Judith Black is a professional storyteller with a national following. She has most recently created Bittersweet Midnight's; Walks on the Dark Side in which she scorches a path from local history and hysteria to contemporary hilarity and and hysterics as she explores the power of female hungers and relationships- both here and in the hereafter. This show ran, to rave reviews, for 15 performances at the Salem Theatre Company in Salem, MA.
“In a flash she moves from shy sea-captain to frightened child to vitriolic dame to aged, tremulous woman. You have to see it to believe it” Jo Radner, LANES

This past spring she performed in Finland, Amsterdam, and Paris, as well as conducting a leadership seminar in Amsterdam and a workshop for the ELSA Conference in Paris. She has just completed a video of
That Fading Scent: A Seditious Comedy About Women and Aging
filmed during her 12 performance run at the Griffin Theater and available now through her web site.
http://www.storiesalive.com/orderform.htm
“This is the thinking woman's version of Menopause: The Musical,.....Black is a warm and dynamic storyteller with a wry sense of humor.......... Smart and undeniably funny”
The Orlando Sentinel
About Scent

Judith was the grand prize winner of the 2010 Mass Mouth, Big Mouthoff. With the other 21 finalists, and in front of over 300 people at Boston Public Library's’ Rabb Auditorium, she shared a 4 minutes story about her son’s return home from combat duty in Iraq. She won a house in Tuscany for a week and $200! Check out Mass Mouth at: www.massmouth.com/
See Judith’s winning story at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOVgkVCQ2AQ
Consider ending war so no one’s mother has to go through this again.

Judith, in the past year, was the storyteller in residence for a 4 day retreat for Cumberland Presbyterian Ministers near Nashville, TN, conducted a full day workshop for theological students at the Newton/Andover Theological Seminary, and conducted adult education classes in Jewish communities.

Judith has eight times been a featured teller at National Storytelling Festival, and served twice as Teller-in Residence for the International Storytelling Center in Jonesboro TN. She has an eclectic background in education (BS from Wheelock College in Early Childhood Development) and theater (Masters Class at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, London) that has spawn a range of skills. These have served her well through hundreds of educational residencies, completed commissions for national institutions, and the creation of a wealth of original, cutting edge, works exploring everything from the insecurities of dating land to helping our elders through their last journey.

In 2001 she was inducted into the National Storytelling Network's (largest storytelling membership organization in the world) Circle of Excellence "For exceptional commitment and exemplary contribution to the art of storytelling."
In addition she has been:
* Commissioned by an international think tank hosted by the Disney Institute to present stories about the causes, diagnosis, and cure of breast cancer.
* The featured 'Cabaret Artist' at the National Storytelling Festival (5th appearance) where standing ovations met her work.
* Developed and delivered programs for the corporate management of UNILEVER
* Invited to participate in a national conference of performance artists sponsored in full by the National Performance Network.
* Commissioned by the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities and The Tsongas Industrial History Center to create a first person presentation, Meet Lucy Stone, for the State House Woman's Leadership Project.
* Delivered a keynote address at the National Interpreters Conference, investigating multiple truths through the varied voices here-to-fore unacknowledged in our national history.
* Worked as a consultant to the entertainment professionals at Disney World in Orlando, FL.

