Jeff Gere
Jeff Gere is one of Hawai`i’s most popular storytellers.
He blends talents as a painter, puppeteer, and mime into a performance style that has electrified audiences of every age across Hawaii and internationally for three decades. Jeff’s physical energy, wide range of voices, morphing elastic face and clear characterizations make his performances unforgettable events. Jeff becomes his stories!
Read about his current productions (Collage , College Class, Boy Who Fell In Love With a Star
Jeff has produced many series ( Talk Story Festival and Talk Story Radio.) He also Travels and has Toured extensively. His performance series include the Arabian Nights, the Art Off The Wall, stories for Children, and Spooky tales. He is an innovative Puppeteer. Jeff has written many Storytelling articles and many performances are on video. Jeff is an active recording artist. Please follow the links to learn more about Jeff’s work.consequ untur magni dolores eos qui ratione volup tatem. commercials and marketing campaigns.
Jeff Gere is a master storyteller & puppeteer. He has a BA in Painting & Art History (junior year Florence, Italy) and MA in Performance Art (San Francisco). In Italy (‘80- 82), he created/toured Dream Theatre (puppet, mask, mime mix; 13 city German tour).
In Hawaii (’82 on), Jeff’s taught & performed in every venue conceivable for decades: all museums, private & public schools; solo & group tours (all ages, sizes, & incomes); bars, prisons, shelters, conferences, conventions, libraries, centers, state-wide & often.
Gere is the retired Drama Specialist, City & County of Honolulu’s Parks Department (’87-’14). He produced & hosted the Talk Story Festival for 26 years, Hawaii’s largest storytelling event (local talent, mainland guests, large crowds). Festival videos air monthly (Story TV on ‘Olelo Community Access TV, 1994 on). Talk Story Radio aired 30 minute storytelling shows (05-07, Hawaii Public Radio + 2 others,13,000/week.)
Gere told at the National Storytelling Festival (Exchange Place, Tennessee, 2010) & did a week’s Residency at the International Storytelling Center (2013, Tennessee). International tours in 2016 are Australia Story Conf., China (shadow puppets) and India. He toured in 2015 to Thailand, India, & Romania, (again in 2017). He’s toured Taiwan (8/14). He’s told at Storytell Festivals in Florida (Story Camp’12), Portland (’11), Yellowknife, Arctic Canada (’10) & Wisconsin (Northlands Conf. ’10), Georgia (Kennesaw University residency ’07), Tennessee & Florida (’07, ’12), Arizona (’06), Nevada (’02 & ’03); Vancouver (’04) & Turkey (Karagoz Shadow Puppet Fest. ‘04); Thailand (English Story Camp ‘03), National Story Conferences (summer ‘14, ’12, ’07, ’04, ’99, ’93). In ’92 Jeff toured Samoa, Guam & Saipan & represented Hawaii at the Universal Expo (Spain). He tours California lots (’93 on; Los Angeles Puppet Fest ’13, LA Story Fest ’09, San Diego Story Fest ’12). He received the 2007 Oracle Award (Pacific Region) from the National Storytelling Network. He hosted & produced NSN’s Talk Story Conference (Waikiki ‘09) and Oahu Talk Story Camps (’11, ’12, &’13). He appears on Mystery Hunters (Canadian series ’06), Travel Channel & History Channel (both ‘Haunted Hawaii’ shows ’02, still airing).
Jeff told/enacted The Arabian Nights with 2 musicians & belly dancer (10 tales in 18 months, packed houses, Chinatown’s ‘Opium Den’ (03-04) and Hong Kong (’05). The Honolulu Academy of Arts commissioned Yo Pharaoh (Egyptian myths) & Van Gogh’s Ghost. He directed/performed the “Art Off The Wall” series, an inter-disciplinary collaborative shows interpreting Honolulu Contemporary Museum exhibits (‘97-’00). He interpreted tale of Japanese Immigration to Hawaii for a Japanese Shinto/Buddhist group in the historic Hawaii Theater (Dec 13). Gere’s “Tell Well” Storytelling System (University Hawaii ‘90-97 class & concerts, ’10-13 summers) became a book (‘13). Jeff will teach ‘Storytelling as Performance’ at the University of Hawaii, Manoa (Drama Department, Spring 2017).
