audiences
by lydia Foster
L
ifted eyebrows, smiles, gasps, on the subject evolved into a nutrition
sighs, chuckles and belly laughs column for local newspapers. Later,
comprise the audience feedback an interest in public speaking led her
that Mary Lou Williams needs to rev to Fort Myers Toastmasters, where she
Mary Lou Williams
up the amps of her performing engine. earned the advanced Toastmaster Silver generation; folktales and fairytales; tall
Born to ham it up and spin flabbergast- Award, specializing in the categories of tales; legends and myths; fables; and
ing tales, Williams revels in opportuni- Speaking to Inform and Storytelling. stories of personal experiences. Literary
ties to exercise her professional story- “I thought the storytelling category stories are for reading, but good story-
telling muscles, which she first began would not only enhance my ability to tellers like Williams can turn one into a
flexing in 1993. give informational speeches, but also gastronomic delight for the mind.
A deep love of literature followed move me forward in my intention to She weaves her magic for com-
Williams from early childhood into become a professional storyteller,” munity organizations, including Red
adulthood and provided the inspira- Williams recalls. “The first story I told Hat clubs, as well as for patrons of
tion for her earlier career as an English was the Appalachian version of Romeo local coffee shops, such as Nita’s Sweet
teacher. Love affairs with storybook and Juliet that Professor Ross shared Bean Café and the Manna Coffeehouse,
characters like Ann Shirley, in Anne that first revelatory weekend. It cast in Fort Myers. “I started telling stories
of Green Gables and Tom Sawyer, in the same spell, and I discovered that at local retirement communities and
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, still my fellow Toastmasters enjoyed my moved on from there,” notes Williams.
fuel the rich imagination that enlivens storytelling more than my informational “Now, I’m focusing on gated communi-
her stories. Favored pieces of literature talks.” ties.
and folk tales are the plums from which Williams’ first requirement for “I have a repertoire of 23 stories
Williams squeezes her own juicy, frac- spellbinding oratory is that the story to share, and I’ve rewritten some of the
tured fairytales, such as Ugly Cindy and must be a good one. To capture the classic fairytales. I like to tell them from
the Magic Glass Slippers or Sleeping imagination of an audience, it must a modern perspective, which pokes fun
Beauty and the Rude Awakening. be executed to perfection, with facial at the characters.”
In 1993, an Elderhostel weekend expressions, gestures, body movements
at Appalachia University, in Boone, and eye contact, as well as the appro- A member of the Tamiami Tale Tellers
North Carolina, proved to be Williams’ priate props. “These are the tools of an of Fort Myers, Mary Lou Williams can
first step on the yellow brick road to actor’s trade,” says Williams, “and I use be heard, along with other storytellers,
storytelling. “My husband and I were them all.” at a special “Tellabration” on Novem-
fans of accruing fun learning experienc- Williams and other storytellers ber 22. The event, at Covenant Presby-
es rather than credits,” says Williams. have a cornucopia of categories from terian Church in Fort Myers, is free to
“So, we took a course on Appalachian which to choose: traditional stories, the public. For information, call 239-
culture. We discovered that storytelling recounted orally from generation to 267-6480 or visit
Story-Theatre.com.
is not only the way Appalachian people
pass along their history, it is also a form
of entertainment.”
Their professor’s hair-raising
folklore captivated Williams. “I was Energy Medicine Classes
hooked,” she declares. “When I found
out there was such a thing as profes- With Renee at The Mystical Moon
sional storytelling for adults and a
national storytelling festival in Jones-
4 Incredible Classes
boro, Tennessee, I promised myself
Starting October 18th
that someday I was going to get there. I
Detailed information:
www.renewbodyspirit.com
finally did, in 2006.”
Along the 13-year journey to
Jonesboro, Williams stopped to pursue
239-390-1800
Over 10 years experience
her other current passion as a nutrition
Empowering Self ~ Empowering Others
lecturer. Informational presentations
ma-0026208
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