Nationally-known humorist Kim Weitkamp performing in Atlanta June 16, 2012
Kim Weitkamp travels the continent as a humorist, storyteller, singer and songwriter and has taken home an armload of awards. As the redheaded middle child of exhausted parents, Kim was allowed to roam free in the heart of Amish Country and her imagination was ripened by a life lived outdoors. She wrote and performed plays and pageants for her family, did impersonations and comedy bits for visiting guests, and frazzled her teachers with grandiose stories of her daily adventures which included impossible inventions and talking to animals. Kim survived numerous attempts by adults to cut and curb her rambunctious behavior and prolific imagination. Come and enjoy the wildflower heart that beats in all of the projects, stories, and music that she shares. Wrapped in a mature and seasoned artist, Kim’s stories and songs are the life fruit of growing up free range.
Kim Weitkamp is a sought after storyteller, humorist and musician who shares her original stories and songs at theaters and festivals throughout the United States. She has enjoyed airplay on Sirius XM radio and NPR affiliate stations. Her CD, Penny Candy Love, has received two Storytelling World Awards.
She is the National Youth Storytelling representative for the Commonwealth of Virginia, the President of the Virginia Storytelling Alliance and Founder of the Wrinkles Project, a national campaign to raise awareness of the national treasure that we possess in the form of life stories from folks within our elder communities. Her work in the area of Story in Peace Studies has resulted in collaborations with the Center for Peace at Virginia Tech and the Peace by Piece Project with the Conflict Resolution Center and the Taubman Museum of Fine Art. Her work in this area resulted in a nomination for the 2008 Governors Awards for the Arts.
Author, storyteller, and playwright Linda Goodman said of Kim, "Weitkamp’s stories weave precious memories and delightful details together into panoramic pictures that take us on a personal journey. Like all good storytellers, she evokes both laughter and tears, but her smooth, silky voice, impeccable timing, and dead-on anticipation of her listeners’ needs place her at the pinnacle of her craft. The listener feels like a trusted confidant, lending an ear to a friend who knows that sharing herself and the lessons she has learned are the best gifts one can offer. Weitkamp is a master at building bridges from story to song to story."
The June 16th performance is produced by the Southern Order of Storytellers (SOS), Atlanta’s 30-year-old professional storytelling organization. Joining Kim Weitkamp on stage will be two members of SOS, Tracy Walker and Lorraine Thompson.
Tracy Walker has always loved stories – hearing them, creating them and telling them. She began her journey as a professional storyteller by visiting Head Start centers in Southern Appalachia. Since then, she has shared stories with people in many places – from the St. Louis Storytelling Festival to the Tale Spin Festival in Chattanooga, and at libraries, schools and festivals in between.
Lorraine Thompson is currently the Head of the Drama Department at Athens Academy, in Athens, GA. While she has spent years performing on the professional stage as an actor, performing as a storyteller is a new adventure.
Tickets are $15.00 for non-SOS members ($10.00 for SOS members purchasing in advance) and are available at http://southernorderofstorytellers.org. Tickets are general admission and there is limited seating, so please purchase your ticket in advance. Doors open at 7:00 pm.
Additionally, the Southern Order of Storytellers has arranged for Kim Weitkamp to present her two-day intensive marketing workshop designed specifically for storytellers and spoken word performers on Friday and Saturday, June 15 & 16, 2012. Any persons interested in attending should contact Anthony Vinson at 770-231-1831.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