Jeff made 10 CDs: Haunted Hawaii 1, 2, & 3 (supernatural tales), Rank Devil Mountain (Honors, ’07 Best Storytelling Recordings, Storytelling World), Silly ‘N Spooky (featured on Hawaiian Airlines flights, summer ’06), The Two Brothers (73 minute musical Grimm tell), Yakkity Yak (talkin’ on tellin’) & Cultures In Collision (Honors ’09 Best Recording, Storytelling World). In 2010, he released Twisted (spooky world tales), Guardian of the Trees (Honors, Best Recording Young Adults 2015, Storytelling World) & 2 DVDs (kid tales and Haunted Hawaii).
In October, 2016, (after touring China) Jeff will do a solo collage exhibit in Honolulu, and revives a preschool musical written 30 years ago, The Boy Who Fell In Love With A Star, in the Bishop Museum’s Planetarium. Then he goes to India. He is indeed very creatively active .
Jan- March- delightfully home, collage work, yoga, garden, swimming,
April- MAY GUESTS Storytellers Jeeva Raghunath (India) & folklorist/ author/ teller Margaret Read MacDonald in our house during public library tours. Hawaii Book & Music Festival (4/30 & 5/1, perform both days again).
May AUSTRALIA STORY CONFERENCE (Sydney- concert tell & workshop)
before & after visits with storytellers Anne E Stewart (Melbourne), Kiran Shah (Blue Mountains), Jenni Cargill-Strong (Byron Bay) & the Great Barrier Reef!
June 11 Children’s Literature Conference, Honolulu, on ‘DEAF POE‘
Deaf teller Ed Chevy does blistering versions of 3 Edgar Allan Poe tales. I produced & edited hi-def video, national distribution to deaf & sign interpreters.
June & July- 40 SUMMER FUN Storytelling & Puppet Shows & public libraries,
Mid-Summer Night’s Gleam @ Foster Botanical Gardens (as usual.)
September- CHINA SHADOW PUPPET TOUR Teaching & Small Shows via Chinese promoter (we met in Bangalore) committed to reviving Chinese shadow puppetry.
October- ‘COLLAGE MASSAGE’ SOLO ART EXHIBIT (80 images & shadow puppet shows) at The Arts @ Mark’s Garage (gallery/theater space in Honolulu’s Chinatown)
Also THE BOY WHO FELL IN LOVE WITH A STAR at Bishop Museum
(mid-Oct to mid-Nov) ‘Boy/ Star‘ revives a preschool musical written & enacted with Adela Chu 30 years ago (how can I be 8 years old?)
November 17-27- INDIA #2′ Under Banyan Tree storytelling tour (Pune & Bangalore) & sightsee southwest coast for a month.
2017 Jan-May- STORYTELLING AS PERFORMANCE CLASS
(16 weeks at University of Hawaii, Manoa Drama Department)
2017 July- PARIS, with Hula Halau o Manoa (then Ireland, Jerusalem/ Petra)
2017 October- ROMANIA Tour (again.)
DECEMBER 2014: I RETIRED from City & County of Honolulu’s Parks Department, sifted through 28 years of papers & props.
JANUARY 2015: My wife and I did a 3 university Eastern THAILAND Tour (Margaret Read MacDonald, Wajuppa Tossa coordinator, Jeeva (India), Giorgiana (Romania) KK Ng (Lao), Vietnamese dance group and Balinese father-son team were highlights.) I taught another week in Mahasarakham. Then we toured Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai (hiking in hill tribe areas- huge waterfall!)
FEBRUARY: My father died in the home (southern California.) I performed a bit locally after attending to his estate – Valley of Temples (3/28) & Honolulu Book & Music Fest (4/2&3.)
MAY- JUNE- PARIS My wife lead us to France to meet her family and to live a month in Paris (Air B&B apartment.) The area where we lived is where terrorists gunned down people in November.
JULY- Daily SUMMER FUN Park shows in Oahu parks. Our Taiwan Tour translator visited a few weeks (music teacher & serious student of traditional Chinese Kun Opera.)
