Since 1969, Sue O’Halloran has performed her original stories nationally and internationally at such festivals as The National Storytelling Festival and The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival and led thousands of seminars in corporate and nonprofit settings on the power of storytelling, plus workforce engagement and inclusion. Her repertoire covers all genres, elicits laughter and tears, and reaches K-adult audiences.

Sue is the author of several books, including Common Cross-Cultural Mistakes and Compelling Stories/Compelling Causes. She has presented dozens of times at the National Storytelling Network Conferences and received their Service and Leadership and Circle of Excellence awards.

In addition, Sue has produced and performed in award-winning multicultural performances, including White, Black and Brown: Tribes & Bridges at the Steppenwolf Theatre and More Alike Than Not: Stories of Three Americans—Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. In 2012, she was the producer/director of the first online story festival, which eventually reached 112 countries. Her Racebridges website showcased 260 social justice video stories and received over half a million visitors each year. Her ten-year JustStories Storytelling Festival featured the untold stories of marginalized and accomplished communities.

Featured on PBS, ABC Nightline, and in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Chicago Tribune, The Chicago Reader’s Critic Choice writes, “O’Halloran has mastered the Irish art of telling stories that are funny and heart-wrenching at the same time.” www.SusanOHalloran.com

Performance Fee:  Dependent on length and number of performances - let's talk!

Workshop Fee: Dependent on length and number of performances - I can work within your budget

Travel: Out of Region

Audiences: PreK, Elementary, Teens, Families, Adults

Genres:  Folktales, Historical Tales, Personal Stories, Faith-based Stories, Humorous Tales

Awards: 

• National Storytelling Association - Service & Leadership and Circle of Excellence Awards
• Chicago Spirit of Peace Award
• Archdiocese of Chicago Racial Justice Award
• CINDY Educational Film Award
• Los Angeles National Educational Training Film Award
• 2024 Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Award

 I'd love the whole country to hear your stories. What an artist!
-Jay O’Callahan, Storyteller

Sue O’Halloran makes me think of a luminous crystal encasing a flame. Elegantly crafted and passionately told, her stories constantly remind us of our own humanity, strength, and yearning for justice.

-Motoko

I have been watching, learning from, and performing with Susan O’Halloran for over 20 years. There is no way to overstate the impact she has on her audiences. I have seen her teach, move, and inspire, all while keeping students and adults glued to their seats with her impeccable storytelling. Many times, people are moved to tears by her stories, and I have seen them gather around her to share their own stories. Susan has a magical ability to tell some of our society’s most difficult stories of institutional racism, yet do so with humor and in such a way that raises awareness and encourages all to find their own solutions.

Lastly, she is one of the few tellers who not only pushes other tellers to uncover and tell the hard stories, but also finds funding to allow them to actually take time off from touring and develop these stories. Her watchful eye, gentle yet rigorous editing, and consummate producing abilities bring these stories out into the world that otherwise would never be told. I am so grateful to have her as an example, a mentor, and a friend.

-Antonio Sacre