TELL ME A STORY!

Who doesn't love a good story? Well Eden Valley has LOTS of them! Stories of Ghosts and Lakes, Christmas and Monsters and many more. The programs below can be performed as a regular memorized program or done as a Reader's Theater program from our specially designed Big Book. Non-profit organizations -- ask about our special pricing for Big Book programs!

A Lightning-fast Look At Lorain County: from 1822 - 2022 Lorain County has had quite a history! From alligators in a fountain to giant bald eagle nests to bicycle seats and chewing gum -- its history has been filled with fun facts, trivial tidbits and surprising stories! Hear some of tales in this fast-paced storytelling program. (Barbara Sommers from the Lorain County Retired Teachers group described the performance on September 19, 2024, "The program was entertaining and provided our memebers with historical information about Lorain C. It was wonderful from beginning to end.")

American Spirits: This storytelling program is based on EVE's book by the same name. These stories were written by Eve's special Ghost Writers: Estelle Rodis Brown, Carolyn Jack and Kelley Boyer Sagert. Discover some unique spirits as you take a ride with Tempe Wick as she tries to save her beloved horse from deserters from the Continental Army, meet Frances Dallam who wants to make sure the Union Soldiers are taken care of, visit Mall of America's spirited past and find out why Reindeer Manor is haunted.

Around America -- 50 States in 40 Minutes (or less!): Take a quick tour of the U.S. and discover some interesting tidbits and personalities from each state in this storytelling program with PowerPoint.

Battle Scars: Stories Of The Civil War: Find out about the song that kept the war going -- on BOTH sides and has sort of become its own war! Learn about the Great Escape at Libby Prison and about the failed “escape” at the Johnson’s Island Prison. These are some of the stories in this storytelling program commemorating this watershed event in American History. (See a video of a performance or read the story of Civil War Heroine, Mother Bickerdyke) Companion book available.

The Best Songs I Never Sang: A Storyteller's Concert: Too often we never really HEAR the lyrics of songs that we know so well. With this program you'll HEAR the stories in the songs and the music in the lyrics while taking a look at life and love. Special Romance Version also available -- hear love songs in a whole new way! For information on purchasing a video of this program, click here.

Bringing Home Cleveland Mountain: Dr. John Lang Cassels recalls his trip to the Upper Peninsula in 1846. This was the beginning of the shipping of iron ore on the Great Lakes. (Available as a storytelling program with or without PowerPoint.)

Classic Clevelanders and Cleveland Faces and Places: discover Cleveland through some of her more interesting people and places. Companion book available. Hear the stories of Mary Langston and her famous grandson, Cleveland writer Langston Hughes.

Dante Lavelli: He Just Wanted To Play Ball!: Hear the story of this Cleveland Browns Hall-Of-Famer whose career took him from Hudson Hudson High School Explorers team where he was known as the "never-say-never quarterback" to the NFL where he earned the nickname, Gluefingers. (Barb Piscopo, Executive Director of the Lorain Historical Society e-mailed after the presentation on May 14 "As always -- it was fabulous!" ) Read more about him in Marc Bona's book, HIDDEN HISTORY OF CLEVELAND SPORTS (Available as a storytelling program with or without PowerPoint.)

Favorite Great Lakes Stories: Sea stories abound in this general program that will cover such items as the discovery of Iron at the Straights of Saint Mary, the Leonid Meteor Shower, and an assortment of ship's stories and lake legends.

From A Crash To A Bang: Hear the stories of the Great Depression based on oral histories. (Available as a storytelling program with or without PowerPoint, also available as a music/narration program.) (Read an excerpt.)

Grandma Gatewood: Ohio's Legendary Hiker: Meet Emma Gatewood who was the first woman to solo thu-hike the Appalachian Trail -- and she did it in 1955 when she was 67 years old and had already raised 11 children! Find out what they're saying about this program. Find out what they're saying about this program. Hear an excerpt from our storytelling program about Emma. Companion book available.This program is also available as a one-act play called "Emma Gatewood: Are You Out Of Your Bloomin' Mind?! (An Appalachian Tale)".

GREAT Lakes Ladies: Meet some remarkable women of the Inland Seas including Harriet Colfax and Abigail Becker. Companion book available.

I Hear America Singing: Historical Moments Marked With Music! Take a trip through US history through song with this storytelling program with PowerPoint.

Madam President: The Story of Victoria Woodhull: Ohioan Victoria Woodhull was the first woman to speak before Congress, she had her sister were the first women stockbrokers on Wall Street and she was the FIRST WOMAN to run for President in 1872. Hear her remarkable story! (Available as a storytelling program with or without PowerPoint.) Companion Book Available

Meet Margaret Bourke-White: Cleveland photographer Margaret Bourke-White published 11 books of photo essays, was the first woman accredited as a war correspondent (1942), flew with the Air Force on a bombing mission in 1943, traveled with General Patton’s Army through Germany in 1945 and took some of the first pictures of the liberation of the concentration camps. (Available as a storytelling program with or without PowerPoint.)

Moving Right Along: Travel through time and learn about the history of transportation. (Available as a storytelling program with or without PowerPoint.)

