'An Evening of Ghost Stories' features chilling tales on the banks of the Mississippi

Friday night, in the city "where the river turns a thousand tales," storytellers will raise the stakes and, maybe, the hair on the back of your neck with "An Evening of Ghost Stories: Where the River Turns a Thousand Chilling Tales."

Friday's storytelling, at 7 p.m. on the the lower terrace of Southeast Missouri State Univeristy's River Campus, is a smaller, fall version of Cape Girardeau's first Storytelling Festival that was held in April.

"An Evening of Ghost Stories" will feature two national storytellers, Lyn Ford and Dan Keding. It's sponsored by the Storytelling Festival Committee of the Cape Convention and Visitors Bureau in partnership with the Missouri Humanities Council.

Co-producer Chuck Martin was on the interstate, returning from the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tenn., when he took a minute to talk about the fall event.

"The primary reason that we go to the national festival is we really do believe that the only way something like this will fly is by bringing in truly talented people. Both Lyn and Dan are national caliber."

Keding has won a number of awards, including the Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network. He has been a featured performer at some the most prestigious events from Texas to England and spoke at the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival in April.

Ford is a teaching artist from Ohio and is a fourth-generation storyteller who shares "Home-Fried Tales," rooted in her family's multicultural and African-American traditions. She has participated in storytelling events all over the United States and has facilitated workshops for literacy and early childhood education.

Martin said co-producer Dr. Joel Rhodes, from Southeast Missouri State University History Department, went to the 2007 National Storytelling Festival and had a chance to see Ford telling ghost stories. After that visit, he said Rhodes told him they needed to look into bringing her in for a session.

Tickets are $10 a person, children younger than 12 get in free if accompanied by an adult. Advance tickets are required and can be purchased on the first floor of the H&H Building at 400 Broadway. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. In case of rain, the storytelling will be at the Rose Theatre.

"I think those that will spring for a ticket will not be disappointed," Martin said.