“The Funniest Woman in Georgia” performs in Tellabration!
at the Sautee Nacoochee Center November 14th  at 8:00pm

According to Southern Living Magazine, Lauretta Hannon, the Cracker Queen is finally having her say. From her wildly popular NPR’s  All Things Considered  segments to her boisterous one-woman show, Lauretta is showing the world a different kind of girl raised in the South—a strong, authentic, fearless, flawed, resourceful, and sometimes outrageous woman—the anti-Southern Belle.
With an unflinching voice reminiscent of Mary Karr, The Cracker Queen takes readers from backwater Warner Robins, Georgia, to Savannah’s most eccentric neighborhoods, for a wild ride featuring a distinctly dysfunctional family (including Crazy Aunt Carrie, who nearly kills all four of her husbands and is jailed for assaulting a police dog) and a lively crew of hellions, heroines, bad seeds, and renegades (from a lady who keeps the Baby Jesus chained up in her front yard to the famous Goat Man of Georgia), all of which gave Lauretta the resilience and humor that are now the hallmarks of her Cracker Queen approach to life. Full of warmth, outrageous wit, and world-class storytelling, The Cracker Queen is a celebration of living out loud, finding humor in desperate situations, and loving life to death.

Joining Lauretta will be Jonida Beqo, though many know her as Gypsee Yo, her poetic alter ego. She is a poet, actor, movement director, designer, and activist. “I am a believer, a stitcher of dreams, mother, wife, sister, and friend. Though a Jack of many trades and a master of only some, I love what I do. I am intrigued by the creative process however it manifests itself. I pursue this interest constantly, whether alone or in collaboration with other artists.” Gypsee Yo is originally from Albania, has performed extensively in the U.S., was part of Tellabration in 2008 and will bring “poem stories” to the stage.

Local resident David Fore also takes the stage for another Tellabration!  Wonderful stories from this local character will delight the audience.  Ask him about the underwear factory…ask about organic vegetables…his answers will amaze, astound and entertain you.

In 1988 Tellabration! took place for the first time in six towns across Connecticut. Since then it has grown to over 400 official sites (on every continent except Antarctica). The combined audience will be over 34,000 this year when storytellers across the world  entertain audiences of all ages with exciting tales.  Here in northeast Georgia, the Sautee Nacoochee Center will host Tellabration!  in our community. Tellabration! is trademarked by the National Storytelling Network.  The National Storytelling Network is a member organization for story tellers and story listeners.  There is joy and comfort in the ancient pastime of storytelling. It directly connects us to our ancestors. Join your friends and neighbors to gather around a storyteller rather than a television on November 14th.  

Tickets for Tellabration! are $15.00 plus tax for SNCA members, $20.00 plus tax for non members and $8.00 for kids 6-17. Tickets are available on line at snca.tix.com or by calling the Sautee Nacoochee Center at 706-878-3300.

History of Tellabration!

Tellabration! is a worldwide benefit evening of storytelling. It creates a network of storytelling enthusiasts bonded together in spirit at the same time and on the same weekend.

Tellabration! originator J. G. Pinkerton envisioned this international event as a means of building community support for storytelling. In 1988 the event was launched by the Connecticut Storytelling Center in six locations across the state. A great success, Tellabration! extended to several other states the following year, and then, in 1990, expanded nationwide under the umbrella of the National Storytelling Network (then called NAPPS, and later the National Storytelling Association).

In 1995, for the first time, there was a Tellabration! in Japan, brought there by Japanese storyteller Masako Sueyoshi, who had been a part of Tellabration! when she lived in Connecticut for several years. By 1997, there were Tellabration! events on every continent but Antarctica. (Anyone know any good penguin storytellers?)

Tellabration! is traditionally held on the Saturday night before Thanksgiving. Some events, however, may be at an alternate time during the same weekend.

Anyone can produce a Tellabration! event: storytelling organizations and centers, schools, libraries, colleges, museums, performing-arts centers, story-swap groups, story enthusiasts, and others.