AUG- SEPT.- SOUTH INDIA TOUR Chennai, Bangalore, Pune via Jeeva Raghunath (with Diane Ferlatte, Antonio Roche, Randall McGee, Sheila Wee, Craig Jenkins, all well-known performers.) Then we toured temples from Madurai to Chennai (Chettinad culture) for two weeks.
SEPT- OCT.- ROMANIA TOUR (with Margaret Read MacDonald, Wajuppa Tossa from Thailand.) Arad and Transylvania! We begin & end in Budapest.
OCTOBER 17 Back in Honolulu to tell at TALK STORY FESTIVAL #27 , a 1 nite event produced by my replacement. Life goes on!
AUG-SEPT 2014 Tour of TAIWAN three weeks in Taichung & Taipei (Sherry & Bobby Norfolk, Mike Lockett, Mike Anderson.)
OCTOBER ’14: I produced, hosted & told (as usual) for the last time, the
26th Annual TALK STORY FESTIVAL for the last time (I air Festival videos all year on Olelo Community TV). A Tsunami scare moved it from mid- Oct. (Kuniko Yamamoto, mainland guest, Japanese living in Florida) to early November (Diane Ferlatte filled in). On Saturday night, 7 local tellers (20 minutes each) told the Hawaiian epic of Pele & Hi’iaka in 3 hours.
DECEMBER 2014: I RETIRED from City & County of Honolulu’s Parks Department, sifted through 28 years of papers & props.
FEBRUARY 2015: My father, who visited us in November 2014 ( Emergency Room visit in the middle of the stay) died in the home (southern California.)
BA 1975 Art History & Studio Art (double major) University of California, Davis
MA 1979 Interdisciplinary Arts (Performance Art), San Francisco State University
Profession: Retired at end of 2014 after 28 years as ‘Drama Specialist’ for City & County of Honolulu, Department of Parks & Recreation
STORY PRODUCTIONS & SERIES
| Talk Story CAMP & TOUR | July 2013 July 2012 July 2011 | 3 days, 2 nights (a week of activities total), Mainland Stars & local storytellers give workshops, concerts, opening & closing ceremony, Imu dinner, canoe rides & campfires at Windward Oahu’s gorgeous Kualoa Camp (on the beach) 2013, permit revoked so 7 storytellers did the Not Camp Tour (1 week daily tells, see all at www.talkstorycamp.com |
| Talk Story CONFERENCE | July 16-20, 2009 | National Storytelling Networks Pacific Region Conference @ Queen Kapiolani Hotel. Hawaiis best, National & Pacific Rim talents. 5 packed days + 2 touring Oahu + 4 days Maui |
| Talk Story FESTIVAL | Annually Octobers 1989- 2014 | Creator/host of Hawaiis biggest storytelling celebration. 3 or 2 free nights of island tellers & a few mainland guests, Sign interpreters, dramatic lighting, video projections, live music occasionally, big crowds, great publicity, business sponsors. |
| Talk Story TOURS | Oct 05-14, 1990-1995 | 3 or 4 tellers (local & national) tour schools, libraries, & local venues via Univ. of Hawaii, wide variety of public shows. Not lucrative, reach all major islands in wide variety of settings & audiences, many unique experiences. |
| Talk Story RADIO | Aug 2005 – Sept 2007 | 30 minute themed story shows weekly on Hawaii Public Radio, KTUH (Univ Hawaii) & ManaÕo Radio (Maui), 13,000 listeners/week. Podcasts at www.talkstoryradio.com (Parks Dept. & Campbell Foundation.) |
| STORY TV | 1992- 2014 | monthly storytelling programs air on Olelo: Community Access TV (2000s Best Performing Arts Series (Art Off Wall) |
| ARABIAN NIGHTS Series | Jan 2003 – June 2004 | With 2 musicians & belly dancer, opened Doris Duke Islamic Museum with 4 tales (all sold out) at Honolulu Art Museum (National Endowment for Humanities). Then 10 X 90+ minute tales in Chinatowns Indigo Restaurant Bar over 18 months of sold-out Saturday shows. |
| ART OFF THE WALL Series | 97-98, 99-00, ’00-01 | collaborative interdisciplinary group shows interpreting 5 exhibits a year at Honolulu’s The Contemporary Museum (Hawaii Community Foundation Grants) |
