Lorna MacDonald Czarnota

Lorna MacDonald Czarnota is an award-winning storyteller, author, and educator. Her work includes conferences, festivals, schools, libraries, museums, runaway shelters and detention centers throughout the United States, Canada and Ireland. Her stories are packed with lessons, humor and medicine for the soul. She specializes in Medieval, American Colonial and Civil War history, Scottish story, Celtic folklore, fairy tales, teen's and women's issues.

Wild and Wooly Tales

Before there were people, there were plants and animals. Many cultures use animal stories to teach and inform their young people about the way to live and the results of their actions. In these stories, animals personify human behavior. This program may include props, music and audience participation. Listeners are exposed to animal tales from a variety of cultures, including Native American, African and Russian peoples.

Grades: Pre K-4

Journal Writing for Middle and High School

Students learn that journal writing can be both personally rewarding and fun. Lorna uses several creative techniques for teaching students how to discover journaling inspiration. Students will participate in writing activities during this workshop and will need journals, pens and scrap paper.

Limit: 30 students

The Movin' Dress

In this inspiring and educational monologue about an Oklahoma farm family's life during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, students will hear the story of life on the plains and the courage and plight of migrant workers during one of America's most difficult eras. This program includes songs and other period folklore.

Grades: 4-12

Medieval Artifacts

Students learn about the roles of men, women, and children living in the Middle Ages through storytelling, Celtic harp, riddles, and a display of artifacts. Artifacts include armor, games, toys, art work, spinning, scientific devices and more. The presenter is in costume.

Grades: K-12
Limit: 100 students

This World of Ours:Stories from Many Cultures

The stories in this program may include stories from China, Ireland, Africa, the Middle East, America, and others. All stories are selected as appropriate to audience age.

Grades: K-12
Fee: single $275; back-to-back $530
Limit: 200 students, unless otherwise specified

Storytelling & Writing

Lorna MacDonald Czarnota encourages students to create their own stories, retell a story they have heard, or tell stories from their own lives. She explores a variety of storytelling techniques and helps students to use these techniques in dramatic presentations of their work. Teacher workshops are also available.

Grades: Pre K-12
Workshops Fee: $184
Limit: 30 students per workshop (workshops booked with performances only)

Walking the Line: Becoming Ambassadors for Change

This program is about tolerance, diversity, and personal responsibility. Using stories and a series of creative activities, Lorna leads students in grades K-12 in the discovery of their own ability ot affect change in the classroom, family, community and world environments.

Grades: K- Adult
Limit: 100 students per performance (small group presentations available for follow up, teacher training available)

Letters Home: Stories from the Civil War North and South

Hear the story of the Civil War as it has never been told before through the eyes of female soliders in their stories and letters home. In this dramatic and moving presentation a Northern and a Southern woman are portrayed as unsung heros by two master story tellers through song, monologue and letters home.

Artists: Lorna MacDonald Czarnota, Merri Lee Debany
Fee: single $545; back-to-back $910
Grades: 4-12
Limit: 100 students per performance

Susan Peters

Poetry & Percussion Workshop
This one-session version of the Poetry and Percussion program focuses primarily on the rhythmic aspect of poetry by combining poetry reading with percussion instrumentation. While the Poetry and Percussion Residency emphasizes original poetry writing, the single workshop primarily focuses on rhythm and rhyme through performance. Students use percussion instruments and hand-clapping exercises during group performances of poems provided by the artist.
Grades: 2-6

Food Moods

This eight-verse poem uses rhyme and rhythm to deliver a simple, critical message to students and grown-ups alike: you decide what you eat...choose wisely! Participants use drums and rhythm instruments as they join in choral reading or repeat-reading of the poem. Food Moods is a great kick-off for a unit on nutrition or a super performance for food fairs and outdoor festivals.

Workshops Fee: $184 (Does not include drum rental)
Grades: 4-12
Limit: 30 students per workshop

More programs by this artist: Residencies

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