Before there was theatre or books, movies or videos, there were stories.

“The Storytelling Festival in Historic Homestead” will be held December 3rd and 4th at Losner Park on Krome Avenue in the City of Homestead’s downtown  historic district. The Storytelling Festival will celebrate this universal art form in a way  that will be enjoyed by adults and children alike. Adult storytelling workshops will be presented on Sunday, December 5th. 

Presented by Friends of the Seminole Theatre, the Festival will feature many of the top national, regional and local storytellers. Among the nationally-renowned artists scheduled to perform are: David Holt, who combines music with storytelling to weave tales he has collected throughout the mountains of his native North Carolina; Heather Forrest, world storyteller, poet, and minstrel singer from New York; and Antonio Sacre, the hilarious Cuban-American yarn-spinner who lived in Miami for many years and now resides in Los Angeles.

Among the regional and local "tellers" who will perform are: Chuck Larkin, Bluegrass storyteller from Atlanta; Tampa resident Kim Rivers, Cuban-American master of children's tales in both Spanish and English; Linda Spitzer, Coral Gables’ Biltmore Hotel's engrossing storyteller; Lucrece Louisdhon, local Haitian-American librarian and "teller"; and Col. Rod Hendrick, former Homestead resident and presenter of tales of the Florida Everglades.

An ageless and timeless art

“Storytelling has been an integral part of every culture since the dawn of civilization,” explains Dori Goldman, executive director of the Seminole Theatre and a co-director of the Festival. “Storytellers can mesmerize an audience with anything from dramatic re-creations of real life adventures to the simplest and seemingly mundane aspects of daily living. Yarnspinners can also create tall tales and often punctuate their performances with simple costumes and props, as well as music and songs.

“If you’ve never had the pleasure of attending a storytelling session before,” Goldman says exuberantly, “I can assure you that you’re in for a real treat!”

Turbulent times for the Seminole

The Storytelling Festival is one of a number of special events being produced or the Seminole Theatre. The group is a not-for-profit organization which is working in close collaboration with the City of Homestead to restore and reopen the historic Seminole Theatre as a multi-discipline, multi-cultural performing arts and education center.

Located on Krome Avenue in the heart of Homestead's historic downtown business district, the theatre was originally constructed in 1921 and quickly became the place to go for entertainment and social gatherings. Following a major fire in 1940, the Seminole was rebuilt in the classic Art Deco style.

During the next several decades, the theatre remained as the only indoor cinema from the Upper Keys to South Miami. In the early 1970’s the theatre changed owners  and operated as the Premiere Theatre until dwindling ticket sales forced its closure in 1979.

Although the structure remained sound over the years that followed, dormancy rendered the theatre's once fine interior shabby and the technical equipment useless. The final blow came in the summer of 1992 when it, along with most of Homestead, was decimated by Hurricane Andrew. The owners donated the severely damaged theatre to the city.

Areturn to glory

In 1995 Homestead’s Historic Preservation Board designated the Seminole Theatre a local historic site which prompted renewed interest in its fate. The historic designation– coupled with the revitalization of the downtown historic district– became the catalyst for the establishment of the Seminole Cultural Arts Theatre organization in 1997.

The group’s mission, with the support of those who value heritage and culture, is to restore and reopen the theatre as a multi-faceted state-of-the-art performance complex and movie house, including rehabilitation of the Seminole Theatre's historic elements– so it may once again serve the cultural interests of residents and visitors in the Upper Keys and all of South Florida.

Barger & Dean of Sarasota, and Robert Barnes & Associates of Homestead, were contracted as the project’s principal architectural team.

Other key participants in the restoration include: New York-based Fisher/Dachs Associates, the award-winning theatre planning and design firm who are also consultants on the Greater Miami Performing Arts Center; Jaffe Holden Scarbrough of Connecticut, acoustical consultants; Capricorn Construction of Miami for building stabilization and re-roofing. Restoration of the Seminole Theatre’s distinctive Art Deco facade was awarded to Homestead General Contractor Rex Oleson.

Funds are also in place for excavation of the orchestra pit and lift, and replication of the original theatre marquee, as well as the basic utilities and some preliminary construction.

The projected Grand Reopening of the historic Seminole Theatre is slated for the Spring of 2001.

Consult the accompanying event schedule for specific times and ticket prices. For further information on the Storytelling Festival or the Seminole Theatre restoration project, contact the Seminole Theatre at 305-242-9320.

Storytelling Festival

INHISTORICHOMESTEAD

Events and Information

Friday, December 3rd:

Storytelling events begin at 4:15 pm with the "Young Voices" Student Storytelling Workshop presented by Linda Spitzer, followed at 6:45 pm by a parade of costumed story characters along Krome Avenue. The program continues at 7:30 pm with a storytelling "olio," a sampling of stories from all tellers in the Losner Park Bandshell.  The "Midnight Cabaret, held from 9:30 pm to midnight, will feature music and folktales by Antonio Sacre,  Chuck Larkin, and Kim Rivers.

Saturday, December 4th:                                

Storytelling will be presented from 9:30 am to noon and from 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm, in a  rotation of performances in  each of three tents, two in the morning and two  in the afternoon. The Saturday evening program follows,  beginning at 5:00 pm with the Yarnspinner's Banquet. This is an opportunity to enjoy a sumptuous buffet supper with the storytellers. The "Young Voices" Student Storytelling Contest will be held at 6:30 pm in a festival tent. At 7:30 pm, "Holiday Tales," specifically geared toward children, will be presented at the bandshell featuring stories of Hannuka, Christmas, and Kwanza. The last event presented in Homestead's historic district will be the "Saturday Storytelling Concert" from 9 pm to midnight with performances by national artists David Holt and Heather Forrest.

Sunday, December 5th:

The final festival event– a Storytelling Workshop featuring Heather Forrest and Antonio Sacre– will be presented from 9:00 am to 12 noon at Katy's Place in Homestead.

Street Fest:

The street fest will begin on Friday, December 3rd at 6:00 pm and run through midnight. It will continue on Saturday, December 4th from 9 am through midnight. The street fest will be held on Krome Avenue between NW 2nd Street and Mowry Drive, as well as in the Homestead Historic Old Town Hall Museum, and in Losner Park. Enhanced by the quaint antique shops and eateries which line Krome Avenue, the street fest will also include musicians, dancers, singers, mimes and a variety of other street artists; craft, gift and food vendors; a festival store selling event t-shirts and storyteller books and videos; and during daytime hours on Saturday only, docent-led tours of Homestead's charming historic downtown district. The storytelling artists will be available at the festival store to sign their books and videos.

Admission and Ticket Information:

There are no admission fees for the street fest, parade, olio, student storytelling or holiday tales. General admission for the storytelling tents is $20 for all four daytime performances. Optional events: the Yarnspinners' Banquet at $15, and the Midnight Cabaret and Saturday Storytelling Concert each at $10 per person. Tickets for the Sunday Storytelling Workshop are $25 per person.

Festival Sponsors:

The Storytelling Festival of Historic Homestead is made possible, in part, through grants from the Miami-Dade