My Favorite Monsters: You've heard of the Loch Ness Monster - now hear about the Monsters of the Great Lakes! Companion book available.

Nature Tales: Legends and tales of animals, flowers and other natural phenomena make up this naturally entertaining program!

Next Stop, Freedom! Take a trip back in time and travel the Underground Railroad through Ohio and across the Great Lakes to freedom in Canada. Companion Study Guide available. See a video of Next Stop, Freedom!

Ohio Ghost Stories: find out why the Victoria Theatre in Dayton is haunted, feel chills run up your spine at the Franklin Castle, plus other haunting stories. Companion book available. Read the story of the explosion of Cygnet, Ohio or about Sandusky's Cholera Cemetery.

Ordinary People In Extraordinary Times: Stories From World War II:
Stories from this unforgettable time include the harrowing tale of Margaret Bourke-White and 400 nurses who were torpedoed on their way to Africa, the story of Rodger Young who became a hero through his selfless courage, and the touching story of the soldier and the girl "back home" who continue to write to each other to this very day. (Available as a storytelling program with or without PowerPoint.) (Read an excerpt)

Over The Falls And Other Stories Of The Great Lakes: This storytelling program will take you on a trip through time. From the days when a great ocean covered Ohio to the time the first explorers found at the Falls in the 17th century. Find out what famous bridge-builder built the Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge. And exactly WHO was Godfrey Frankenstein?

Please Welcome, Mr. & Mrs. America: Take a look at the lives of some of the US Presidents and their wives from Washington to Eisenhower. (Available as a storytelling program with or without PowerPoint.) Companion Book Available

Remarkable Ohioans/Ohio Faces and Places: find out why Alta Weiss and Clarence Darrow are Remarkable Ohioans and discover some of Ohio's more interesting places. Companion book available.

Stories From A Christmas Past: celebrate Cleveland's first Christmas tree, join in the Kingsbury family reunion, and enjoy other tales from past holidays. Companion book and Christmas Card available.

A Storm Like You've Never Seen Before: The Gale of 1913 was one of the most devastating storms on the Great Lakes. Find out about the men and the boats who survived (and those that didn't) in this special storytelling program. (Also available as a PowerPoint presentation) Companion book available.

Tales Of The Western Reserve: take sides in Cleveland's Battle of the Bridges, enjoy a humorous tall tale about Ohio roads, among other adventures. Companion book available.

A Tour Of Cleveland Restaurants In 30 Minutes -- More Or Less! Based on EVE Artistic Director Bette Lou Higgins' new book, "Lost Restaurants of Downtown Cleveland", you'll travel back in time to visit these lost eateries to sample the food and atmosphere of these popular places during their heyday.

Under Construction: Amazing Architectural Achievements: Americans built this country from the ground up! Discover some of Colossal Constructions such as Grand Central Station, The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, The Timerberline Lodge in Oregon, and The Golden Gate Bridge. (Available as a storytelling program with or without PowerPoint.)

What's Her Story? you can't ignore women like Osa Johnson who saved her husband from a charging elephant or Victoria Woodhull who tried to bring a soft touch to the White House. Read an article about Victoria Woodhull.

Whose Idea Was That?: Did you know that Ohio inventors have given us such important items in our life like traffic signals, astronaught suits, saran wrap and Life Savers Candy? Learn about these and other Ohio's inventors in this storytelling program with PowerPoint. Companion Study Guide available.

Yo, Ho, Ho and A Bottle of Rum!: Have you ever wondered what was happening on the Inland Seas during Prohibition? Now you can find out in a new program about rum running on the Lakes. Hear the tales of boats and pirates and the rest of the characters who were involved in helping to quench the thirst of Americans during those dry days. (Also available as a PowerPoint presentation)

You Can't Play Ball In A Skirt!: Alta Weiss put herself through medical school playing professional baseball on a men’s team in the early 1900s! Companion book available. This program is available as both a first-person character program and a storytelling program. **EVE is looking for information about any Ohio women who played baseball during WW II. Do YOU have any information for us? Read an article about Alta and "The Women From Ragersville" For more information about Baseball history in the Cleveland Area, be sure to visit the Baseball Heritage Museum. See pictures from our program at the Museum on March 24, 2018.

You're A Grand Old Flag: Stories Of The American Spirit: This program spotlights patriotic people and places. Entertainers like George Cohan and Bob Hope were recognized for their American Spirit with Congressional Medals. When the Continental Congress needed someone to print their Declaration of Independence, they found an unusual printer waiting for them in Baltimore. Hear the story of what is arguably the most enduring symbol of the American spirit. You'll find yourself humming "You're A Grand Old Flag" all the way home! (Available as a storytelling program with or without PowerPoint.)

All storytelling programs are researched, scripted Reader's Theatre presentations.

"If a nation loses its storytellers, it loses its childhood." -- Peter Handke

"All you really have in the end are your stories." -- Michael Westin in "Burn Notice", USA Network, 2010

"If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten." -- Rudyard Kipling

The Tea Kettle is the symbol of storytellers, because storytellers are always said to be Spouting Off!