Karen Vuranch is a professional storyteller, an actress,
and a writer from Fayetteville, WV. She is widely known for her traditional storytelling, her plays based on oral history
that she has collected, and living history presentations of famous American women such as Clara Barton and Mother Jones.
She combines both storytelling and drama to create an exciting
and educational presentation. With a Master's degree in Humanities from the West Virginia Graduate College, she teaches Appalachian
Studies, Speech, and Introduction to Theatre at the Concord College campus in Beckley, WV.
In addition to her demand as a storyteller, she also gives
workshops on a variety of topics including the techniques of storytelling and ways to gather oral history and turn it into
a performance. In addition to her role as a featured teller at many festivals throughout the state, her work has been honored
by a number of organizations over the years.
In 1996 she was awarded the Spirit of West Virginia
Tourism Commission, and in 1994 she and her husband, Gene Worthington, gave a storytelling performance at the White House.
She is most well-known for her storytelling drama
Coal Camp Memories, which chronicles the life of a woman in the West Virginia coal fields of the
1920's and 30's. Karen wrote this play based on oral history she collected from people who lived in the coal camps of
West Virginia. In
the performance, she is accompanied by traditional musicians.
Coal Camp Memories is also
available on DVD. The DVD features a performance of the storytelling drama performed on the Tamarack stage along with the
music of Julia Adams, Tom and Michelle Warner and Beth and Jon Kemper. Historic photographs are woven into the production.
The DVD is available for $20 plus postage and is available at Tamarack or by contacting Karen Vuranch directly.
Contact Karen
Vuranch
WV Enterprises
P.O. Box 383
Fayetteville, WV 25840
1 (304) 574- 4840
email: karen@wventerprises.com