| TALES Concerts Univ. of Hii | July ’13, ’12, ’11, 90-97 | annual workshop & evening concert. Various Topics: Story Band, Italian Tales, Spookies; children & adult, solo & group. Later, 4 session Instructional Class (Outreach College). |
OTHER SELECTED HAWAII TELLS
| Boy Who Fell in Love With A Star | Nov 16 & 1984 (2 months) | Jeff co-wrote this preschool musical, produced & acted in this run-away hit when he arrived in Hawaii. It will be remounted in fall, 2016 at Bishop Museum Planetarium. |
| Collage Exhibit | Oct. 2016 | Jeffs first one man exhibit of 80 collages & shadow shows (Arts @ Marks Garage, Honolulu) |
| SOLO Tells | 25 years (+) | continual performances & tours include all school levels & ages, public & private; museums, libraries, conferences, prisons, shelters, parks, community centers, across Hawaii & abroad; ongoing radio & TV. Annually featured at Honolulu Book & Music Festival, MidSummer Night’s Gleam, etc. |
| Oahu Parks Department | 1987 to 2016 | 70ish shows a year includes annual tours in Summer Fun Program (8000 kids), teens, seniors, special events of all kind & sizes.Retired to end 2014, still do Sum Fun shows. |
| SPOOKY Show | October 2012 | Honolulu Theater for Youth featured Jeff’s tales & shadow puppets (Tenney Theater 3 weeks, 2 shows/day + publics, 3-6 grades, designed as a solo touring show, all on YouTube) |
| Halloweens | 2001- | Obake! Japanese Cultural Center (’06-08); 100 Candles, 4 hours of ghost tales, 500 attend (’07, Kapiolani Community College (other shows 01, 03, 05). Spooky Tours to Maui & Big Island (solo & group tours ’07- 11). Arts at Marks Garage & Maui Art & Culture Center (05), Hawaii Public Radio (03, 01), Burbank Family Film Fest. (03,02), Bishop Museum (solo & group series), Sea Life Park (twice), Bar Assoc. 03. |
| Menologues | Feb 04 | Male respond to Vagina Monologues w/ rappers, slam poets. |
| Three Pigs | July 2003 | story & shadow tour w/symphonic quintet (Cooke Foundation) |
| Japanese Immigrate to Hawaii | Dec 14 | Japanese Buddhist & Shinto Group stages storytelling reading, my shadow puppets & script rewrite of immigration to cane field labors. Hawaii Theater, international event |
| Lualualei Story Fest | Nov 02 & June 98 | Hawaiian spooky true tales for 5,000 Waianae residents in Maile Beach Park |
| Wind & Rain | June- Aug 01 | duet weaves comedy, tales, music & puppets making gory English ballad into a full show (Arts @ Mark’s Garage) |
| Yo Pharaoh! | Mar-01 | interprets Egyptian myths in story & shadow with dancer & two musicians (Honolulu Academy of Art commission) |
| Van Gogh’s Ghost | Feb & Aug 99 | Monologue of passion & madness (LA County Museum Art commission & show, restaged at Honolulu Academy Arts). |
| HearSay | 1997- 98 | story band trio (songs, stories & shadow puppets) (Univ. of Hawaii, Academy of Arts, bars & backyards, weddings) |
NATIONAL TELLS
| 8/13 Tennessee | International Storytelling Center Residency a week of daily concerts in storytell center: Jonesborough |
| N. Carolina, Kentucky Ohio, California | Tour shows nightly in quick swing through N. Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio; finally California storytelling at Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. |
| 4/13 California | Los Angeles Puppet Festival (Skirball Cultural Center, who commissioned a new tale for the event.) Also several story sets at San Diego Story Fest. |
| 3/12 NY, DC, Florida | Sharing the Fire Conference (workshop, New York) Library of Congress (get story recordings, Wash DC)Florida Story Camp (featured national teller, concerts & workshops over 3 days) & Miami Book Fest (Dec) |
| 3/11 Oregon | Hearing Voices Tour (Portland Libraries, concert, classes; Arabian Night Tale, private home San Francisco |
| 10/10 Jonesborough Tennesse | National Story Festival Exchange Place Teller @ USA #1 story event. 12 minutes to 2000 in circus tent. |
