Harrell, Rev. Jones return to annual storytelling event at River Campus

The third and final Cape Girardeau storytelling event of 2013, "An Evening of Storytelling with Michael Reno Harrell and Reverend Robert Jones," will be coming Sept. 6 to the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University.

"Both Michael and Rev. Jones are back by popular demand," said Dr. Joel Rhodes, history professor at Southeast and co-producer of the event. "Michael's stories have a decided ‘Appalachin' grit and wit quality to them, and Rev. Jones combines his guitar with his stories. It's going to be a great evening."

Harrell, from the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, will make his second appearance locally after spinning yarns during the Ghost Storytelling event in 2010. Harrell's knack for storytelling has earned him the honor of being a featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tenn.

"Michael is the kind of storyteller we want for our event," Rhodes said. "He definitely has something special."

Jones, originally from Detroit, returns after appearing at the Storytelling Festival in 2011. An ordained minister and acoustic blues performer, Jones has played in venues that include the Chicago Blues Festival and the King Biscuit Blues Festival, and he has toured in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.

Robert Jones

"Rev. Jones is a different kind of storyteller," Rhodes said. "He's known for incorporating a history of music into his stories that start with the sounds of blues legend Robert Johnson all the way to Dr. Dre."

The event is co-sponsored by Southeast and the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, which, after five years of presenting the storytelling festival during three days in April, replaced the festival with storytelling events in January, May and September at Bedell Performance Hall.

"From a logistical standpoint, we couldn't continue holding the April festival," said Chuck Martin, executive director of the visitor's bureau. "Doing that involved renting of tents, lighting equipment, tables and about 20 other things. Then there were weather issues that created a decline in attendance. We had to make a change."

Martin said while traditionalists prefer storytelling to be done outdoors, having the event at the River Campus is more practical.

"It's easily accessible and climate-controlled," he said. "It makes for a more relaxed evening."

Attendance at the Storytelling Festival peaked in 2010 when 745 passes were bought for the three-day event. In 2011 the number dropped to 630, and about 350 people bought passes last year. However, the storytelling events at the River Campus also have been marked by a decline in attendance. About 300 people attended the event in January, and 140 came in May.

"It's always disappointing when you don't draw," said Bob Cerchio, assistant director of the School of Visual and Performing Arts. "But with the quality of storytellers we're presenting, we think that we'll have a good turnout this time."

The performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 6 in Bedell Performance Hall. Tickets are $12, with tickets for children $5. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit rivercampusevents.com or contact the River Campus box office at 651-2265. The box office is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.

klewis@semissourian.com

388-3635

Pertinent address:

518 Fountain St., Cape Girardeau, MO