"The Ice Fishing Play"
The Ice Fishing Play is filled with Northern Minnesota humor as well as emotion and despair with characters richly portrayed by our talented cast.
There is a question of whether your life really does "flash before your eyes" when you die or have a near-death experience. Is our leading character, Ron experiencing a dream, replaying memories, or is this a final organized review of his life? It's an interesting question for the audience to ponder.
Established in 2022, Stages of the Range Players is a theatrical company that travels to stages across the Iron Range, bringing performances to you!
Although the company is new, it is under the direction of folks who have a long history of producing and presenting live performance.
“The Love Show”
Saturday night and the weight of the week has eased up, and you have all of Sunday to repent and/or sleep it off. The floor is lit, your shoes are platformed, your bottoms are belled and even though your suit is called a leisure, you still gotta work it. So, squeeze your shag, afro or mullet into that muscle car and boogie on down to St. Kate’s because Valentine’s Day this year… IT’S SATURDAY NIGHT!
Friends of Peter Ostroushko Stand With Ukraine
In the weeks since we first imagined honoring this day, February 24th, our beloved city has come under siege. While our deepest wish would be to provide support for all war-torn communities, and the refugees and immigrants suffering in our midst, we focus this evening of healing music on one community in particular. The 24th of February marks the fourth anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the beginning of yet another year of this terrible conflict.
It’s also the day, in 2021, that our community lost a great musician: Peter Ostroushko, world-class mandolinist, violinist, composer and proud Ukrainian-American, who grew up in the bosom of the Ukrainian community in northeast Minneapolis. A handful of Peter’s many colleagues and friends will come together to honor his legacy. This collaboration — between the performing artists, Crooners, the Ukrainian American Community Center and YOU — will provide medical aid in Ukraine (via Stand With Ukraine MN) as well as emergency aid for Ukrainian refugees in the Twin Cities (via UACCMN). The Ukrainian American Community Center will be on hand — come early to peruse their displays.
Hosted by vocalist Prudence Johnson, the program features:
Tatiana Riabokin: Bandura, Vocals
Natalie Nowytski: Vocals, Bass
Kevin Kling: Stories
Dean Magraw: Guitar
Richard Kriehn: Mandolin, Guitar, Fiddle
Dan Chouinard: Piano, Accordion
Tim Hennessy: Vocals, Guitar
The Minneapolis Mandolin Quartet — Richard Kriehn, John Niemann, Liz Ashworth, Nathan Wilson
An array of musicians and storytellers will perform music written by or inspired by Peter Ostroushko, or that they performed with him. Traditional Eastern European music blends with an eclectic mix of Americana styles, dazzling technique and memorable lyrics.
Kevin Kling & Victor Zupanc
Drawing theater careers adding up to almost 100 years, these two “chairmen of the boards” relive in music and stories from a decade when these Twin Cities were the artistic rival of 1916 Paris, or the famed Algonquin Room, the Nashville Waffle House!
Spanning milieus and monologues, lighting grids to green rooms, personal triumphs to tragedies this is a show sure to take out the February chill. Whether or not you made Minneapolis/St. Paul home in the 1980’s you will certainly find a bit of your heart yearning (for the innocence) , thankful (for surviving) and entertained (by the sheer audacity).
Preview, run and closing February 28, 2026, 6 pm.
Azaelea Storytelling Festival
Celebrate the power of story at the Azalea Storytelling Festival, one of the South’s premier storytelling events where stories take center stage! Each spring, audiences gather in LaGrange, Georgia, to experience a full weekend of storytelling with some of the nation’s finest performers.
This year’s featured tellers include:
Donald Davis – Renowned for his warm, humorous, and deeply personal stories that touch audiences of all ages.
Rev. Robert B. Jones – Storyteller, preacher, and musician whose performances weave together history, heritage, and the African American experience.
Kevin Kling – Playwright, performer, and humorist known for his hilarious and poignant tales of everyday life.
