August 13 –14 will be a storyteller’s dream at the Horse Cave Storytelling Weekend, scheduled to coincide with the opening weekend of Mark Twain at Kentucky Repertory Theatre.

The weekend kicks off with Storytelling 101 on Friday, August 13, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. at the KRT Arts and Education Center at 118 East Main Street. The free storytelling workshop will be conducted by Octavia Sexton, a fabulous storyteller who is part of the KY Storytelling Association and liaison to the National Storytelling Association for youth programs.

The workshop will encourage participants to exercise their imagination, voice and body in an interactive workshop designed to help bolster the use of your storytelling tools:  imagination, voice and body.  Using simple drama techniques, Octavia will target areas potential storytellers need to strengthen for a more lively presentation.

On Saturday, August 14, Tell Your Story  will offer an opportunity for anyone with a story about Horse Cave or the area to share. “Horse Cave is a town full of amazing stories, some true, some tall tales, and we are collecting Horse Cave stories for a website called Horse Cave: Fact, Fiction, and Folklore,” says Judy Sizemore, a community scholar with the KY Folklife Program. “ If you know a good Horse Cave story, please come by the KRT Arts & Education Center between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and share it with us.”

    Storytellers will have another chance at the Storytelling Event & Open Mic on Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m. Octavia Sexton will be on hand to tell her hilarious Jack Tales and terrifying ghost stories. She will be joined by local storytellers who will charm you with their tales. There will also be opportunities for those who wish to share their own stories (10 minutes or less). Everyone is invited to listen. The event is free to all.

    The entire Storytelling Weekend revolves around the opening of Mark Twain, about one of the world’s most famous storytellers. Performances at KRT will be August 13 at 7:30 p.m., August 14 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., August 19 at 7:30 p.m., August 20 at 7:30 p.m. and August 21 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

    For more information about the Horse Cave Storytelling Weekend, phone (270) 218-0386. For Mark Twain tickets, phone KRT at (800) 342-2177.

    Horse Cave Storytelling Weekend is presented by the Horse Cave Cultural District and sponsored by the Kentucky Arts Council with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.