PERFORMANCES & FEES

COYOTE TALES Coyote, the wily hero/fool makes his tracks across America in adventures told by Native Americans for thousands of years. Often boastful, forgetful, selfish and sly, Coyote ignites and delights the fool in each of us at any age. These tales generate a better understanding of Native humor, culture and the teaching fool. All stories developed from anthropological, ethnographic and linguistic texts and meetings with Native elders.

AND FOR KIDS: GREAT FOOLS Brer Rabbit, Coyote and the Fools of Chelm come together in a program of pure delight __especially for children. These stories of lovable fools from world cultures actively involve audiences in the voice, song and art of storytelling while breaking down cultural barriers.

SOUND & SILENCE explores the musical art of storytelling __the use of alliteration, syntax and other poetic devices that sweep a child's imagination into the drama of a tale.

THE WINTER GIFT Tales about the meaning of gifting and snowy landscapes __the events of Light in the Dark Heart of Winter. For warming the hearths and hearts of all ages throughout the cold winter months.

HEROS & SHEROS Some are quiet and patient . . . others, decisive and fierce, still all heros act out of self-confidence & sovereignty . . . sacrifice & surrender to risk. "Sigfried and Brunhilda"and others emerge from the dark forests of world myths to awaken these heroic qualities in ourselves.

WITCHES, QUEENS & GODDESSES: Mythic Images of the Feminine Every woman can recognize her own journey toward wholeness in the blossoming imagery of ancient myths and fairytales. Stories from Greek, Norwegian, Russian, English and Native American origins reveal aspects of the feminine nature so different from images presented in the mass media.

NATURE TALES

Susan Strauss is internationally known for crossing the bridge between science and myth in her storytelling performances. She opens the realm of truth expressed by both biological fact and ancient myth so that we can hear science as archetype, myth as truth.

BIRDS OF FORTUNE: Blessing Stories From the Book of Nature Secrets to prosperity sing out in the nature wisdom stories of every world culture. The "Book of Nature" is one of the world's great sacred texts, whether revealed in the antics of Coyote (Native American trickster) or the Mullah Nazrudin (Zufi) __ or in the wisdom stories from Norse mythology, Japan, the Hassidic Jewish tradition, St. Francis, or personal anecdotes.

COYOTE GETS A CADILLAC & Other Wild Tales Tales of humor with an ecological message from traditional myths, original stories and personal anecdotes.

ANIMAL WISDOM Myths, folktales & true life anecdotes that convey both the archetypal and biological aspects of time honored totem animals __such as the snake, the bird, the bear and the wolf.

THE MYTHIC WOLF reveals the wolf's true archetype. Ancient myths & biological tales present the wolf as devoted parent, extraordinary hunter, spirit guide and guardian of mystery. Stories include: Skidi Pawnee Creation, "Wolf's Eyelashes" (Japan), "She Who Lived With Wolves" (Lakota), "The Wolf & The Firebird" (Russia), "Skoll & Hati" (Norse), "Spako, the Wolf Goddess" (Persia), anecdotes from Dr. David Mech and other noted wolf biologists and "Little Red Riding Boots Moves To L.A.".

THE BIRD'S TALE "The Hundredth Dove" (England), Mark Twain's "The Bluejay Yarn", "Finest, the Falcon" (Russia), "Five Sparrows" (Japan) and other global tales celebrate the symbolism of the bird. Birds are skillfully depicted through movement and voice.

WATERS OF LIFE: Marine Life Myths This extraordinary substance __ we often take for granted until we are without it __upon which all life on earth depends _ through which salmon find their birth river __ moving in and among all of us: plant, animal, atmosphere __ water is celebrated in this storytelling performance of Salmon Boy (Haida), Creation of Thunder in Rivers (Pawnee), The Merced River Speaks At the Conference (anecdote), Monster Woman at the Coast (Wasco), When Woman Became the Sea (Costa Rica), Heyoke Brings Water to Sundance (original), Swimming Is My Religion (original) and other stories.

WHEN VENUS BLUSHES: Myths of Enchantment from the Plant Kingdom The "Zuni Creation Myth & the Origin of Corn" bares images of remarkable likeness to the current biological story of creation and will help you to never see grass or water or sunlight the same way again. Coyote and the Grass People (Assiniboin) and "Origin of Disease and Medicine" (Cherokee) will help you to know the power in seemingly simple plants. Venus and Adonis (Roman), Persephone and Demeter (Greek), Listening Cap (Japanese) and other world stories will awaken an undeniable curiosity about the quiet green world.

SECRETS FROM THE DARK FOREST: The Mythic Majesty of the Tree Since the origin of culture, trees have been revered as a life source and a translator between heaven and earth. The "dark forest" in European tales is always a magical place of transformation. Secrets from the forest are still unfolding in current scientific discoveries exciting the imaginations of scientists and medical professionals. When heard in tandem, the colorful, profound imagery of world tree myths mirrors current scientific knowledge and we feel the gratitude our ancestors felt for this gift we call a tree. Myths from Iceland, Japan, Costa Rica, Native America and Russia.

VISIBLE DISTANCE: The American Relationship to Landscape "Every natural fact is a symbol of some spiritual fact · Visible distance behind and before us, is respectively our image of memory and hope." __ Ralph Waldo Emerson Vast open landscapes shaped American's early identity and the birth of ecological thought and the conservation movement. American landscape painters enhanced this identity by setting before America a vision of divine creation, with images of both the West and the Hudson River Valley. Modern land development and American's relationship or lack of relationship to place still show the impact of these mythic/ historic roots __ and lead us to question: á What will our American Landscape, our 'spacious skies and purple mountains majesty' be in the future? á Why do human beings need landscape? This storytelling interweaves histories with Native American myths, anecdotes and poetry in performance with Eurythmic Movement and the music of Avo Part to illuminate these themes.

FEES & BOOKING

PUBLIC PERFORMANCE	2 hours w/intermission	$700-$1500
PUBLIC PERFORMANCE	1 hour	$500-$1500
PUBLIC PERFORMANCES (Fee changes with travel distance and block booking)	two, 30 minutes each	$600-$1500
VISIBLE DISTANCE PERFORMANCE		$3000
WORKSHOP	2-4 hours	$500
WORKSHOP	full day	$800
LECTURE/DEMONSTRATION	1 hour	$250
KEYNOTE ADDRESS		$2000
SCHOOLS & LIBRARIES
Number of Performances	Time/Audience	Fee
1	45 mins./200 students	$400
2	45 mins./200 students	$650
3	45 mins./200 students	$750
. Full day of combination performances & workshops	(Could include teacher in-service)	$750
Full day plus evening public performance		$1000

Discounts are available for any block bookings of schools, workshops and public performances. Travel is extra or woven into block bookings.

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