Performing Members

Founding Member Linda Poland, Jonesborough’s Resident Storyteller, also called “The Jonesborough Flame,” teaches storytelling at the John C. Campbell Folk School and is a founding member of the Jonesborough Storytellers’ Guild. Using her talents as a storyteller she was one of the first in the country to use of the art of storytelling when developing tours to share a town’s history. She has created award winning historical storytelling tour programs and directed Tennessee Humanities oral history projects throughout Tennessee and beyond. Because of these accomplishments she was officially honored in 1997 with the title of Resident Storyteller for…

“Once upon a time,” my Grandfather would read to me, and I was totally enchanted. These fairy tales made perfect sense to me. The world that I lived in was full of magic: blossoms pushed out of the dead ground, rainbows spanned the sky, and every chicken provided a wish bone. Sometimes as I grew up, the line between fairy tale and my life became blurred. In Indiana I, too, was a princess awaiting discovery. I was off on a grand adventure into the unknown. After my mother died when I was twenty, I graduated from college, sold…

Travis accidentally became a storyteller through his use of stories teaching languages across the multiverse of ages and cultures. He is a recent Graduate from the East Tennessee State University Communication & Storytelling Master’s Program and is excited to continue being an explorer and experiencer of story. He enjoys dusting off myths and legends of old as well as bringing light to lived experiences. traviswolven@gmail.com

Sherrie grew up in Jonesborough with a large extended family hearing stories of farm life and old family values. Her Granny Dunn and other special family members had a major impact on her life. After a successful career in accounting, project management, and marketing Sherrie had the desire to convert her business communications skills so she could share her treasured stories about her family. Her personal and poignant stories had a wider appeal and Sherrie now shares them on stage

With a twinkle in her eye, Judy Donley describes her stories as “practically true…at least in my mind!” She grew up in a large family of 12 children in Massachusetts who, with encouragement from their father, would share stories at the dinner table. “What did you learn today?” or “What did you do today that was interesting?” were common questions from Dad. The answers were sometimes funny, sometimes informative, and sometimes even scary. But it was part of their life…a way of communicating in those formative years. Looking back, she is thankful for her fascinating and close family…

The Storytelling Arts Center of the Southeast by jury declared Shealy – the Bold-Faced Liar Champion. With a twinkle in his eye, Shealy said, “of course I embellished the truth slightly.” The Mountain Xpress said in their opinion “Shealy exaggerates more than slightly.” The Tribune revealed that this upstanding local had been caught lying. It doesn’t matter if he is recalling a tale from his childhood, telling a story based on the Good Book or spinning a yarn you will be delighted listening to him stretch the truth all out of proportion. Western North Carolina and East Tennessee…

Zacharias is from Morristown TN and is an East Tennessee State graduate, with a master’s in communication studies. Currently, he works at ETSU as an adjunct teacher, working towards full professorship in the future. Zach is a firm believer in the power of communication, as well as the power of stories, particularly in education where he work faithfully to integrate storytelling into his own lessons. Zach’s specialty is telling personal stories focused on themes of growth.  Zacharias SmithEast Tennessee State University423-353-5864smithzn@etsu.edu

Vianna Isbister is a dynamic multi-hyphenate performer and academic with a B.A. in Theatre and an M.A. in Communication and Storytelling Studies. Her work bridges the gap between the spoken and the unspoken, blending performance art with academic insights to craft narratives that resonate. Her work will be featured at the 2025 National Storytelling Network Conference and as author of a book chapter in Memorial Art in Rhetorical Discourse in 2026. She has performed with Night Owl Circus Arts (NOCA), East Tennessee State University (ETSU), Jonesborough Storytellers Guild (JSG), and online with Artists Standing Strong Together (ASST) to name…

Cynthia Millhorn is an accomplished storyteller who ignites imaginations and hearts with her thoughtful, intriguing tales of human nature, myth, and spirituality.Cynthia skillfully creates original fables, reimagines folktales, retells factual histories, and crafts inspiring personal stories that move and entertain audiences of all ages.Her full-length theatrical storytelling shows blend storytelling, acting, and audience engagement in an innovative avant-garde fashion that has garnered artistic and academic acclaim.Two of her original shows:Daughters (Grimms Fairytales deconstructed, grounded, and reimagined)AndBotticelli Babes (a comedic and compelling romp through women’s history)Were featured inThe Atlanta Fringe Festival, the Asheville Fringe Festival, and have been showcased…

After many years of teaching elementary school,Evelyn Edwards was retired and needed something to do. She made a phone call and talked with Dr. Sobel at ETSU who gave her good advice and welcomed her to take a storytelling class. Thereafter, there was one storytelling class after another, and by 2020 she amassed the required courses and earned a certification in storytelling. (With two graduate degrees in education, she did not pursue the ETSU storytelling masters.) She joined JSG in 2020 and became a performing member in the summer of 2021. What a wonderful experience storytelling with the…

Jack is from Dorchester SC where he serves as Poet Laureate of the county. He has been telling stories for over 25 years in venues both large and small across the America.  I know the gift I have comes from God, and I plan to have fun with it as long as He allows me to do so.

Ellender Rose Webster comes from a family of Southern Appalachian writers, musicians, and storytellers. As a child she assisted her grandmother in collecting folklore in Southwest Virginia, particularly ghost stories and monster tales. She tells tales from her rural Appalachian childhood, events from her years in the US Navy and other sea stories, and myths from her Native American heritage. She also loves relating spooky selections from her family collection.

