NEST Fringe
The NEST Fringe is an opportunity for tellers to showcase their work at Sharing the Fire with many of the traditional barriers removed. Our fringe is based off the the model used by many fringe festivals around the country - it is:
- Adventurous - artists get a chance to try out new or experimental works
- Unconventional - these pieces may not fit into a traditional storytelling festival, but they are welcomed and encouraged in the fringe
- Open - because we do not screen for quality and have very few requirements to apply, a diverse mix of artists of all experience levels, genres, and styles are welcome
- Unjuried - performers are chosen randomly by lottery
Each fringe performance is a double-feature, meaning that you will find one shorter show and one longer show paired together. Please plan to stay for both performances. Learn more about the STF fringe process here.
Fringe tickets are included in all adult Full-Conference and Stories Galore conference packages. Individual tickets can also be purchased for fringe shows.
Fringe Performances
Thursday March 27
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Adirondack West
The View From the Top Bunk
Presented by Elisa Pearmain
Elisa tells the story of her first arrest for protesting and a 24-hour jail sentence that changed everything - well at least some important things!
Recommended for adults and teens
Content Warnings: Swearing
Bio: Elisa Pearmain is a climate/human rights activist who has been getting into good trouble even longer than she has been a storyteller (almost 40 years!) She is the author of two award-winning collections of world tales, and a CD on Forgiveness through Story. www.wisdomtales.com.
Storied Truths
Presented by Lani Peterson
Working with teenaged girls living on the streets, I challenged them to tell a story about a truth that evolved through their lived experience. They challenged me to do the same. The result is stories that have given me insight into who I am, what I see, and continue to shape me as I shape them.
Recommended for Adults
Content Warnings: None
Bio: Lani Peterson is a storyteller and coach, who believes that as we understand our own stories and bear witness to the stories told by others, we can transform our limitations through insight and acceptance, encourage integrity, and motivate inspired interaction.
And introducing Special Guest Storytellers
Sam Darring and Michael McGuire, Adirondack Center for Writing's annual Howl Story Slam winners who will share their winning stories as part of this opening event. Welcome!
Michael McGuire is a screenwriter, and performer. He is a member of Writers Group New York, a collective of screenwriters, playwrights, journalists, and filmmakers. He began storytelling at
The Moth and as a docent for the 9/11 Tribute Center leading visits to Ground Zero. He and his wife split their time between New York City and the Adirondacks. Michael is a
frequent participant in the Adirondack Center for Writing’s Howl Story Slams.
Sam Darring is a 43 year old guy who was drawn in by ACW through the Story Slam event they hosted in upstate NY this past year. After sharing some of my stories at the Story Slams and was invited to participate in the Grand Slam event in Canton NY to wrap up the season's competition. I have always been a storyteller and it's a great pleasure to share them in public with people I don't know as well as the ones I do.
Saturday March 29
10:30 AM - Noon
Location: Adirondack West
B and Louise, Spinster Sisters Adventures
Presented by Naomi Faw
Meet B and Louise, two spinster guinea pig sisters, in their hilarious first adventure. They reside in a typical American family living room with two friendly Shih Tzus. The dogs are often the sisters' accomplices in hijinks that are highly influenced by Evangelism TV and Tom & Jerry cartoons.
Recommended for all ages
Content Warnings: None
Bio: Naomi Faw is an award-winning storyteller who writes her own material based on her experiences growing up and living, as she describes it, at the “foot of the mountain.” Her beautifully crafted stories often evoke a range of emotions and ultimately delight her listeners.
Tales from Scotland: Truth, Folk & Faery
Presented by Katie Green
Katie Green shares her love of Scottish Tales and History. In this spellbinding program, you will hear an unusual selkie story, a ghost story or two, and the true story of an ancestor who was a 17th century Scottish Covenantor.
Recommended for older teens & adults
Content Warnings: none
Bio: Katie Green brings the heart of the story to the heart of the listener. Her tales have delighted audiences from coast to coast and beyond. A founding member of LANES and organizer of Sharing the Fire, Katie relocated to Florida in 2016. She believes that storytelling can and does change the world.
1:45 PM - 3:15 PM
Location: Adirondack West
The Notorious Mrs. Lee
Presented by Bowen Lee
My grandfather was raised by his grandmother, who happened to be the notorious Mrs. Lee, the principal procurer of girls for three West Coast houses of prostitution. How does one live with the best human trafficker of the turn of the 20th century? How did my grandfather turn out to be non-notorious?
Recommended for adults
Content Warnings: Prostitution, human trafficking, female infanticide, foot binding
Bio: Bowen Lyam Lee has been on the stage of local, regional and national storytelling events, conducts workshops for educators, and performs virtually with national, international, and regional storytelling programs. She specializes in historical, educational, and environmental storytelling.
Warriors! Two Sisters, Two Journeys, Two Destinations
Presented by Jennifer Munro
Two hero journeys that quietly celebrate the resilience of the human spirit.
Recommended for ages 12+
Content Warnings: none
Bio: Circle of Excellence Award winner, Jennifer Munro, tells original stories that resonate with the frailty and courage of the human condition. Jennifer has been featured at major festivals and conferences across the country and internationally.
3:45 PM - 5:15 PM
Location: Adirondack West
When the ICEman Cometh
Presented by Norah Dooley
What do you do when ICEmen come to your community? After a year of teaching new neighbors English, November 2024 gave us the chance to be true neighbors. Since then, we’ve answered “Who is my neighbor?” through direct action. Stories of our neighbors and our response.
Recommended for ages 16+
Content Warnings: Graphic violence
Bio: Norah Dooley is a storyteller, educator and children’s author. She has taught storytelling at all levels in the U.S. and internationally. She organizes immigrant support at AllAreNeighbors.com and serves on Social Action & Worship committees at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Gardner, MA.
A Rabbi, a Prophet, and a King Walk into a Bar And Other Jewish Stories Every Person Should Know
Presented by Sandy Schuman
"A Rabbi, a Prophet, and a King Walk into a Bar"—it’s a joke, but also, the entry into a rich cultural heritage. In "Jewish Stories Every Person Should Know," storyteller Sandy Schuman curates a collection of stories that reveal the heart of Jewish humor, traditions, and values. Tell these stories!
Recommended for ages 12+
Content Warnings: None
Bio: Sandy Schuman brings folk tales and historical sagas to life and reveals the little-known stories behind some of our best-known songs. He tells personal adventures and stories in the Jewish storytelling tradition. “Some of our folklore is truly unbelievable, some of our history is even more so!”