Spinning Honey —Distilling Stories, at the Rotunda
Spinning Honey — Distilling Stories
Sunday, November 16 • 2 PM | The Rotunda, Philadelphia, PA
Patchwork Storytelling Guild celebrates Tellabration™ 2025 with Spinning Honey — Distilling Stories, a hallmark celebration of storytelling honoring the artistry, essence, and revelatory impact of stories.
Hosted by Denise McCormack, president of Patchwork and masterful storyteller, this showcase brings together a resplendent gathering of voices:
Ingrid Bohn, Carin Bonifacino, Maria LoBiondo, Loretta Lucy Miller, MaryAnn Paterniti, Mark Schlawin, Barbara Sherf, Christina Sturgis, and Danielle Selber.
“Spinning Honey — Distilling Stories is both the craft of the teller and the shared experience with the audience, where —spun from life’s sweet and bittersweet moments—insights, delight, and wonder emerge naturally. Each tale is carefully distilled, allowing for fluid and transformational interpretations that highlight its essence, resonance, and the quiet magic of storytelling.” — Denise McCormack, Patchwork Storytelling Guild
Set in The Rotunda, Philadelphia’s vibrant arts venue in the heart of University City, this event celebrates storytelling as a cornerstone of community, creativity, and cultural dialogue. Audiences will be immersed in narratives that are thoughtfully honed, deeply human, and brimming with the transformative power of story.
Our Featured Tellers
Ingrid Bohn
Ingrid Bohn, an Interactive Theater and Storytelling performance artist, engages audiences through story, song, dance, and poetry. She wields a vast repertoire of stories to suite any age. Performing in PA & NJ, and on the virtual stage, her career spans over a decade. Ingrid's passionate and deliberate delivery style is sure to capture your imagination and heart.
Carin Bonifacino
Carin spent the first half of her life working with plants in various aspects of horticulture. After the deaths of two significant people in her life, she switched careers in her 40's to work in the field of death and dying. She regularly tells the stories of people’s lives as a funeral celebrant. She is a mom of two, the wife of a wonderful man, and a nature lover through and through.
Maria LoBiondo
Maria LoBiondo believes stories shared are heart-to-heart gifts between teller and listener, connecting generations in the moment together. She began telling multicultural folk and fairy tales when expecting her second child; her daughter is now 31 years old. Her engaging style and lively expressions have delighted listeners in classrooms, libraries, religious settings, and festivals. She is a member of the Princeton Storytelling Circle, the National Storytelling Network, the New Jersey Storytelling Network and Northeast Storytelling.
Denise McCormack
Denise McCormack is a dynamic storyteller and creative professional whose talents transcend mediums, crafting meaningful narratives that truly connect with audiences.
Her extensive involvement in cultural, educational, and artistic initiatives reflects her dedication to nurturing the art form and building storytelling communities. As president of Patchwork, she coordinates a variety of storytelling events each year, providing opportunities for others to share their stories and storytelling strategies—both as tellers and listeners.
In essence, Denise is fueled by her passion for the transformative power of stories. She believes that there is a story for every time and purpose under heaven, each carrying the potential to inspire, educate, and unite.
Step into Denise’s world of storytelling, where powerful stories, meaningful messages, and vibrant communities come together to spark imagination and stir the soul. www.DeniseMcCormack.live
Loretta Lucy Miller
Director, Actor, Storyteller
MaryAnn Paterniti
MaryAnn has a knack for finding unusual stories that may surprise even the folks who think they've heard it all! She delivers these stories with an animated style that will capture your attention and keep you very entertained. Her repertoire includes over a hundred age-appropriate stories for children, teens, and adult audiences. She has performed in schools, libraries, senior centers, hospitals, private parties, bonfires, festivals, colleges, for the women of the United Nations in NYC, and even in the swamps of the Meadowlands.
She is a member of the Patchwork Storytelling Guild, The Princeton Storytelling Circle, and the National Storytelling Network and is continuously learning new stories and improving her skills.
She's also been a teacher for over 25 years. She uses music, movement and stories to make everyday fun!
Mark Schlawin
Mark crafts original stories that start anchored in reality and then lift off into the surreal.
Mark has told stories for adult and family audiences at the Princeton and Crosswicks Tellebrations, at retirement communities, school events, and charity functions. He has conducted multiple workshops for the Garden State Story League. Mark has also told stories at Café Improv at the Princeton Arts Council and has twice been a teller at the New Jersey Storytelling Festival. Mark has organized and presented storytelling events benefiting the Princeton Charter School. Mr. Schlawin spent twenty wonderful years teaching middle-school math and science. In teaching, Mr. Schlawin used storytelling techniques to help the command the attention and interest of his students.
Danielle Selber
Danielle Selber is a lifelong Philadelphian and American-Israeli dual citizen. She is a professional matchmaker serving Jewish and LGBTQIA+ communities. Danielle holds an M.A. in Jewish Studies from Gratz College and is a trained mediator. Her free time is spent writing poetry, playing poker, and enjoying Philly's museum and theater scene.
Christina Sturgis
Chris Sturgis is a multi-talented artist and writer. She has 25 years’ experience as a newspaper reporter, including an exclusive interview with Hillary Clinton. She has appeared in Anything Goes, Barefoot in the Park, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Othello, Paul Sills’ Story Theatre, and the Kaufman and Hart comedy, Once in a Lifetime. She blogs at CLSreal.com.
About Patchwork Storytelling Guild
About Patchwork: A Storytelling Guild
Patchwork Storytelling Guild is a member-supported 501c3 non-profit organization serving the needs of the Philadelphia Metro area, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, the Delaware Valley, and beyond.
Its mission is to provide a forum for storytellers and to promote the art of storytelling through community outreach related to the practice, performance, and value of storytelling. Patchwork offers: monthly story swaps, coaching sessions, performance opportunities... and more.
About The Rotunda
About The Rotunda
The Rotunda, located in Philadelphia, PA, is a community-gathering place that is fueled by the belief that art is a catalyst for social change and that the arts can lead to the formation of meaningful partnerships between our parent organization the University of Pennsylvania, and surrounding neighborhoods. Over 300 events are offered every year, including live music, film, spoken word, theater, art, dance, education, youth programs, arts incubation, and various experimental genres. As an alcohol-free venue, The Rotunda provides a critical social alternative for all ages. At its core, The Rotunda is a shared space fostering learning, enrichment, and community support while empowering the public to present, produce, and promote their work. The Rotunda's programming is currently virtual but we will reopen the venue soon enough!