Bradbury Storytelling Fest returns to Waukegan

Inspired by Ray Bradbury's short story “Gotcha!,” storytellers are busy scheming a surprising day of “Literary Twists” for the upcoming Ray Bradbury Storytelling Festival, which takes place Friday, Oct. 29, at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan.

Sponsored by the Waukegan Public Library, the festival's lineup features tales designed to grab listeners by the collar before their neck hairs have time to rise, according to Elizabeth Stearns, the library's Assistant Director of Community Services. The fest offers two shows: a 10:30 a.m. children's matinee and a 7:30 p.m. show for those 11 and older.

The annual festival started five years ago as a major project with a meager budget. Stearns traveled to Los Angeles to pitch the idea to Ray Bradbury himself, who approved the festival under one condition. The event must take place around his favorite time of year, Halloween.

“We followed Bradbury's own advice, ‘You've got to jump off cliffs and build your wings on the way down,' ” Stearns said. “At first, we were more confident in our ability to jump than to build.”

The venue was an easy decision, Stearns said. A festival named after Bradbury, who turned 90 this year, must take place in his hometown, at the same theater that once held young Ray enthralled in its audience. The historic Genesee Theatre provides an eerie backdrop for the telling of classic scary tales.

“The human imagination is well beyond anything Hollywood could ever come up with,” says Jim May, storyteller and festival emcee. “How many times do you hear people say they went to a movie but it wasn't as good as the book?”

May and the artistic director, Megan Wells, have performed at the Ray Bradbury Storytelling Festival every year since its inception. Both luminaries on the storytelling circuit, May and Wells hold numerous theater awards for storytelling, writing, acting and directing.

In keeping with this year's theme, Wells will present the Charles Dickens' plot-twister “Oliver Twist.” May has stashed away some real tales from area residents about phantoms still haunting the very grounds beneath his listeners' feet. He'll conjure Genesee Theatre ghosts on Friday, along with the Tiddy Mun, a vengeful bog spirit from England.

Guest storyteller Janice Del Negro will perform sketches from her latest book, “Passion and Poison: Tales of Shape-Shifters, Ghosts, and Spirited Women.” An Assistant Professor at the Graduate School at Dominican University, Del Negro's specialties include retelling traditional folk tales and transformation stories, with an emphasis on ghosts and women.

Teller Mike Speller, who has performed at Lifeline and TimeLine Theatre in Chicago, will spin the evening's inspiration tale, Bradbury's “Gotcha!,” which was once featured on The Ray Bradbury Theater show. The story takes listeners on a scary mind-bender about a couple's experiment with a game of the same name.

New to the fest this year, the Waukegan Public Library plans to announce the winners of its 27th Annual Ray Bradbury Creative Contest at 6 p.m. Friday in the Genesee lobby. All submissions will be on display, including art, multimedia and literary works from writers and artists of all ages, from all parts of the world. Admission to the exhibit is free, and doors open at 5:30 p.m. For $13, fans can attend a preshow party at 6 p.m., with complimentary drinks, appetizers and the opportunity to meet the performers.

Festival fans also will notice reduced prices this year. Responding to the depressed economy, the library cut ticket prices from $17 to $12 for the evening performance. Matinee tickets cost $5 each.

The storytelling festival has captured so much attention over the years that the Illinois Library Association recognized the achievement in September by awarding the festival the 2010 Highsmith Library Innovative Award. School and public libraries across Illinois competed for the award, sponsored by Highsmith Inc. and the Illinois Library Association.

“I send my heartfelt congratulations to all of you on your award,” Ray Bradbury said in an e-mail to Stearns. “You've done, and continue to do, an outstanding job with the Bradbury Storytelling Festival.”

For details, call the library at (847) 623-2041 or see waukeganpl.org.

If you go

<p>What: Ray Bradbury Storytelling Festival</p>

<p>When: All events are on Friday, Oct. 29. Children's matinee at 10:30 a.m. Genesee Theatre doors open at 5:30 p.m. for a preview of Ray Bradbury Creative Contest entries; winners announced at 6 p.m. Preshow party from 6 to 7 p.m. Performances start at 7:30 p.m.</p>

<p>Where: Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St. Waukegan</p>

<p>Tickets: $5 for the children's matinee; $13 for the preshow party; $12 for the evening performance. Call the Genesee Theatre box office at (847) 782-2366 or go to ticketmaster.com.</p>

<p>Details: See geneseetheatre.com or waukeganpl.org/.</p>