Storytellers coming to Rome and Floyd County in March for Big Fibbers Festival
Storytellers Antonio Rocha of Maine and Donna Washington of Virginia will headline the 2020 Big Fibbers Storytelling Festival scheduled for March 27 and 28 at the Rome City Auditorium.
“Antonio and Donna are both award-winning, nationally and internationally known tellers and we are thrilled to bring them to Rome and Floyd County,” said Terrell Shaw, president of the Ridge & Valley Storytelling Guild. “They will perform in many of our local schools during the week and then headline our public events for all ages on Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28.”
Rocha (pronounced haw-sha) is known for his unique fusion of mime and spoken word, entertaining audiences of all ages with his tenor voice, realistic sound effects, quirky characters and mesmerizing moves. A native of Brazil, he studied mime with Marcel Marceau and has performed at venues from the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee to the Singapore Festival for the Arts, in 16 countries and on six continents.
Washington grew up in a military family and traveled all over the world as a child, learning about different people and places and their stories. A highly animated performer, she has been entertaining, educating, and inspiring audiences for more than 30 years with her vocal pyrotechnics, elastic face, and deep characterizations, bringing folklore, literary tales, and personal narratives to life. She has performed at thousands of schools, libraries and festivals, including the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, plus state and regional festivals across the United States.
In addition to performances by Rocha and Washington, the Sixth Annual Big Fibbers Festival will include the Big Fibbers Contest for adults and Youngtales Competition for students, both to be held on Saturday, March 28.
The Youngtales program and Big Fibbers Festival are made possible by the support of the Rome Area Council for the Arts, Sara Hightower Regional Library, and other sponsors. For more information visit www. bigfibbers.com.