San Francisco Free Folk Festival

The SoCal Showcase

Saturday, June 12, 2021 @ 3:00 PM PDT

Curated by Marilyn McPhie and Tina Tomiyama

The pandemic may have shut down “live” storytelling, but it gave many storytellers an unprecedented opportunity to tell their tales far and wide on Zoom. We’ve been able to enjoy — and even participate in — concerts originating thousands of miles away. In 2021, the San Francisco Free Folk Festival takes advantage of this dissolution of geographical boundaries with an invitational showcase curated by Marilyn McPhie (San Diego) and Tina Tomiyama (South Los Angeles). Marilyn and Tina have combed the southern half of the state to find seven tellers representing the diversity and creativity of the region. We hope you enjoy every one of them!

The show was a delight!

Thank you for coming!

Marilyn McPhie

Marilyn McPhie is a professional storyteller, speaker, and teaching artist, creating, performing, and teaching stories of all kinds—personal, literary, traditional, and more—for audiences of all ages and levels of storytelling experience. She has coached storytellers from school students to professionals preparing important presentations. She has performed nationally and internationally and has been seen in venues as diverse as the Exchange Place of the National Storytelling Festival and the TEDx stage. She is the president of Storytellers of San Diego and the Pacific Region Director for the National Storytelling Network.



San Diego



The Ghost of Julian Chavez

An historic story from San Diego’s rancho days about the notorious horse thief, El Bandito Rojo.

Yvette Brandy

Yvette Brandy is a singer, poet, composer and storyteller. Her poem, “Charlotta’s Torch” was recently included in the anthology, Our Story from Harriet to Kamala. She has performed historical stories, folktales, and personal narratives across the United States and the Caribbean, including five one-woman stage productions at Los Angeles Institute of Musical Arts. Yvette has also showcased her original music compositions at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. In addition, her choral composition, “Virgin Islands Christmas,” was inducted in the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College in Chicago.



Temecula



Serendipity: Life’s GPS

Stories linked in a chain of seamless synchronicity.

John St. Clair

John St. Clair retired in 2010 after teaching for 35 years in the Ontario-Montclair School District. He made his first public storytelling performance in 2003 at the first Inland Valley Storytellers (IVS) Tellabration!™ concert. John has performed at every IVS Tellabration!™ concert since then. He has represented IVS at the annual Southern California Story Swap Festival since 2005, and has also performed as a guest teller at the San Diego Storytelling Festival. John tells stories at churches, libraries, and retirement homes. He has served as the leader, treasurer, and webmaster for Inland Valley Storytellers since 2007.



Ontario



The Witch of Kamalalaya

An Indian folk tale about an old woman falsely accused of being a witch.

Margaret Mitchell

Margaret Mitchell is retired from the City of Compton, where she served as Emergency Services Coordinator and Special Assistant to the City Manager. Since retiring in 2005, she has served in numerous leadership roles in District 1 Toastmasters and finds fulfillment in mentoring and training others to meet their goals as communicators and leaders.

Margaret attended the University of Redlands and Langston University. She graduated with honors from CSULA with a B.A. degree in English. She enjoys writing and performing personal stories and has performed with Tell Me A Story, Stories by the Sea, and showcase productions of StoryMasters.



Compton



Family Vacation

A family collects lasting memories during their first camping trip.

Kristinha Maria Reva

Kristinha Maria Reva is passionate about tracking soul through the wilds of story. She is currently working toward a Ph.D. in Mythology and Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute and has formally studied literature, ecopsychology, and expressive arts. She has facilitated women’s circles and ecological art and storytelling workshops. She is a member of the Storytellers of San Diego, and her writing has been featured in publications including the Mythological Studies Journal, Dark Matter, and Unbroken.



Encinitas



The Tale of Ceridwen and Taliesin

In this classic Welsh tale, an orphan boy encounters a sorceress and begins a journey of magic, shapeshifting, and poetic transformation.

Ty Fance

Ty Fance is an author, producer and storyteller, originally from Houston, Texas. Ty’s autobiographical stories feature his journey into and through fatherhood; reflections on marriage; and his colorful childhood – rediscovered. His tales are also featured in his book of autobiographical short stories entitled “Oﬀ My Head and Over the Fence.”

Ty produced a long running storytelling show in Altadena called “Oﬀ My Head,” a lasting storytelling experience which featured local storytellers sharing personal stories that are “sometimes funny, sometimes poignant, but always authentic and relatable.”

To see more of Ty’s stories, subscribe to his YouTube channel: http://bit.ly/TyFanceStorytellerYouTube, or Ty Fance Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ty.fance



Altadena



Aunt Maude

Two mischievous boys’ love of tomatoes provides an unexpected life lesson.

Tina Tomiyama

Tina Tomiyama is a graphic artist who discovered the wonders of storytelling when she heard Barbara H. Clark telling her unforgettable tales at a neighbor’s jazz concert. In retirement, Tina co-founded a storytelling club, StoryMasters, in 2011 and volunteers at Charles R. Drew University. She studies with Barbara Clark and others, and has spoken at the Institute of Musical Arts, Strong Words,
The Antidote, the Los Angeles Public Library, StoryMasters and other venues. Tina is on the Board of the Storytelling Association of California.



South Los Angeles



In the Tunnel

A balmy, rapturous evening at the Hollywood Bowl in the late 70’s turns terrifying.

About San Francisco Free Folk Festival

The San Francisco Free Folk Festival has been always been run by the San Francisco Folk Music Club. It’s been happening since 1977, when the first festival was staged at the Hall of Flowers. We’ve been known to have between 2,000 and 3,000 guests attending the event.

While the festival would be a special event under any circumstances, what makes it unique is the fact that it is an all-volunteer effort. Members of the San Francisco Folk Music Club serve as volunteer organizers, and all performers and workshop leaders donate their time and talents to the festival as well.

Donations of time or money are welcome!

Visit San Francisco Free Folk Festival