Marie Ringenberg
3S058 Sequoia Dr., Glen Ellyn IL 60137
630-858-6003
mtringen@juno.com

Marie's creativity, energy and wonderful sense of playfulness draw her audience into the magical realm of the imagination. Each performance is designed to entertain and educate her listeners with her humorous, participatory style with stories geared to unlock the imagination and celebrate the love of story! Programs, workshops and residences provide a springboard for creative dramatics, art and music. Marie will customize programs with a unique blending of tales and songs. Her workshops encourage storytelling and writing through elements of character, setting, plot, etc. with the use of creative dramatics and hands-on instruction.

Marie loves meeting her audience eye to eye and heart to heart. She tells stories in song as well as folktales, myths, and legends. Through storytelling, her fun, captivating and spellbinding tales allow her performances to educate and entertain audiences of all ages.

"Marie Ringenberg tells stories with a directness and simplicity that draws her audience into the sublime and exciting world of their own imagination. Her rapport and ease with the audience mark her as an experienced professional."
-- Jim May, Storyteller and Artistic Director, Illinois Storytelling Festival

PROGRAMS OFFERED

Programs are always adapted for the specific age of the audience - preschool through adult.

  • Animal Antics (K-3) - A lizard comes to call and animals bray, meow and sing; please join in!
  • Ecology and Me (K-3) - Marie's program includes stories and songs to entice children to an awareness of the world around them.
  • Food, Glorious Food (K-3) - No, this is not a nutritional unit. The Peanut Butter Monster and Hungry Thing come to share in the culinary delights Marie has to offer.
  • Halloween Happenings - Whether it is gentle spookiness or suspenseful scariness, haunting tales abound.
  • The Three H's - Humor, honesty and humility are all character traits that promote respect for oneself and others. Stories help reflect and show these qualities.

  • A Journey, A Journey - Folktales share how much we are the same all over the world.
  • Don't Let Them See The Whites Of Your Eyes (6-12) - Working with teachers and using topics from the curriculum, Marie has successfully told stories specific to these age groups.
  • Now I Walk In Beauty - Native American culture has always used stories to gently guide, inform and illuminate the young members of the tribe.
  • Ordinary People, Extraordinary Heroes - We can choose to be ordinary of extraordinary. These stories, centered in the Civil War period, tell of peoples' personal courage.
  • Seasonal And More - Marie will "tailor" the program to your precise specifications: Christmas, Hanukkah and other multicultural stories are offered.
  • Secrets - Can You Keep One? - The Gossipy Wife and the King of Togo Togo learn about whom they can or cannot trust.
  • Stories That Tug The Heartstrings - Marie sings and tells warm, powerful and moving stories especially chosen for the courage, beauty and love.

"Marie has been a tremendous draw for our multi-aged audience telling stories from the familiar to the unknown."
-- Judy Rosedale, DesPlaines Historical Society

 

WORKSHOPS

  • Celebrate Writing - Story structures, descriptive characters, creative dramatics all show young authors how to write better stories.
  • Teaching Storytelling to Students/Teachers - Learning storytelling techniques such as voice inflections, body movement, story pacing, and so on, enhances anyone's confidence and self-esteem as they prepare a story for performance.
  • Jewels From Jesus - Because one of the primary tasks of religious educators is to help children hear and imagine what the gospel means, this workshop will help breathe new life into stories from your curriculum.

"After 22 years in this business, I can safely say that there are very few extremely talented storytellers who also happen to have exceptionally strong teaching skills. Marie has it all."
-- Nina McCabe, Principal, Passow School, Franklin Park IL

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Marie went to Illinois State University earning a teaching degree and Rosary College for a master's in Library Science. Accomplishing her goal of working in public libraries, she has been a department head, a preschool coordinator, and an American Library Association staff member working to promote awareness of bring stories to infants and children.

Beck Institute - Full Grant Recipient (Residency at Glenbard East High School)

Past State Liaison to the National Storytelling Association (in contact with guilds and storytelling organizations nationwide)

STORYTELLING APPEARANCES (A Sampling)

  • Chinquapin Folk Music & Storytelling Festival
  • Illinois Storytelling Festival
  • Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival
  • Chicago Public Library's 25th Celebration
  • Junior Women's Clubs
  • Northwest Suburban Young Authors Conference
  • Oak Forest United Methodist Preschool
  • Retirement Centers
  • Elmhurst Historical Society
  • Elementary, Junior High and High Schools

RECORDINGS

The Nose Tree and Other Grimms' Fairy Tales

 

This site is a member benefit of Illinois Storytelling, Inc.
revised 5-20-05