Press Release

ILLINOIS HUMANITIES COUNCIL ROAD SCHOLARS EMBARK ON WHISTLE-STOP TOUR OF SOUTHWESTERN ILLINOIS

Scholars and performers Judith Heineman and Daniel Marcotte will give eleven performances on the history of fairy tales, folk songs, and Renaissance music.

CHICAGO – The Illinois Humanities Council is pleased to announce its first-ever IHC Road Scholars Speakers Bureau whistle-stop tour of southwestern Illinois and southeastern Missouri from July 7 to July 9, 2009. Acclaimed scholars and performers Judith Heineman and Daniel Marcotte-experts on fairy tales, folk songs, and the storytelling tradition-will be giving 11 performances on 3 different topics at 9 public libraries from Edwardsville to Wood River.

All eleven events are free and open to the public. For more information about any of these events, please call the Illinois Humanities Council at 312.422.5580 or visit www.prairie.org/RoadScholars. The complete schedule of performances is below. All libraries are in Illinois, unless otherwise indicated.

July 7:

  • 10:30 a.m. – Mascoutah Public Library – "Songs and Stories with Renaissance Lute"
  • 1:00 p.m. – Edwardsville Public Library – "Grimm’s Grimmest: The Darker Side of Traditional Fairy Tales"
  • 6:00 p.m. – Hayner Public Library District – "Grimm’s Grimmest: The Darker Side of Traditional Fairy Tales"
  • 8:00 p.m. – University City Public Library (University City, MO) – "Grimm’s Grimmest: The Darker Side of Traditional Fairy Tales"

July 8:

  • 10:30 a.m. – Jefferson County Library, Arnold Branch (Arnold, MO) – "The Magic Carpet: Stories and Songs from Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt"
  • 2:00 p.m. – Six Mile Regional Library District (Granite City) – "Grimm’s Grimmest: The Darker Side of Traditional Fairy Tales"
  • 4:00 p.m. – O’Fallon Public Library – "The Magic Carpet: Stories and Songs from Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt"
  • 7:00 p.m. – O’Fallon Public Library – "Grimm’s Grimmest: The Darker Side of Traditional Fairy Tales"

July 9:

  • 1:00 p.m. – Tri-Township Public Library (Troy) – "Grimm’s Grimmest: The Darker Side of Traditional Fairy Tales"
  • 4:00 p.m. – Wood River Public Library – "Grimm’s Grimmest: The Darker Side of Traditional Fairy Tales"
  • 7:00 p.m. – Wood River Public Library – "Songs and Stories with Renaissance Lute"

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Judith Heineman, a professional storyteller, holds an M.A. in English from the College of the City of New York and is a member of several theatrical unions, including Actors Equity. She is the founder of the Chicago Storytelling Guild, a co-founder of the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, and producer of Tellabration, an adult storytelling festival.

Daniel Marcotte holds a B.M. in Voice Performance from Illinois Wesleyan University and an M.A. in Musicology and Certificate in Early Music from Florida State University. He is currently the Music Director of the Bristol Renaissance Faire and teacher of voice and music theory.

ABOUT THE IHC ROAD SCHOLARS SPEAKERS BUREAU

The Illinois Humanities Council’s Road Scholars Speakers Bureau program encourages Illinoisans to reflect upon the human condition from a range of perspectives, providing a distinctive forum for discussion and dialogue. It places humanities scholars in diverse communities throughout the state where they give presentations on a variety of topics that include history, culture, literature, music, politics, ethnicity, science, and religion.

Nonprofit organizations that are interested in hosting a future IHC Road Scholars speaker should visit www.prairie.org/RoadScholars, email ihc@prairie.org, or call 312.422.5580 for directions on how to apply. Examples of eligible nonprofit organizations include-but are not limited to-historical societies, libraries, senior centers, museums, community colleges, professional groups, and community organizations.

The Illinois Humanities Council is a nonprofit educational organization [501 (c) 3] dedicated to fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives of individuals and communities. Organized in 1973 as the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the IHC creates programs and funds organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is supported by state, federal, and private funds.

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