| 4/10 Wisconsin | Northlands Story Conf.Group & solo tell, workshop |
| 11/09 & 11/13 California | Los Angeles Story Festival 2 story concerts 2Xs. 2010-packed house concert after NSN Conference. |
| 3/08 Georgia | Kennesaw University (Atlanta) Weekend Residency (workshops & concerts, fundraiser in Tennessee. |
| 3/06 Arizona | Aloha Festival 4 Hawaii tellers, big crowds, schools, workshop/tells at Storytelling Institute (Phoenix) |
| 6/04 Washington (Bellingham) | National Storytelling Conference Regional Teller Concert (1500 audience) & Arabian Nights Workshop |
| 6/02, 03 Nevada | Boulder City Folk Festival twice; school, workshop, festival tells & shadows |
| 6/97 Idaho & 93-02 Calif | National Invitational Storytelling Contest Boise River Folk Festival (1 of 3 tellers). Annual Tour (LA & SF) big museums, libraries, schools, colleges, private homes. Flying Leap Fest. ’99 |
INTERNATIONAL TELLS
| 2016 Tours | Australia Story Conference (May, workshop & tell), China (Sept. shadow classes & shows), India (Nov. Pune, Bangalore, tells & classes) |
| Thailand 1/15 | Mahasarakham International Storytelling Festival workshop & concerts, three cities & teach a week in University. |
| India 8/15 | Under Banyan Story Fest. 10 days of workshops & shows, Bangaolore, Chennai, Pune. 1 of 7 international tellers featured. |
| Romania 9/15 | Romanian Story Festival 10 days tell & teach in/around Arad. Returning again in 2017 |
| Taiwan 8/14 | Taiwan Story Circus two weeks of solo & group tellings in Taichung & Taipei to teach English with 4 other tellers, Taipei & Taichung. |
| Canada 5/10 | Yellowknife Story Festival (arctic central Canada) 3 days with Hawaii, Arctic & Yukon tellers. |
| HongKong 6/05 | Faust Theater Festival Shaharazads 1st Tale, live drummer, shadows & tellings in Fringe Theater & a few other locations (Gecko Bar) |
| Canada 11/05 | Vancouver Storytelling Festival opening & 2 days of Arabian Night Tales & classes. |
| Turkey 11/04 | Karagoz Shadow Puppet Festival overhead & laptop shadows at UNICEF international event for a week, only American (Bursa). |
| Thailand 4/03 | English Story/Language Camps 2 weeks, for teachers & kids (Mahasarakham & Songkhla). |
| Spain 8/92 | Universal Expo (Sevilla) 1 of 45 of Hawaii modern & traditional artists, USA Pavilion for 2 weeks of daily shows. |
| Pacific 4/92 | Amer Samoa; Guam, Rota, Tinian, Saipan art centers, villages, hotels, Micronesian Arts Festival with Makia Malo (Kalaupapa) |
| Italy 80-82 | Dream Theater experimental mask & mime shows, toured while care-taking villa near Florence, 13 city German tour, after Jeffs family to Hawaii. |
| Other Travels | Paris 15, Alaska 08, Oaxaca 06, Turkey 03 twice, Bali 01, Israel & Egypt 00 |
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
| 1987- 2014 | Parks Classes | Storytelling, Story Games, Story Slams, Puppetry (simple, huge, foam, shadows, plays), creative drama, mask, mime, stilts, improvs, choral reading, lights, skits (all kinds), etc. |
| 2007-14 | Various / Specials | HAEYC, Kama Aina & Seagull Preschool Conf. keynotes, ESL Speech Festival, School-Parent Reading Nights, Toastmasters, many docent & private school story teaching residencies. |
| 1994 – 2014 | McGruff, Crime Dog | Lecture/demonstrate Masks, coach utility workers, military, & police to be costumed character, able to tell kids a parable. |
| 2004-10 | Castle Colleagues | Annual storytell workshop in premier statewide preschool teacher training, Castle Fndtn, State Preschool Conferences |
| 2001-05, 2009-10 | Art Off the Wall Class | Docent, Teacher, Student classes inter-relate the arts. Maui Art & Culture, Contemporary Museum, Honolulu Art Museum |
| Jan 1999 | Iolani School | 2 week Storytelling Residency for upper elementary classes in exclusive private Oahu School (Keables English Endowment) |