Tim Lowry – The “Sweet Tea Commentator,” celebrated for his Southern wit, charm, and captivating storytelling style.
Kansas Storytelling Festival
Join us in Downs on April 24-25, 2026, for our annual celebration of the art of storytelling. Every year, on the last full weekend in April, we gather to showcase the finest professional tellers and highlight Festival audience favorites.
Prepare to be enchanted by captivating tales from master storytellers, immerse yourself in the excitement of the Tall Tale Contest, and discover the rich tapestry of Local Legends. With a lineup of engaging events and activities, there's something for everyone to enjoy at the Kansas Storytelling Festival.
Mark your calendars and make plans to join us for a weekend filled with laughter, wonder, and the timeless magic of storytelling. We can't wait to welcome you to Downs for an unforgettable experience!
“SCARECROW ON FIRE”
If you missed an opportunity to see the sold-out run of Kevin Kling’s hit show, SCARECROW ON FIRE, now’s your chance! After a highly successful run in May of 2025 and then a similarily successful out-of-town run at Theatre L’Homme Dieu in Alexandria, we’re thrilled to be bringing back Kevin’s unique, poignant look at the events after the Wizard of Oz when the Scarecrow, Tin-Man, and Lion must travel to Kansas, this time to rescue Dorothy.
Family Concert - A Royal Treat
The MSO is thrilled to welcome back MSO artistic collaborator and gifted storyteller, Kevin Kling, for a performance of his enchanting “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” commissioned by the MSO in 2019. Victor Zupanc’s music masterfully brings this fun-loving story to life. This will be a magical experience for all who attend! We are pleased to feature well-known New York City singer/actress, Emily Kristen Morris, singing “Let it Go” from Frozen. Kids won’t want to miss this! Sticking with the Royal theme, we’ll also perform dance music from Alexander Borodin’s Prince Igor and the exhilarating “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt, among other “royal” tunes, including Steven Amundson’s regal Fanfare for the King of Norway. For those of you budding young conductors, ages 6 – 12, we’ll once again have a friendly competition for the chance to conduct the orchestra in one short piece. Plus, following the concert, kids will have the exciting opportunity to participate in an Instrument Petting Zoo! All who are young or young at heart are invited to join the fun!
Alexander Borodin – Polovtsian Dances (Dance No. 2) from Prince Igor
Victor Zupanc & Kevin Kling – Twelve Dancing Princesses
Steven Amundson – Fanfare for the King of Norway
Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez – Let It Go from Frozen
Edvard Grieg – In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt
Sierra Storytelling Festival
Once upon a time, children’s author, poet and storyteller, Steve Sanfield joined forces with the North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center to create the first ever Sierra Storytelling Festival. Set among the towering pines, sloping lawn and our historic one-room schoolhouse on Columbia Hill, the Sierra Storytelling Festival is now in its 38th year – a much-loved annual tradition for both locals and visitors from across the country.
Known as “The Queen of Storytelling Festivals”, our festival brings a line-up of talented, nationally recognized storytellers to the Schoolhouse stages. People have told stories since the beginning of time and our storytellers keep the tradition alive, voicing the narratives of life, our histories and traditions, our reasons for living, our hopes and dreams.
If you enjoy listening to a good story, this is the event for you. Our storytellers will entertain listeners of all ages with tales from around the world and close to home. Bring friends and family and picnic on the lawn, slow down, turn off the phone and soak in the stories of world-class tellers.
Buy your tickets early, to make sure you get a seat at this world-renowned event.
Cave Run Storytelling Festival
The Cave Run Storytelling Festival is an annual event held at the Twin Knobs Recreation Area on Cave Run Lake, near Morehead, Kentucky. The festival celebrated its 25th anniversary in September 2025.
Traditionally takes place on the last Friday and Saturday of September. The festival serves as a major cultural exchange for the Appalachian region, often drawing over 3,000 students from local school systems.
More info to come!
