2002 National Storyteller of the Year Contest
August 31, 2002

Massachusetts Performer, Leeny Del Seamonds, Named National, "Storyteller of the Year"®

Leeny Del Seamonds from Westford, Massachusetts was awarded the title "Storyteller of the Year®" at the 56th Annual Lions¹ Club Sweet Corn Festival in Millersport, Ohio on August 31, 2002.

Her story captured the attention of the judges and listeners alike. Leeny honored her father¹s heritage by telling a story from the Hispanic culture entitled "Renaldo."

Three master storytellers vied for the official title "Storyteller of the Year" and a top cash prize of $1,000.
Mike Miller from Charleston, South Carolina was First Runner Up and Nettie Martin from Kalamazoo, Michigan was Second Runner Up.

Finalists were selected from sixty-two professional storytellers who submitted entries this year. The theme for the 2002 contest was, "Adventure Stories."

"The contest includes three-tiered judging process," explained Donna Foster, Program Director for the event. "In the first round the judges test the teller's ability to stay within the time constraints (15 minutes or less) and tell a story on a theme.
The second round judges scrutinize the story structure, listen for good vocal control and evaluate the pacing of the tellers¹ stories.

The Finals for the Storyteller of the Year Contest are held annually at the Lion¹s Club Sweet Corn Festival in Millersport, Ohio on the Saturday before Labor Day. During the Finals the judges are looking at performance skills and how well the tellers relate with the audience.

"Our selection process is very demanding," revealed Foster. "These tellers have to be able to focus their energy and project it out toward the listeners. The Festival setting is really tough and it takes a lot of energy to be able to reach a large festival audience. If a storyteller can reach this audience they¹ve got to be good - REAL good," said Foster.

The "Storyteller of the Year®" event is sponsored the Ohio Arts Council and produced by the Creative Arts Institute. The program was videotaped for broadcast on Ohio¹s Public Access Television Stations.

Carole R. Francis of Columbus, Ohio enhanced the concert by gracefully interpreting the stories into American Sign Language.

Mark McKimmins, from Utica, Ohio was master of ceremony. "This community event brought out the best in everyone," said Mark McKimmins.



For more information about this contest and the great folks from the Creative Arts Council contact:
Donna Foster, Program Director-(614) 759-9407
8021 Kennedy Road, Blacklick, OH 43004
curtcain@ohiohills.com

To contact the finalist:
Leeny Del Seamonds
http://www.storynet.org/tellers/LeenyDelSeamonds.htm
Master Story PerformerTM
P.O. Box 1268
Westford, MA 01886
(978) 692-3961
leenydel@juno.com

Mike Miller
www.greatstoryteller.com
P.O. Box 13881
Charleston, South Carolina 29422
Phone: (843)762-4458
mike@greatstoryteller.com

Nettie Martin
2208 Skyline Dr.
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
(616) 382-2577

For More Storytelling Greatness go to
www.greatstoryteller.com