| 1985- 87 | Humanities 100 | taught 6 semesters of Humanities survey class, Hawaii Pacific University Extension (Hickam Air Force Base) |
| 1984-86 | Full Time Teacher | Our Lady of Sorrows (Wahiawa) 4th grade all subjects, 5-6 History, K-6 storytelling teacher/teller, drama electives, Parent Night plays. |
PRODUCTS
| 2010 | Two DVDs | Haunted Hawaii LIVE! A Spooky collection, various venues, most with music, advanced video manipulations. Silly ‘N Spooky kids tales on video (with piano) & creative video effects. |
| 2010 | Inspiring Tales of Hawaii | A ‘storyteller on the streets’ collection of amazing & moving events that have happened to and around Jeff in Hawaii. Very moving! |
| 2010 | Twisted | The ‘best’ hair-raising collection of the weirdest, grizzley, chilling world folk & personal tales compiled over 15 years of recording. |
| 2008 | Yakkity Yak | A collection of anecdotes & tales talking about telling stories (food for thought) with lots of rhyme and piano. |
| 2008 | Two Brothers | Grimms Tale put to free wheeling verse rhyme, piano & guitar. 75 minutes, 9 chapters, two musicians & it KICKS! |
| 2008 | Cultures in Collision | Social conflict & resolution tales with Lyn Ford and Alton Chung. Honors, 2008 Best Story Recording (Storytelling World) |
| 2006 | Silly ‘N Spooky | Playground classics of and for kids in Hawaii, told with piano and percussion. Played on Hawaiian Airline flights all Summer, 2006 |
| 2005 | Rank Devil Mountain | 3 HOT Hell/ devil/ fire stories (piano, percussion & didgeridoo) Honors, 2007 Best Story Recording (Storytelling World). |
| 2004 | Haunted Hawaii 3 | A live solo tell before a lively audience. This collection features a harrowing trip to the Old Mililani Graveyard. |
| 2003 | HH 2 | Chilling tales from Hawaii & Samoa, with percussion & piano. |
| 2008 | HH1 | Supernatural tales include many about Pele (2001 re-recorded 08) |
| Various Artists | DVDs: Jeeva Raghunath & Margaret Read MacDonald (2016), Ed Chevy (Deaf Poe) ’15, Lyn Ford ’14 CDs: Lopaka Kapanui 09, Marie Solomon (99) |
ASSOCIATIONS
| Since 1989 | National Storytelling Network USAs largest membership group. State Liason 94 on, Oracle Award (Pacific) 07, Fundraising Concert 08 (Tenn) |
| 1990-12 | Alliance for Culture and Arts Co-creator, Board member of active non-profit corporation administering grants for public art events. |
BOOK, ARTICLES & LINKS
| How to Tell It Well Storytelling System | book of Geres Storytelling methods, 91 pages, produced by Center for Disability Studies, University of Hawaii, 2013) |
| Nation Storytelling Magazine | Hawaiian Legend (3/11) Editorial on Media (9/07) Talk Story Radio (10/05) Parks tells (2/03) Mens Stories (4/01) Shadow Puppets (9/99) |
| Museletter (New England) | Storytelling Journal Political Storytelling (2/07), Story TV (10/02) |
| Hawaii’s Spookiest Stories | (2006) Bess Press, compiled by Rick Carroll, one Gere story |
| TEAM UP! Telling in Tandem | article on storytelling with musicians. Book produced/edited by Jonatha Wright (Ohio), 2010 Presto Storytelling Publications |
| Storyteller.net Amphitheater | www.storyteller.net/amphitheater/38 (1/08) Talk Story 2007 review and Yakkity Yak: tales about tellin |
| YouTube Videos | Gere has 40 videos of his performances, full list upon request. |
| The Storytelling Project | Among 65 of Americas most prominent storytellers, video interviews (Cotsen Children’s Library, Los Angeles, 1998). |
| Chicken Soup for Soul- Hawaii | includes 2 Gere tales, distributed in Hawaii & West Coast (2003). |
| Storyteller Biography Directory | Among 120 English speaking storytellers, worldwide biographical directory (1998) |
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
| July 2014 | National Story Conf Arizona | Story Radio Panel, Fringe: Haunted Hii Regional Concert |