Sandbar Storytelling Festival
Join us for this five-day storytelling event. Sandbar Storytelling Festival provides exciting performances and compelling chronicles amidst the breathtaking beauty of Winona, MN. Come celebrate and preserve the power and pleasure of our varied cultural traditions and human experiences. Help us promote the art of storytelling for all ages. The public festival includes food, workshops, concerts, and — of course — storytelling at Saint Mary’s University. Multiple other events are also planned for Winona schools, universities, and other venues throughout Winona.
Cincinnati Storytelling Festival
The Cincinnati Storytelling Festival, founded in 2020, is a weekend event featuring national and local professional storytellers from a variety of backgrounds and traditions. The festival brings communities together to enjoy fairy tales, scary stories, laugh-out-loud tales, and everything in between!
There are several wonderful organizations in Cincinnati promoting the telling of stories in the Moth-style of personal narrative storytelling, and those shows and that style are vital and important to storytelling as a contemporary artform.
The Cincinnati Storytelling Festival is here to bring something our Artistic Director, Paul Strickland, has seen firsthand in other places – that traditional stories don’t have to be stuffy, that folk storytellers can tell contemporary stories that make gen-z, millennials, and baby-boomers alike guffaw shamelessly and cry openly. The Cincy Story Fest is here to continue the tradition that ALL humans have in common and have always had in common – Storytelling.
"Kevin Kling: Unraveled"
“There’s the trip you plan and the trip you take.”
Kevin Kling has led a typically incredible life and has been telling about it for almost fifty years. As a nationally acclaimed storyteller and NPR regular, Kling is constantly looking for patterns, connections and the surprising intersections that connect us to each other and to the world. With a heartfelt ode to love and apologies to the gods, Kling unravels the tangled threads that have guided him to an unexpected destination.
"Bring in 2026 with Kevin Kling & Jan Lee"
Join us for an upbeat end to 2025 and hopeful start to 2026 with Minneapolis-based storyteller Kevin Kling and accordionist Jan Lee, two of the Midwest's biggest, most positive theatrical talents.
Expect a heart warming evening of good friends, laughter, stories, and songs designed to take off the winter chill and ring in the new year.
Tickets $26
Doors and wine and beer bar open at 6pm.
Christmas on the Praire
Back again for the holidays, some of Minnesota’s favorite musicians come together for a special seasonal collaboration you won’t want to miss. This festive celebration features standout vocalists Mary Jane Alm, Aimée Lee and Boyd Lee, along with Prairie Home Companion regulars Richard Kriehn, Gary Raynor, Joe Savage and Peter Johnson. This year’s special guest is Minnesota’s beloved storyteller Kevin Kling, adding his signature charm to an evening full of music, laughter and holiday spirit. Seating for dinner begins at 5:30 pm.
Christmas on the Prairie
Back again for the holidays, some of Minnesota’s favorite musicians come together for a special seasonal collaboration you won’t want to miss. This festive celebration features standout vocalists Mary Jane Alm, Aimée Lee and Boyd Lee, along with Prairie Home Companion regulars Richard Kriehn, Gary Raynor, Joe Savage and Peter Johnson. This year’s special guest is Minnesota’s beloved storyteller Kevin Kling, adding his signature charm to an evening full of music, laughter and holiday spirit. Seating for dinner begins at 5:30 pm.
Christmas on the Prairie
Back again for the holidays, some of Minnesota’s favorite musicians come together for a special seasonal collaboration you won’t want to miss. This festive celebration features standout vocalists Mary Jane Alm, Aimée Lee and Boyd Lee, along with Prairie Home Companion regulars Richard Kriehn, Gary Raynor, Joe Savage and Peter Johnson. This year’s special guest is Minnesota’s beloved storyteller Kevin Kling, adding his signature charm to an evening full of music, laughter and holiday spirit. Seating for dinner begins @ 5 pm.
