OJAI : Yarn-Spinners Make Program a Telling Success at Library

Tales of cruel Arabian sultans and courageous American Indians filled the Ojai County Library on Saturday as more than 100 people gathered for a morning of free entertainment by six Ojai storytellers.

Dubbed the “Tailspinners Telling Festival,” the first-ever event was the brainchild of Head Librarian Ann Crozier, who noticed the abundance of storytellers in the Ojai area and persuaded them to spend a morning entertaining children and adults alike.

“Storytelling is different from reading a book,” said Karen Lee Moncharsh, an Ojai actress and dancer who dressed like the Persian storyteller Scheherazade to spin her tales of treachery and love in ancient Arabia. “You are free to get the kids involved.”

Moncharsh had a young boy act the part of a robber thief and five young girls play servants in the tale of Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. “Children have such a rich fantasy life,” she said. “They should be allowed every opportunity to explore it.”

Children sat in their parents’ laps and lined the floor in rapt attention as Moncharsh danced her way through tales that have captivated audiences for centuries.

Although many of the stories were tailored toward children, the crowd was at least 50% adults, said Loretta Wagoner, an Ojai librarian. “There might have even been more adults than kids,” she said.

While the first “Tailspinners” was a success, Wagoner said she did not know if there would be a repeat performance next year.

“Everyone wanted to know if this is going to be an annual thing,” she said. That will depend on the storytellers, who are usually paid as much as $150 an appearance. “We’d love to see it happen again,” she said.