| July 2011 | National Story Conf LA, California | Story Radio Panel, Fringe: Haunted Hii Regional Concert |
| July 2008 | Talk Story Conference Waikiki, Hi | Produced/hosted Pacific Regional Conf. 5 days, international audience & Maui Oracle Award Service & Leadership West |
| July 2007 | National Story Conf St. Louis | Workshop: Arabian Nights Series & Featured Regional Teller |
| July 2004 | National Story Conf Bellingham, Washington | Workshop: Arabian Nights Series & Featured Regional Teller |
| July 1999 | National Story Conf San Diego, California | Workshop: telling with shadow puppets on overhead projector |
| July 1993 | National Story Conf Seattle, Washington | Workshop: Talk Story Fest & Pacific storytelling |
| June 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2016 | Hawaii Childrens Literature Biennial Conference | Opening Keynote (2002) Readings, performances, workshops, panelist. |
| Jan. 2004 | Hii International Arts & Humanities Conf. | Lecture & sold out Arabian Nights story theater (Gere, dancer, + 2 musicians) |
| 2004 | Hii Child Abuse & Hii Parent Teacher Assoc. | Keynotes for both statewide conferences |
| 2002, 2006, 2009 | Pacific Rim Teacher Conf. | teacher storytelling workshops and tells |
| 1997, 1998, 1999, 2011 | Hawaii Independent Schools Conference | storytelling classes, teacher workshops and tells |
SELECTED TELEVISION ACTIVITIES
| 1991- 2014 | STORY TV Series | Edit & Air 30 minute Talk Story Festival tells monthly (Olelo Access TV). Best Creative Arts Series 2000. |
| 2007 | Christabelle & Time Museum | 15 X 15 minute shows. I tell/read Rachel Funk sci-fi story (Dept of Education TV- airs continually) |
| 2006 | Mainland TV | Mystery Hunters (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.), Blue Dolphin Show LA series for Hawaii kids. |
| 2001 | National TV | Haunted History (History Channel), Places of Mystery Series (Travel Channel), both on Hiis ghostlore, interview & tellings, still continue airing. |
| 1995-97 | The Storytellers’ Series | co-produced 20 X 1/2 hour storytelling shows over 2 years at KITV 4 (Hawaiis ABC affiliate) |
| 1996 | Silly Spooky | Jeff’s original kid tales with puppetry, animation & music. Parent’s Choice Honors, locally popular. |
| Oct 1995 | Chickenskin | 1 of 6 featured Hawaii tellers (KGMB Chl 9) |
| 1988-90 | Olelo Series | 4 scripts teach simple Hawaiian (k-3rd grades). Built, moved & voiced puppets (Hii Dept. of Edctn) |
REFERENCES
| Chris Shoemaker | Directors, Acts of Creation & Fresh I Flix Video Program. Burbank, California. Took Jeff & 45 Hawaii artists to Spain, 1992.Ê |
| Mark Branner | Professor, University of Hawaii Drama & Dance Department |
| Tim Slaughter | Director, University of Hawaii Outreach College, collaborator/ employer for numerous solo/group tours ongoing for decades. |
| Eric Johnson | Artistic Director, Honolulu Theatre for Youth, directed Jeff’s SPOOKY solo show in October 2012. |
| Ruth Stotter | Founding Director, Dominican College Storytelling Program (Tiburon, California) Home Concerts for 15 years, teller at Jeff’s Talk Story Fest. Conf. & Camp, co-teacher Iolani School residency |
SILLY ‘N SPOOKY (DVD – KID TALES)(all with Les Adam, piano)
REVIEW of ‘Silly N Spooky’ CD in Honolulu Advertiser (2006)
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Aug/06/en/FP608060320.html
First Day on the North Shore (beautiful personal tale & puppet bits, 5:15min) *
Under the Banyan Tree (the girl sees something white in the dark, 6min) *
The Glove (short fun, with video coloration, 3:40 min.) *
Aiea Heiau (builds on fear of walking Hawaiian spirits, ends in a joke. 6:30min) *
Zipper Hero (older boy uses humor to deflate embarassment, 4:45 min.) *
HAUNTED HAWAII LIVE! (DVD – Supernatural Hawaii)
