From left, Diane Macklin, Kim Weitkamp, Bill Harley
OJAI — The Ojai Storytelling Festival will open this year’s festival with a special event, “Meet the Tellers,” from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Ojai House, 304 N. Montgomery St.
Featured will be Donald Davis, Regi Carpenter, Bil Lepp, Kim Weitkamp, Diane Macklin, Bill Harley, the Rev. Robert B. Jones and Debra Ehrhardt.
Mr. Davis inspired the creation of the festival 20 years ago, according to www.ojaistoryfest.org. He’s known for his wit and bold characters.
Ms. Carpenter tells stories around the world as accounts about the irresistible Carpenters growing up on the Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence River in Clayton, N.Y., for four generations.
Mr. Lepp is known for his humor and being the five-time champion of the West Virginia Liar’s contest.
Ms. Weitkamp is a speaker, humorist, consultant, spoken word artist, singer/songwriter, coach and artist. She speaks to and performs for tens of thousands people a year.
Ms. Macklin entertains audiences with her high energy, lyrical voice and dancing hands, according to the festival. She is a storyteller, actress and educator who uses rhythm, sounds and movement.
Mr. Harley is a Grammy-winning artist who combines music and story to paint a picture of growing up. His stories are known for their sense of adventure, humor and heart. He’s also an author and NPR commentator.
The Rev. B. Jones is a storyteller and musician who celebrates American roots music.
Ms. Ehrhadt is a Jamaican actress and storyteller who will be a special guest at this year’s Naughty Tales segment. She’s the author and star of “Jamaica Farewell,” which is being adapted into a movie. She has performed her plays around the world.
The program opens with each of the tellers introducing themselves and a brief story about how they became a storyteller.
Tickets, which are $35 to $37, are available at www.ojaistoryfest.org.
The festival runs Oct. 28-31 in Ojai.
— Marilyn McMahon and Dave Mason