Christmas on the Prairie
Back again for the holidays, some of Minnesota’s favorite musicians come together for a special seasonal collaboration you won’t want to miss. This festive celebration features standout vocalists Mary Jane Alm, Aimée Lee and Boyd Lee, along with Prairie Home Companion regulars Richard Kriehn, Gary Raynor, Joe Savage and Peter Johnson. This year’s special guest is Minnesota’s beloved storyteller Kevin Kling, adding his signature charm to an evening full of music, laughter and holiday spirit. Dinner following the concert at 4:30 pm.
Christmas on the Prairie -CANCELLED
Back again for the holidays, some of Minnesota’s favorite musicians come together for a special seasonal collaboration you won’t want to miss. This festive celebration features standout vocalists Mary Jane Alm, Aimée Lee and Boyd Lee, along with Prairie Home Companion regulars Richard Kriehn, Gary Raynor, Joe Savage and Peter Johnson. This year’s special guest is Minnesota’s beloved storyteller Kevin Kling, adding his signature charm to an evening full of music, laughter and holiday spirit.
TALES FROM THE CHARRED UNDERBELLY OF THE YULE LOG
Kevin Kling, Dan Chouinard and Simone Perrin perform their celebrated holiday show, “Tales From the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log.” The show has been performed every year since 1995 in the Twin Cities and has become a holiday tradition for many. And this year, also in Worthington!
TALES FROM THE CHARRED UNDERBELLY OF THE YULE LOG
Kevin Kling, Dan Chouinard and Simone Perrin perform their celebrated holiday show, “Tales From the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log.” Joined again by the ever-popular Brass Messengers, the show has been performed every year since 1995 and has become a holiday tradition for many.
Christmas on the Prairie
It's Thanksgiving weekend! Do you have family still in town and looking for something to do to get out of the house? What do you do after a day of shopping at local businesses? We have the answer: Come to the HAC for a fantastic holiday concert that will jumpstart your holiday season in style! It's ALWAYS a good time to have this group!
St. Louis Storytelling Festival
St. Louis County Library hosts the 46th annual St. Louis Storytelling Festival
The festival will feature a diverse lineup of nationally renowned storytellers at a variety of venues throughout the St. Louis region, as well as programs for all ages.
All events are free and open to the public.
GALES OF NOVEMBER
Honoring the 50th anniversary, this story centers on the mysterious sinking of “The Fitz,” lost with all hands in a raging storm on Lake Superior, November 10, 1975. Kevin Kling, Prudence Johnson, Ruth MacKenzie and Claudia Schmidt head an all-star cast that revisits the final voyage of the Great Lakes ore freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald with GALES OF NOVEMBER, a touring concert adaptation of the critically acclaimed play TEN NOVEMBER.
GALES OF NOVEMBER
Honoring the 50th anniversary, this story centers on the mysterious sinking of “The Fitz,” lost with all hands in a raging storm on Lake Superior, November 10, 1975. Kevin Kling, Prudence Johnson, Ruth MacKenzie and Claudia Schmidt head an all-star cast that revisits the final voyage of the Great Lakes ore freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald with GALES OF NOVEMBER, a touring concert adaptation of the critically acclaimed play TEN NOVEMBER.
GALES OF NOVEMBER
Honoring the 50th anniversary, this story centers on the mysterious sinking of “The Fitz,” lost with all hands in a raging storm on Lake Superior, November 10, 1975. Kevin Kling, Prudence Johnson, Ruth MacKenzie and Claudia Schmidt head an all-star cast that revisits the final voyage of the Great Lakes ore freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald with GALES OF NOVEMBER, a touring concert adaptation of the critically acclaimed play TEN NOVEMBER.
Victor Zupanc & Kevin Kling
Drawing from self-acclaimed theater careers that add up to over 175 years! Clearly not wasted on mathematics, it’s Victor Zupanc and Kevin Kling together again!
Let’s celebrate and elaborate with stories and songs from these two “chairmen of the boards”. Spanning miles and genres, grid to the pits, personal triumphs and downfalls… (oh the downfalls). Come laugh, shed a tear, hear your name, relive or live anew a time when these Twin Cities were the 1916 Paris, Algonquin Room and the Waffle House of the North.
