Storytelling in Lockport

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, March 3rd to attend INSPIRED! live lit. Come out to the Public Landing Restaurant in the historic Gaylord Building, Lockport, to listen to our Five Fab Storytellers share their tales. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the music begins at 6:30 with the melodic melodies of Deb McKee VanDril. Our Five Fab Storytellers for this evening are Margaret Burk, Barbara Eberhard, Kate Ryan, Meghann Perry and Phyllis Porché. Guaranteed to entertain the audience, they take the stage at 7 p.m.

Deb McKee VanDril been singing as long as she can remember. She’s been involved for more than 40 years in worship settings, Community Theater and choirs. In 2016 after an inspiring trip to Nashville she felt a desire to be able to accompany herself at local open mics. She began with the ukulele and added guitar, dulcimer and is currently learning mandolin. She also resumed writing has a list of 45 songs and stories. Deb performs in local wine/spirit bars and breweries either solo or duo, sings lead and plays guitar in 2 bands featuring female hits and cohosts a successful weekly open mic.

Margaret Burk co-produces and co-hosts two monthly storytelling events in Oak Park/River Forest: BACK ROOM STORIES at Hamburger Mary's, and Do Not Submit Oak Park at the Eastgate Cafe. After a career in fundraising for arts organization, Margaret returned to her love - the spoken word. She performs throughout the Chicago area and believes in the power of story, not only to entertain, but to touch the heart, spark the imagination and embolden the spirit.

Barbara Eberhard has enjoyed producing INSPIRED! live lit. Her art exhibit "Behind the Prison Walls" is at the Water Street Studios February 14- March 7. She is a member of "artitude" who is exhibiting at the Lemont Center for the Arts- March 6- April 26. All are invited to the reception on March 22! Barbara is a member of the Chicago Society of Artists. You can see her work at www.barbaraeberhard.com

Meghann Perry, CARC, is a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach, actor, award-winning storyteller, facilitator, and teaching artist, working in both prevention and addiction recovery. She coaches both youth and adults, and facilitates many different workshops, including storytelling for people impacted by substance use disorder, improv for at-risk youth, and theater in schools as part of Improbable Players, a Boston-based prevention organization. She facilitates Recovery Coach Academy with Phil Valentine at the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery, and is the co-creator of Phoenix Tales Recovery Storytelling. Learn more at www.meghannperry.com.

Phyllis Porché is a writer, storyteller, teacher, and fiber artist. She was born and raised in Chicago, and she believes the best stories come from the absurdities of life. She is a 30-year cancer survivor and never leaves home without earrings.

Kate Ryan is delighted to be at INSPIRED! live lit for the first time. She’s told stories at The Moth, This Much is True, Homewood Stories, The Nest in Michigan City, and The Acorn Theatre in Three Oaks. Kate has taught essay writing at various city colleges and in the memoir-writing track at Second City. She holds a Master’s in Theatre and since youth has performed in contemporary and classical plays as well as original solo shows. She lives in Schererville with her spouse and Sheltie.

INSPIRED! live lit is now producing a podcast! You can listen to it on iTunes, Google Plus Music or on their website inspiredlivelit.com

Come out Tuesday March 3rd and listen to some amazing music and stories. Come early and have a delicious dinner at the Public Landing Restaurant located at 200 West 8th Street, Lockport in the historic Gaylord Building. For more information visit the website inspiredlivelit.com and follow them on Facebook