Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 February 2012 04:29
It’s not every storytelling festival that can claim to have an internationally famous Moose as its emcee for evening events. Storyteller and award winning author, Maynard Moose, promises an exciting listening experience. He, and his partner, storyteller and balladeer Willy Claflin, open the Mariposa County Arts Council’s 25th Mariposa Storytelling Festival on Friday, March 9, at 7:00 p.m., in the Fiester Auditorium of Mariposa County High School. Daytime and evening events follow on Saturday, March 10 and on the third day, Sunday, March 11, 2012, the Festival starts at 2:30 p.m. at the Visitor Center’s East Auditorium in Yosemite National Park.
Willy Claflin was born before television. The only child of shy eccentric parents, he grew up in the woods of New Hampshire where he spent his childhood day dreaming and impersonating wild life. In boarding school, he found out he was funny. Next he went to Harvard where his imagination did not abandon him--he became a folk singer. When his parents insisted he get a “real” job he taught school, where he found out kids love learning from puppets—and he also got to sing. Eventually he was hijacked by a troupe of hand puppets, including one alien life form. A full time performer and writer for the last 25 years, Willy is a now a master storyteller, mostly for adults, but his kid fans are still really important.
Willy is a favorite at the National Storytelling Festival and at regional festivals across the land. He tells original and traditional stories, sings his own songs, plus 1,032 eerie ballads from the British Isles and Appalachia, and a lot of blues and rock and roll. He is also the speaking mouth person for Maynard Moose, another famous storyteller and children’s author of Maynard Moose Tales. To purchase tickets to see Willy and Maynard and all seven featured internationally known storytellers, call the Mariposa County Arts Council at (209) 966-3155, (800) 903-9936, or visit us online for more information: arts-mariposa.org.
For more information visit: Willy Claflin's website
Hush Little Moosie Don't Bite And Kick (Mostly for kids*) from Buckle My Shoe on Vimeo.