NAHA Centennial Banquet
Step back in time to 1925. Picture Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis, affectionately dubbed “Snoose Boulevard”—a bustling hub of vibrant shops, cafes, vaudeville theaters, and speakeasies—where Scandinavian immigrants forged new lives. Imagine the excitement and revelry as Norwegian America celebrated 100 years of migration to the United States, an occasion that resulted in the founding of the Norwegian American Historical Association.
Journey with us as we mark a new centennial, peel back the layers of history, and share stories of historical transformation and change—all through the lens of the legendary Snoose Boulevard neighborhood and others like it across North America. Join us as we remember this rich history and look to a new century.
NAHA Centennial Banquet
5:00 pm Social Hour
6:00 pm Dinner
Program to follow featuring Kevin Kling, award-winning playwright, author, and storyteller
Music provided by Ole Olsson’s Oldtime Orkestra
An Evening of Music & Storytelling with Larry Long and Kevin Kling
Join Hennepin History Museum for an evening of music and comedic storytelling featuring American singer-songwriter Larry Long and Minnesota playwright, actor, and author Kevin Kling. Don't miss this opportunity to witness intimate performances by these treasured cultural advocates, with glimpses of their 1983 expedition down the Mississippi performing in the trailblazing Circle of Water Circus.
This is a fundraising event; all proceeds to support Hennepin History Museum, a nonprofit organization committed to preserving and exploring community history.
“Kentucky DREAM Storytelling Festival/Fundraiser
Dream Grant County is proud to present the 2nd Annual Kentucky Dream Festival. Last years festival was a great success, and this year will only be better!
Mark your calendar and plan for a fun day filled with comedy, music, good food and stories. This event is geared towards adults, but it is safe (and fun) for the kids too.
Peace House Community 40th Anniversary
Peace House Community provides safety and security each day for those on the margins of society.
Please join us for a special evening honoring four decades of connection, community, and storytelling at the historic Southern Theater. Program starting at 7:00 p.m.
Featuring celebrated host Kevin Kling, live and silent auctions, and moving stories from our past and present.
Learn more and reserve your tickets today via southerntheater.org.
"After Hours", National Storytelling Festival
Put the Festival day to bed with this blend of story and song that’s sure to amuse and delight! Festival fan favorite Kevin Kling will partner with “accordionista” Simone Perrin for a one-of-a-kind performance of heartfelt stories and songs. The duo have toured since 2006, including extended engagements at Seattle Repertory Theater, Guthrie Theater, and the Cincinnati Playhouse.
Stories & Songs of Love and Memory — A Benefit for Rakhma Homes
Rakhma provides assisted living for individuals living with dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other forms of memory loss. As a mission-driven non-profit we do not discriminate on the basis financial ability and accept private pay residents as well as those who qualify for Medical Assistance, GRH, Elderly Waiver, CADI, TBI, and BI waivers.
Join us for an unforgettable evening of storytelling, music, and community at Forgotten Star Brewing Co. in Fridley, MN.
In the tradition of The Moth Radio Hour, this unique event blends laughter, music, and heartfelt stories that celebrate love, resilience, and the power of memory.
Featuring Special Guests:
Beloved storyteller Kevin Kling (NPR, Guthrie Theater)
Pianist & accordionist Dan Chouinard (A Prairie Home Companion, Dakota Jazz Club)
Proceeds benefit Rakhma Homes, a nonprofit memory care provider offering unconditional love in a home-like setting.
"Art + Medicine: Disability, Culture & Creativity" Film and Panel Discussion
The Cedar Access Committee Presents a Free Film Screening & Panel Discussion:
Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) Documentary Film Screening of Art + Medicine: Disability, Culture and Creativity followed by a Post-Show Panel Discussion with Jessica Horvath Williams, PhD, Kevin Kling and Elizabeth McLain, PhD.
