October 23, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Ghost Walk begins Saturday on the Hill

Annie Hart

Can’t decide what to do for the Halloween season? The Ghost Walk is the best deal in town at $5 a person and no charge for those under five.

On Saturday, Oct. 25, Teenagers, Inc. invites the surrounding community to join a haunted Ghost Walk of Chestnut Hill. Participants will quietly follow the lantern-bearing guides snaking through the old homes and churches of the Hill and encountering along the way four spellbinding storytellers who will weave their tales of the fantastic and the startling. 

Storytellers include:

Audrey Roll is a professional storyteller who for more than 20 years has performed traditional folk songs and composed original tales. She has performed narration for books in audio format, and video presentations for professional promotions. She is a full time children’s librarian for the Free Library of Philadelphia who loves sharing tales. Roll has been part of the Ghost Walk for several years.

Annie Hart’s stories mix tenderness with fun, humor and whimsy to create dramatic and mesmerizing tales that touch hearts and souls. Hart has been featured on TV, radio and at conferences. She was told by a psychic that she will be famous after she dies. For now, however, she plans to keep on living out her wild story adventures no matter what. Hart will be continuing last year’s story entitled “The Haunted High Heels of Highland Avenue” about a little girl named Annie whose mother used to take her shoe shopping in Chestnut Hill. Little did she know, when she moved to Highland Avenue two years ago, that the shoe store she frequented as a child was inhabited by ghosts.

Tina Devine is a dynamic performer and workshop leader. Devine has been creating eclectic and engaging storytelling and poetry programs for both adults and children since 1993. With a varied repertoire that includes original material, folkloric adaptations, and literary stories, she explores life with humor and curiosity, and deep respect for oral traditions and mythic heritage. Devine’s programs for adults focus on creative life exploration and transformational change; while her children’s programs invite listeners to join her in the playground of the imagination. She is currently affiliated with First Person Arts in Philadelphia and teaches poetry workshops at the Graduate Institute in Connecticut.

Devine’s story is titled “The Howl.” The grounds of an old Victorian house in Punxsutawney, Pa., hold a secret that’s been buried for years. There are whisperings of a haunting circulating among the townsfolk, but they don’t really understand what’s involved. The arrival of a young visitor helps uncover the clue to the strange and perplexing mystery.  

 Vernyce Dannells, a recent arrival from Hawaii. While new to Chestnut Hill’s ensemble of tellers, her eerie song stories frequently opened Honolulu’s celebrated Talk Story Festival, now in its 19th year.  Vernyce has spent time as a producer for National Public Radio, and has written for several Fortune 100 companies and academic institutions. Cadenza Press published her poetry chapbook, Temporarily Abated, and her poetry and prose has appeared in numerous national publications. Dannells will tell the story, “Sucking Wind,” a Lakota Sioux tale.

The Chestnut Hill Ghost Walk begins at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25.  Tours depart on the half hour until 8 p.m. from the side entrance of the Chestnut Hill Library, 8711 Germantown Ave.  The cost is $5 a person.  Tickets can be purchased prior to the event at Sovereign Bank, 8623 Germantown Ave., or the Chestnut Hill Welcome Center, 8426 Germantown Ave. Fall treats of hot chocolate, apple cider and cookies are included in the admission price.

The Ghost Walk is a popular Halloween activity. Come early or stay later and enjoy dining in one of the many Chestnut Hill restaurants. Inquiries can be directed to Marianne Dwyer, Coordinator of Teenagers, Inc. and the Ghost Walk, at 215-242-4976.