ART26201 will host the 1st Annual Gray Barker Young Liars Camp, open to high school ages, from June 14-18, 2021, at the Colonial Theatre/Cinema V in Buckhannon, West Virginia, focusing on creative storytelling, performance, and becoming a champion “Liar.”
The day camp will celebrate Gray Barker’s (of Men In Black fame) salesmanship and his ability to embellish the “facts” of a mundane situation to pique the public’s interest. Behind the curtain, Barker was the ultimate story manipulator and left a legacy of unexplained phenomena embedded in the American psyche.
Space is available for up to 24 students. All-stars Jason Young, James Froemel, Doug Van Gundy, and Adam Booth will lead the camp instruction.
Students will be mentored in the art and craft of storytelling, and they will draw upon local histories to transform those stories, in true Gray Barker style, in the creation of their own epic lies. The program will be five days of fun, learning, and unrelenting lies. The camp will conclude with an evening Liars Contest, open to the public.
Please contact info@art26201.com to reserve your student’s seat, and be sure to include your student’s T-shirt size when signing up for camp!
Snacks and drinks will be provided; however, students will be asked to bring a lunch daily.
Location: Colonial Theatre/Cinema V
48 E. Main St.
Buckhannon, WV 26201
Time: 8:30AM – 5PM Daily
Age: 14-18
Fee: $150
INSTRUCTORS FOR 2021:
Jason Young is a freelance theater director and actor living in north central WV. He is co-founder and former artistic director at The Gateway Repertory Theater, Vintage Theatre Company, VTC to GO program, and premier performer in West Virginia’s professional comedy troupe, The Fearless Fools. He studied theater at Fairmont State University.
Doug Van Gundy is a published author, poet, and musician from Elkins, WV. He teaches English at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, with a primary focus on creative writing, Appalachian literature and humanities. His essays have appeared in many journals, including The Oxford American, Ecotone, The Louisville Review, The Fretboard Journal, and Goldenseal.
James Froemel is the winner of the 2015, 2017, and 2019 West Virginia Biggest Liar competition, as well as the 2015 Fibbin’ on the 4th storytelling contest in Ripley, WV. He has been featured in storytelling performances at schools and festivals throughout WV, and his work has been published in Goldenseal, the magazine of West Virginia traditional life. James holds a BFA in acting from WVU.
Adam Booth is a professional storyteller from Shepherdstown, WV. Adam blends traditional mountain folklore, music, and an awareness of contemporary Appalachia. Career highlights include five Storytelling World Awards, four-time champion of the West Virginia Liars’ Contest, Teller-In-Residence at the International Storytelling Center, the National Storytelling Festival, Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, the Appalachian Studies Association Conference, the National Academy of Medicine, and Spoken Word Resident at the Banff Centre.
ART26201
29 East Main Street, Suite 4
Buckhannon, WV 26201
