WSIU InFocus Video Player

The Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival has captivated audiences with tales, antics, and music performed by some of America's top regional and national storytellers. In April of 2008, WSIU InFocus traveled to this historical city on the banks of the Mississippi River to capture the excitement of the event's first year. Chuck Martin, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, explains the festival's origins, which began with a visit to the National Storytelling Festival in Tennessee. You'll hear from national storytellers Sheila K. Adams, Willy Claflin, Donald Davis, and Dan Keding, who share trade secrets of the art of storytelling and divulge their personal styles. Regional storytellers Priscilla Howe and Marilyn Kinsella provide further insight.