Judith Black has been featured at (Abridged List):
* The National Storytelling Festival ‘90, ‘92, ‘94, ‘96, ‘2000 ‘03 ‘07 ‘08 Jonesboro, Tennessee
* The Montreal Comedy Festival Montreal, Canada
* The Hoosier Festival Indianapolis, Indiana
* The Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, Orem, Utah
* The Sierra Storytelling Festival, Nevada City, California
* The Three Apples Storytelling Festival (founder) Harvard, Massachusetts
* The Vermont Storytelling Festival, Burlington, Vermont
* Hillel International Leaders Assembly, Honesdale, Pa.
* New Hampshire Humanities Council, Concord, New Hampshire
* Las Vegas Storytelling Festival, Las Vegas, Nevada
* Columbia Festival of the Arts, Columbia, Maryland
* Johnstown Storytelling Festival, Johnstown, Pennsylvania
* C.A.J.E. '89 '90'91 '92 ‘93 ‘94 ‘95 ‘96 ‘98 ‘99 ‘00 ‘03 ‘10
* University of Judaism, Los Angeles, California
* Catholic University, San Diego, Calf.
* Stories From the Heartland, Austin, Minnesota
* Midland College, Fremont, Nebraska
* Clearwater Revival, Poughkeepsie, New York
* University of Southern Tennessee, Johnson City, Tn.
* Jung Center and 92nd St. YMHA, New York, New York
* Missouri River Festival, St. Louis, Missouri
* Arizona State Library Association, Phoenix, Arizona
* Smithsonian Institution/National Museum of American History Washington, D.C.
* The Ark, Ann Arbor, Michigan
* Mid Atlantic Storytellers (MAST), College Town, Pennsylvania
* National Trust For Historic Preservation, Boston, Massachusetts
* Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
* Hebrew University Jerusalem, Israel
* The 6th Annual Hollywood Literary Retreat, Los Angeles, CA
* 40th Annual Institute of Alcohol and Drug Studies, Austin, Texas
* Hebrew College Masters Performance Series Brookline, Ma.
* The Flynn Theater, Burlington, Vt.
* Boise River Festival, Boise, Idaho
* The Mariposa Storytelling Festival, Mariposa, CA
* The Flying Leap Storytelling Festival, Solvang, CA
* Bay Area Festival, Kennedy Grove, CA
* Toronto Jewish Storytelling Festival Toronto, Ontario
* The Barter Theater, Bristol, VA
* Salem State Summer Theater, Salem, MA
* Buckeye Community College ,Great Falls, Iowa
* Ohai Storytelling Festival, Ohai, California
* Michigan Storytelling Festival, Flint, Michigan
* Washington Storytellers Theater Washington, DC
* The Rockwell Museum (‘89, 94, 98, 2001) Sturbridge, MA
* Society of Female Engineers, Cambridge, MA
* Winter Tales, Oklahoma City,OK
* Cave Run Storytelling Festival, Morehead, KY
* Mesa Storytelling Festival, Mesa, AZ
* White Fund Enlightenment Series, Lawrence, MA
* Caldwell Theater Boca Raton, Florida
* Orlando International Fringe Festival, Orlando, FL
* Leheigh Storytelling Festival, Bethlehem, PA
* Texas A&M, Bryon and College Station, Texas
* Wisconsin Institute of Judaism-Scholar in Residence, Lake Denton, WI
* Keepers of the Word, Amherst, MA
* Delta Queen-Storyteller, in Residence, The Mighty Ohio River
* The Memory Clinic-Keynote Speaker Bennington, VT
* MASS ALF-Keynote Speaker, Newton, MA
* Bowling Green State, University Ohio
*Ray Bradbury Festival , Waukegan, Ill
*The Salem Theatre Company, Salem, MA
*The Pontine Theater, Portsmouth, NH
*The Griffin Theater, Salem, MA
* Mechanics hall, Worcester, MA

Underwriting Organizations:
NEFA BOCES Vt. Counsel for the Humanities

Awards and Citations:
* Mass Mouth: The Big Mouth Off Champion 2110
* National Storytelling Network Oracle Award: Circle of Excellence
* Boston Parents Paper: Gold Medal Family Entertainer of the Year
* WBZ T.V.: "Rising Star" of New England Performance Artists
* Parents Choice Magazine: Gold Medal Award
* Wheelock College: Centennial Alumni Award
* Boston Phoenix : Banned in the Western Suburbs One of the year's ten best
* Storytelling World (Meet Lucy Stone, Blooming, Adult Children of Parents) Honor Tape
* New England Emmy Awards (nominated) Outstanding Acting/Performing
* Springfield Cable Endowment Programming Excellence
* Cable Ace Award (nominated) Performing Arts Award
* Fifth National Invitational Storytelling Championship 1998 The People’s Choice Award
* Parents Guide to Children’s Media “Outstanding Achievement” for CD
* National Youth Storytelling Pegasus Award Blooming: Stories for Girls to Grow On
* The Second Story Review: A Quarterly Review of Storytelling Materials
LANES Article on personal stories cited for excellence
“...should be required reading for any teller about to add a personal story to a performance.”

Judith Black has recorded 13 CD’s of stories and song for both adults and children.
Publications: Ms. Blacks' articles have appeared in:

* Storytelling Magazine (National Association) Jonesboro, Tn.
* The Yarnspinner Jonesboro, Tn.
* Journal of Reading: International Reading Association Newark, De.
* The Inside Story Santa Rosa, Calf.
* The Story Bag San Diego, Calf.
* Storytelling World Johnson City, Tn.
* AudioFile Magazine Portland, MA

Ms Black’s stories appear in:

* Ready To Tell Tales 1994 August House
* Chosen tales: Stories Told By Jewish Storytellers 1995 Jason Aaronson Inc.
* Many Voices: True Tales from America's Past 1995 The National Storytelling Press
* Chicken Soup for the Single Soul 1999 Health Communications Press
* Bringing the Story Home: The Complete Guide to Storytelling for Parents 2000 WW Norton & Co.
* Telling Stories to Children 2005 National Storytelling Press
* The Arts Education and Social Change 2005 Peter Lang Publishers

Keynote Addresses
Judith is a featured speaker around the nation. These are a sampling of her topics:

* Multi-Cultural Education Wheelock College Alumni Forum
* Censorship and Stories The National Congress on Storytelling Stories; The Heart and Head of Preschool Education, Childcare Resources for Western MA, Stories are Language, Boston Bi Lingual Ed Conference
* Teaching Language through Stories New England Middle School Alliance Stories at the Heart of it All Mass Library Association
* Moral and Curricular Implications of Creating History Stories. MAST Conf./Teachers of History Conf.
* Finding Truth in the Facts of History National Storytelling Network
* History Alive The National Interpreters Conference
* Storytelling: Raising the Bar on Moral Thought and Behavior Sharing the Fire