Laurie Herlich loves living in rural northeast Tennessee, where Story is everything. She writes flash fiction and cozy mysteries in a converted garden hut situated in her backyard. Laurie is a regular contributor to www.christiandevotions.us and won a Selah award in the online devotion category as well as a first place for unpublished novella in the Foundation Awards. She is also a contributor/performer for Jonesborough, Tennessee’s StoryTown NPR Radio Show/Podcast, and is a story teller with the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild. laurie@stoneknot.com

James (Jim) T Priesmeyer is a retired Builder. During the course of his career he built businesses and buildings. The companies/organizations he helped build include a professional theater company, a stage rigging company and a historic preservation organization. The most recent building projects have been primarily historic restorations, set designs and construction and stage lighting. Now retired his focus is on building stories and helping to build the storytelling community.From his earliest years Jim has had the great good fortune to follow his Mom’s path as an adventurist traveler. That coupled with his Dad, as an entrepreneur, who…

One of our favorite tellers and past presidents returning to the stage in 2026. Jeff Stratton retired from the Tucson police and moved to Jonesborough, TN. He departed the US to move to Portugal in 2019. Jeff’s journey includes his candid assessment of policing in America, his life as the son of a CIA agent, and so much more. He’s funny. He’s truthful and his neighborly visit to Storyville should not be missed. Jeff is coming home! Videos

Introducing Samuel Smith, a fresh voice in the realm of Appalachian storytelling, hailing from the enchanting town of Mountain City, Tennessee. For the past 25 years, Samuel has dedicated himself to educating young minds as a high school Spanish teacher, nurturing a love for language and culture in his students. Now, he embarks on a new adventure, weaving tales that celebrate the vibrant tapestry of Appalachia. With a heart that finds solace in nature’s embrace, Samuel has spent countless hours exploring the untamed wilderness, traversing rugged trails and scaling lofty peaks. His passion for the great outdoors has…

Kiesa Kay, poet and playwright, learned the art of storytelling from her mother, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. She found fairy tales and creation myths in boxes of books from an auction. Her works have been performed in venues in seven states, including Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, Berea College in Kentucky, and La Mama Experimental Theater in New York City. Kiesa penned her memoir, Tornado Alley, in her writing retreat in the south of France. She recently created a video series on Transforming Trauma through Creative Expression.  She loves stories that build strength. Kiesa leads writing workshops and has mentored 12 writers in bringing their books…

Catherine Yael Serota is an author and storyteller. She is a native of Asheville and spent much of her life in Western North Carolina– most recently in Waynesville. She is a product of a private Catholic girls’ academy education and degrees granted by 5 public and private universities: UNC-Asheville, Mars Hill University, UNC-Greensboro, NC State University, NC A&T University, and the Seminary at Beacon University, encompassing programs from concert piano, 20th Century European History and Political Science to Counseling and Theology. Catherine is a lifelong learner currently enrolled at ETSU to study Appalachian heritage and storytelling in spring…

Some folks say that Judy was just naturally born talking and has never quit. She inherited her love of words and books from her writer mother and her appreciation of tall tales from her Father. Her inspiration for her “down home” stories come from a multitude of different, and possibly strange, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends and her earthy rural grandparents. Judy is a national award winning storyteller and has told stories from backyard picnics, to the “White House” on Pennsylvania Avenue. Whether sharing folk tales, fables, spiritual, historical, motivational, chilling stories or her heartwarming “Down Home Tales”, Judy’s…

Bio not provided by Teller.

Since 1990, Leticia’s storytelling has enlivened audiences and educators across the U.S. in classrooms, libraries, and at festivals, fairs and conferences. Being a professionally trained musician, she masterfully intertwines song and music into her storytelling. Leticia offers education-based programming in classroom based residencies, educator professional development, integration-based programming — all customized to fit your needs and audience. Leticia also knows how to connect the arts to the Common Core State Standards.

Emily finally realized what connects her various work in veterinary medicine, classroom teaching, and magazine publishing—it’s communication, and it’s storytelling. So she recently completed her Master’s studying both at ETSU. She currently splits her time writing, researching, performing, crafting, medicating cats, baking for her loved ones, and hanging out with her partner in their cozy hometown of Johnson City, TN.

Joy is a graduate of ETSU’s Storytelling Certificate Program. Life has brought her from the tenements of Manhattan, to the 11th floor of a housing project in The Bronx, to the north shore of Eastern Long Island, and (finally, inevitably) to both Jonesborough, TN. and Leesburg, FL. (her forever homes).Joy tells fairytales and folktales, reflecting themes of hope, love and forgiveness—and personal stories taken from the full and adventurous life she was blessed with.

In 2016 when Betty Ann Polaha signed up to audit a storytelling class, she never dreamed that three years later she would have earned a storytelling certificate and would be named Outstanding Storyteller Performer at East Tennessee State University. Betty Ann was always a storyteller coming from a large family with lots of women who sat around the kitchen table telling stories. Betty Ann always thought they were just gossiping but upon moving to Tennessee she discovered that her relations were actually storytelling and that it was a genuine art and a career choice she wanted to pursue.…

Delanna Reed is a storyteller, teacher, mentor, and scholar. She began her teaching career and discovered storytelling in 1985 as a MA student at the University of North Texas. In 1999, after teaching communication and performance for 13 years, she brought her performance experience to the Master’s Program in Storytelling at East Tennessee State University. While teaching full time, Delanna completed her PhD in Cultural Studies in Education from the University of Tennessee in 2012. Experienced in coaching students in dramatic performance, Delanna’s expertise is in guiding fledgling storytellers in character development and delivery skills. Her favorite courses…