Rosie Cutrer has the Kansas storyteller's knack for |
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Material for the Media
The short blurb, full-page press release & photos below can be used for publicity purposes. Feel free to edit these items to fit your needs. |
E-mail: rcutrer2@cox.net
BLURB Rosie Cutrer, a storyteller from Topeka, Kansas, is on the Kansas Arts Commission's roster of performing artists. She has been telling stories professionally for the past twelve years, presenting at festivals, schools, libraries and museums. Her programs always include music. She accompanies herself on the banjo as a break in between stories. In the past few years she has been invited to perform at the state storytelling festival in Downs, Kansas, the St. Charles Missouri River Festival, The Land Rush Festival in Choctaw, Oklahoma, The Tumbleweed Festival in Garden City and at the Homestead National Monument in Beatrice, Nebraska. Most recently she had the honor of being chosen as a regional teller at the National Storytelling Conference in St. Louis. In 2007 she produced two CDs of her favorite creations which both received awards from The Children's Music Web for Best Spoken Work for Older and Younger Children. |
PRESS RELEASE
The person publishing the article can fill in the length of program, location, and time on the lines below.
Rosie Cutrer, a storyteller from Topeka, Kansas, will present__________________________________________
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Mrs. Cutrer has been telling stories professionally for the past eleven years at festivals, schools, libraries and museums. She has been a featured performer at the Downs Storytelling Festival, the St. Charles Missouri River Festival, The Choctaw Oklahoma Land Rush Festival and at the Homestead National Monument in Nebraska. Rosie is also on the Kansas Arts Commisssion's Roster of Performing Artists.
Before becoming a full time storyteller she was an elementary classroom teacher for twenty-three years. Rosie learned the art of storytelling from storytelling coaches in the northeast Kansas area, attending workshops at national storytelling conferences and of course as a teacher. When asked why she decided to leave teaching after so long Rosie replies, "I always wanted to use that unused theater degree that I got way back in 1972. At age 50 I decided that if I ever wanted to become a performer, professionally, it was now or never. Storytelling seemed perfect because it combined my expertise in working with children with my experience as an actress. My husband and I were well off enough and so with his blessings I went for it and started my own full time business, Cottonwood Tales, in the year 2000."
Rosie goes on to say, "Like any business it has taken me several years to build up my list of clients but in the past few years, especially, business has really grown and I've found myself on the road more and more."
Her performances always include music. She accompanies herself on the banjo and likes using music as a break in between stories. Mrs. Cutrer works with all ages. For younger groups she tells folktales, fairytales, ghost stories, stories based on lierature, poetry, ballads and folksongs. Cutrer also has a pioneer program where she comes dressed in 18th or 19th century costume and shares history, artifacts, period music and folktales.
For adults she presents the same as above but chooses tales that have more adult content that would not be appropriate for young children. She says, "So many of those old folktales weren't really aimed at children. They were for adults to entertain one another with on cold winter evenings in a world without T.V.s or D.V.D. players. Many of them have themes that would rival any modern soap opera or R rated movie." You can learn more about Rosie's programs by visiting her website: http://www.rosiecutrer.com. Last spring she produced two storytelling CDs titled Mr. Bun and Other Stories and The Blackthorn Walking Stick and Other Tales. Both CDs won best spoken word awards from The Children's Music Web are available online at CD Baby.com.
Cutrer is a lifelong resident of Topeka, Kansas. She and her husband Bill have eight grandkids who range in age from one to fourteen years and yes she practices most of her material on her family. Rosie finds that her family members are her best critics, expecially the littlest ones. They'll tell her things that adults might be afraid of saying.
All in all Rosie finds life on the road as a storyteller personally fulfilling as well as interesting. "I've visited places in the midwest that I never knew existed," she says, "I'm always amazed at the beauty of the midwest and the people who live here." Rosie hopes to continue on the road as long as she can, hopefully well into her old age. Who knows? She might find an interesting story to tell in your town.
The person publishing the article can fill in the length of program, location, and time on the lines below.
Rosie Cutrer, a storyteller from Topeka, Kansas, will present__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Mrs. Cutrer has been telling stories professionally for the past eleven years at festivals, schools, libraries and museums. She has been a featured performer at the Downs Storytelling Festival, the St. Charles Missouri River Festival, The Choctaw Oklahoma Land Rush Festival and at the Homestead National Monument in Nebraska. Rosie is also on the Kansas Arts Commisssion's Roster of Performing Artists.
Before becoming a full time storyteller she was an elementary classroom teacher for twenty-three years. Rosie learned the art of storytelling from storytelling coaches in the northeast Kansas area, attending workshops at national storytelling conferences and of course as a teacher. When asked why she decided to leave teaching after so long Rosie replies, "I always wanted to use that unused theater degree that I got way back in 1972. At age 50 I decided that if I ever wanted to become a performer, professionally, it was now or never. Storytelling seemed perfect because it combined my expertise in working with children with my experience as an actress. My husband and I were well off enough and so with his blessings I went for it and started my own full time business, Cottonwood Tales, in the year 2000."
Rosie goes on to say, "Like any business it has taken me several years to build up my list of clients but in the past few years, especially, business has really grown and I've found myself on the road more and more."
Her performances always include music. She accompanies herself on the banjo and likes using music as a break in between stories. Mrs. Cutrer works with all ages. For younger groups she tells folktales, fairytales, ghost stories, stories based on lierature, poetry, ballads and folksongs. Cutrer also has a pioneer program where she comes dressed in 18th or 19th century costume and shares history, artifacts, period music and folktales.
For adults she presents the same as above but chooses tales that have more adult content that would not be appropriate for young children. She says, "So many of those old folktales weren't really aimed at children. They were for adults to entertain one another with on cold winter evenings in a world without T.V.s or D.V.D. players. Many of them have themes that would rival any modern soap opera or R rated movie." You can learn more about Rosie's programs by visiting her website: http://www.rosiecutrer.com. Last spring she produced two storytelling CDs titled Mr. Bun and Other Stories and The Blackthorn Walking Stick and Other Tales. Both CDs won best spoken word awards from The Children's Music Web are available online at CD Baby.com.
Cutrer is a lifelong resident of Topeka, Kansas. She and her husband Bill have eight grandkids who range in age from one to fourteen years and yes she practices most of her material on her family. Rosie finds that her family members are her best critics, expecially the littlest ones. They'll tell her things that adults might be afraid of saying.
All in all Rosie finds life on the road as a storyteller personally fulfilling as well as interesting. "I've visited places in the midwest that I never knew existed," she says, "I'm always amazed at the beauty of the midwest and the people who live here." Rosie hopes to continue on the road as long as she can, hopefully well into her old age. Who knows? She might find an interesting story to tell in your town.