Workshops and Courses:
Twenty-five years on the faculty of Lesley University's Art Institute, Ms Black has taught the art of storytelling at institutions throughout the United States including:

* Boston University Law School
* Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
* The National Institute on Storytelling
* National Congress on Storytelling.
* Annual Institute of Alcohol and Drug Studies
* Annual Hollywood Literary Retreat
* Disney World
* National Storytelling Network
* ESLA Conference
* Masters Degree Program ETSA, Johnson City, TN

Ms Black has trained national park interpreters in communication skills and storytelling:

* National Interpreters Conference
* Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
* Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center
* Schaumburg, Ill.
* Glacier National Park

Most recently Ms Black has been using her stories to help train social workers, nurses, hospital personnel, teachers, and geriatric professionals.

Ms Black also teaches two classes annually in her home:
Making Stories From your Life
Telling Stories to Children

Background:
Judith Black brings to her storytelling a varied background in education, theater, and creative writing. Having studied early childhood education at Wheelock College, she taught for three years before moving to London where she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Later she toured as an actress for two years with Little Flags Theater Company. Judith was a founder and ten year board member of The Three Apples Storytelling Festival. She helped to initiate and produce Storytellers in Concert, the first and longest running storytelling series for adults in the nation. Her award winning original stories have been commissioned by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Old South Church, National Public Radio, The Artist’s Foundation, The U.S.S. Constitution Museum,The U.S. Department of Forestry, North Shore Symphony and her dad’s birthday! She has created three television series’s for Massachusetts Cable Educational Television, worked with organizations who objectives are to prevent domestic violence, and is presently working with elderly housing organizations to introduce and support caretakers through their journey.

What the Critics Say:

The Boston Globe:
“For a wicked good time, see Judith Black's Banned in the Western Suburbs......Black’s lively presentation is more of a one woman show than a session of storytelling.”

The Boston Phoenix:
(Banned in the Western Suburbs)
"Her sympathetic persona is a cross between Lily Tomlin and Woody Allen, the hard edge of feminist certitude cushioned by self-deprecating humor that never slides into self hatred."

The Boston Phoenix:
“Storyteller, Judith Black’s latest solo performance may be called Teetering on the Edge, but this actress/storyteller is one awesomely confident babe.... she’ll have you giggling in the aisles."

North Shore Sunday:
"Judith Black's audience hangs on every word."

Chicago Tribune:
(Deborah and Simon)
“She received a standing ovation after her engrossing, often hilarious, and in the end poignant portrait of a contemporary urban romance.”

The Montreal Gazette:
"By the time Black is through with her show, she's fashioned a world of giants, castles and disco pool parties with nothing more than her imagination. The adults are smiling as broadly as the children."

Christian Science Monitor:
"There were tales and tellers that had moments of nobility and beauty. Judith Black's strongly felt parable about a grove of rootless trees symbolizing the Jewish people evoked feelings of shared humanity."

The Boston Globe:
(Adult Children of ...Parents)
“Black has culled the minefields of childhood and elevated them through her storytelling to a level of universal experience that is not only painful and poignant, but gut-wrenchingly hilarious.”

The Jewish Advocate:
(Adult Children of ...Parents)
“Judith Black should be sought after by one and all for her wisdom, for her wit, for the risks she takes on stage and for her genuine warmth which she abundantly shares with one and all.”

University of San Diego/Storytelling Series:
“The silence and deafening cheers of the audience gave tribute to the incredible genius of Judith Black.”

The Boston Globe
(Looking For G-d’s Doorbell)
“Spellbinding, heartwarming, and yet oh so familiar, a wonderful evocation of the struggle to keep one’s children rooted in Judaism. Judith’s story reaches the depths where we all are one.”

The Improper Bostonian
(Retiring the Champ)
“Judith Black is like a repertory company of one....She wittily conveys the trials and tribulations of one of life’s trickiest passages, negotiating our parents’ sometimes long and winding ending.”

The Boston Globe
(Retiring the Champ)
“Like most of Black’s stories, it’s funny and touching, filled with colorful characters, accents and songs. And it’s thought provoking.”

The Jewish Journal
(Retiring the Champ)
“A superb one-woman show by the multi-talented Ms. Black. She can swagger like a sailor or act meek as a mouse. Her emotional range seems boundless.“

The North Shore Sunday
“Black’s one woman show, Retiring the Champ, is about redemption...also like all of Black’s tales, filled with laughter.”

The Orlando Sentinel
(That Fading Scent)
“This is the thinking woman's version of Menopause: The Musical,.....Black is a warm and dynamic storyteller, exposing the legacy of bias against older women with a wry sense of humor.......... Smart and undeniably funny, That Fading Scent... is a great example of the power of storytelling.”

Her Mother
“If only she’d keep her hair out of her eyes, she’d be brilliant.”

PROMO
PHOTOS