Big news for Going Deep 2009!

Mark your calendars for March 19-22 for Going Deep 2009!

First off, we've decided to change the name from Festival to Retreat, as that's what we're really doing in this incredible storytelling immersion. As in the past two Going Deep events, we'll meet at the Storyteller's Riverhouse B & B in Bethlehem, Indiana on Thursday evening for dinner together, then listen to the first story, which will be

The Story of the Grail, told by Liz Warren
The questions posed by The Story of the Grail are as relevant today as they were when it was written in the 12th century. How do we cultivate open and compassionate hearts in a perilous world? What is the connection between human woundedness and the health of the earth? When should we speak and when should we be silent? The story is symbolically rich and complex, yet at the same time it is simply about the wonder and grace of earning a second chance.

After we dream about the story that night, we'll have a three-hour workshop about The Grail. The afternoon will be free for massages, palm reading, art projects, conversation and naps. We'll gather again for supper, then go hear

The Paths of Osun: The West African Yoruba Epic Journey of the Goddess in Heaven and on Earth, told by Marilyn Omifunke
Marilyn Omifunke takes listeners on a journey through the five stages of transformation from Divinity to Woman. The 3000-year-old myths of Osun as the goddess of fresh waters (rivers) invite the listeners to explore the journey we must all undergo if we are to awaken to the path of love, creativity and sensuality in the power of the feminine within every human living on the planet.

Once again, we'll dream about the story, then have a workshop in the morning led by Marilyn. Then more afternoon activities before the final story,

Gilgamesh, told by David Novak
In a moving narrative of power and love, Gilgamesh the King searches for humanity and immortality. Novak uses expressive voice and staging to bring this ancient tale to contemporary audiences. Gilgamesh, the world's oldest piece of literature, resonates even after 5000 years.

David will lead the workshop on Sunday morning, and then we'll have lunch together before we take our leave, sated with story. Oh, but not just story--the sense of community, the food, the bubble out of time and away from cellphones and internet, mixed with the stories and workshops meld together into a rich and nourishing feast for the soul.

Hope you'll join us! Check out the sidebar for information on how to register.

Get ready! April 10 is less than a month away!

We've still got openings for this year's Going Deep Festival, and here's more good news: we've extended the Early Bird price! $550 will get you lodging and food for three days, three long story concerts, three intense workshops about the stories--we'll even get you a ride from the Louisville airport if you need it!

Contact Cynthia Changaris at cchangaris@aol.com to register. Questions? We're ready for them!

What's this all about, anyway?

Once upon a time, a few storytellers–-Liz Warren, Olga Loya and Priscilla Howe–-were sitting around talking (as we do) about stories. Not just any stories, but long traditional stories. We were hungry for a rich feast of stories. Most storytelling festivals require short stories, only occasionally stretching beyond the 20-minute mark.

We began imagining a festival where each evening we listened to a long traditional story, then we had wine and cheese or tea and cake, then we dreamed about the story, and then in the morning we had a workshop about the story from the night before. We’d play and rest in the afternoon, then do it all over again.

Where and how could we do this? We puzzled over the idea for a few years until the day that somebody recommended the Storyteller’s Riverhouse in Bethlehem, Indiana and Scheherezade’s Legacy, the storytelling partnership of Cynthia Changaris and Mary Hamilton. Bingo! That was the place!

We had our first Going Deep Festival in March 2006. It began with Liz Warren’s performance of The Grail. The next night we heard Olga Loya’s version of the Aztec Creation Myth. The last night was Priscilla Howe’s telling of Tristan and Iseult.

Cynthia and Mary were wonderful midwives of that first festival. We were nourished both literally and metaphorically. The group of participants (fewer than 25, including cooks, massage therapists and the palm reader) were enthusiastic about the whole endeavor.

Our plan? To do it again and again and again, building our repertoires and our roster of performers. We definitely plan to go back to the Storyteller’s Riverhouse, and we also are interested in traveling the festival around the world.