The Man Who Met Pele (true supernatural tale, manipulated video, 11min.) *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvKg04tOQS8
The Lovers of Panui (a stone stops a murder, told with 3 musicians, 17 min) *
C.C. Camp (2 shorts, & man meets Menehune, Hawaii’s 1st people, 11:20 min) *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdKmlpmbx0E
Take Me To Afono (Samoan, tale of spirit woman, 5 min) *
The Pig Hunter’s Tale (encounter with Night Marchers with 3 musicians, 6:30) *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmEeMyagWjI
SPOOKY’ SHOW (3rd-8th grades)
full theater show presented by/with Honolulu Theater for Youth, 2 shows a day Oct 2012 REVIEW of ‘Spooky’ – delightful review of Jeff’s solo show, Midweek 10/12
http://www.midweek.com/hawaii-entertainment/spook-me-thrill-me/
Boy Bow Bird (Samoan Tale of Teleasi, spirit people, 9 min) *
You Got the Power (man In the closet, a short tale to end show, 3:20min) *
PUPPETS (*Sp- part of ‘Spooky’ Stage Show)
Snow Witch (Japanese obake tale, using Shadow Box & poem)*Sp (8:30) *
Silver Nose (Italian tale, Shadow Puppet on Overhead Projector)*Sp (9:30) *
Arabian Nights: Man, Doe, Ginn (laptop Shadow Puppets)*Sp (9:40) *
Arabian Nights: Envier & Envied Man (Shadows, Forgiveness Fest. ’05, 9:45)*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_t-5aOp8j4
Arabian Nights: Tale of the One Eyed Man (Flying Horse, 10 min.)
Japanese Immigration & Life in Hawaii (Jeff adapted script of historical fiction, added images, directed narration for big venue show, 2013, 25 min.) *
Ashmudai & King Solomon (shadow puppet of Jewish folktale,13:30 min) *
Owl & Spider Puppets (2 full body puppets created for kid’s musical, 7:30 min) *
MORE SCAREY TALES
Mom, You’re Freaking Me Out (Mom’s really not herself tonight, 6:16) *
Ectoplasm (Teenager’s true experience with a ghost, 6min.) *
Grandma? (a little boy sees her ghost, 2:39) *
Okiku (intense Japanese ‘obake’ ghost folktale of murder & retribution, 16:25) *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k8ciosQBW8
Pokai Bay (tale of righting wrong to a stone, Forgiveness Festival, 7:45 min) *
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2mKfnwbb6Q
Mr Fox (macabre folktale by 3 tellers: JG, Lyn Ford & Anne Shimojima, 20 min)*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2HL6ELxJ7E
INSPIRING STORIES & WORKSHOPS
Olelo Banquet Keynote (with Starfish & Jataka: Parrot tales, 12:30 min.) *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njFeagp7yhU
Teen Disaster (from life with my daughter, coming of age tale) 9:20 min. *
FACE Workshop (tales & face exercises, hilarious participation,15 min.) *
Arabian Nights: Highlights (Jeff, belly dancer & 2 musicians, 18 months, 02-03)
Halloween Warm-up (Rubber Face on Channel 4, short & sweet, 2min)*
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwThsqdQI_4
Taiwan Show: full show with Chinese translators, poor audio, 45 min.) *
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4O1lnLxFiE
Taiwan Promo Video (clips from 2014 tour with 4 other tellers, 15 min*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Wfq9a3lErQ
INTERVIEWS, SITES, PODCASTS
‘Yakkity-Yak’ (Talkin’ bout Tellin’ tales on Storyteller.net with pianist Les Adam)
http://www.storyteller.net/amphitheater/38
Living Delicious: Lively storytelling interview with Helena Medena 2011 *
Part 1 (9 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrarmRQe1Po
Part 2 (9 min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QoDD_bhobw
Part 3 (9 min) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQpl_l2niHg
Shows
I’m a professional performer who’s style has been SHAPED by children. I’m visual, noisy, use voices and make faces. I speak KID. We love each other. We laugh a lot. I respond to them within the telling. They know I’m ‘Awake’, controlling the environment, keeping them focused and safe.