Artists and healthcare clinicians create alternative perspectives on disability, through disability, stories and performances, and redefine what we perceive as normal. Hosted by artist and storyteller Kevin Kling, Professor Jessica Horvath Williams, PhD, and internal medicine physician Tseganesh Selameab. This program was produced by Twin Cities PBS in collaboration with the Center for the Art of Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School and funded by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
Post-Documentary Film Screening Panel Discussion:
A panel of professionals talking about accessibility and audience Q&A: Jessica Horvath Williams, PhD: Assistant Professor in English at the University of Minnesota; Kevin Kling: Writer, Actor, Storyteller; Elizabeth McLain: Assistant Professor of Musicology and Director of Disability Studies at Virginia Tech.
Panel discussion moderated by Paul Creager: Square Lake Festival & Civic Engaged Storyteller.
Making it Personal: Storytelling with Kevin Kling
Playwright, author and storyteller, Kevin Kling is a master at bringing an audience into his world of humor, wonder, and delight. Spend 2 days with Kevin, and discover the techniques for doing the same with your own storytelling or writing – a remarkable opportunity! Partial scholarships available. Reach out to Folklore Village, terri@mhtc.net.
An Afternoon of Story & Song
“To Gather”
The word conjures coffee shops, church basements, living rooms, ball fields, concert halls…. especially at this time of year. As the air chills and we seek comfort in a hearth, home cooking, family and friends… We celebrate, laugh, sing, turn to each other and count our blessings. So please join us at the Reif with humorist Kevin Kling, and the musical brilliance of Dan Chouinard and Simone Perrin as we raise the roof with stories and songs.
Fest Du Nord
Come on up to Camp du Nord on Burntside Lake in Ely, MN this Labor Day Weekend for a series of outdoor concerts! Housing/cabin options for Fest du Nord 2025 are full, but day and weekend passes for concerts are available! Check out the line-up! I’ll be performing Saturday, Aug 30 @ 7:30 PM and Sunday with Gaelynn Lea @ 5 pm!
MN State Fair, MPR & TPT Live Taping
Kevin joins the Almanac crew for his annual live broadcast commentary at the MN State Fair at the MPR Booth! At the corner of Judson and Nelson.
LIVE at Lyndale Gardens
Wednesday, August 20 at 7:00pm
Kevin Kling, Simone Perrin, and Dan Chouinard
It is a tradition to invite Kevin Kling, his favorite chanteuse Simone Perrin, and fellow storyteller Dan Chouinard to Lyndale Gardens with stories and music to lighten our hearts and souls.
"BACK IN ORANGE & BLACK", FREE CONCERT FUNDRAISER
Osseo Cross Country Alumni Presents its annual “Back in Orange & Black" concert featuring Kevin Kling and James Hersch. Event fundraiser is free and open to the public.
SCARECROW ON FIRE
In this year of Wicked, the prequel to the Wizard of Oz, storyteller extraordinaire Kevin Kling has penned a laugh-filled and irreverent sequel, entitled SCARECROW ON FIRE! The three Oz amigos, bored in their Oz comfort, respond to a psychological cry from their old pal, Dorothy. Using the ruby slippers she left behind, the boys make the reverse trip to Kansas. Their search leads to a desperate Dorothy caught in another kind of whirlwind and a Wizard that uses his prodigious skills of persuasion as a radio DJ on WOOZ. Performed by a stellar cast, accompanied by the iconic music of the era, and enhanced by cinematic scenes from the silent 1925 Wizard of Oz with nods to the 1939 version we all know and love, SCARECROW ON FIRE! is both breathtaking and heartwarming.
KEVIN KLING: Unraveled
Kevin Kling: Unraveled
A WORLD PREMIERE
by Kevin Kling
DIRECTED BY STEVEN DIETZ
Kevin Kling is a weaver of stories. He is constantly looking for patterns, connections, and unexpected intersections that connect us to one another and to the world. With abundant humor and offbeat insights, with an ode to love and nods to the gods, Kling unravels the threads that have led him to an unexpected destination. There’s the trip you plan…and the trip you take. With music by Rob Witmer.
