Hollywood Voice-Over Pro Bill Ratner to Tell Tale at the National Storytelling Festival in TN

Sept. 29, 2010 - PRLog -- BillRatner.com
Media contact:  WJ Carrel


Los Angeles, CA – “Saturday October 2 I’ll be telling a story in Jonesborough, Tennessee’s town square - Storytelling Park.  But that’s peanuts compared to the storytelling stars from all over the English-speaking world whom I’ll be seeing perform their verbal magic at this year’s National Storytelling Festival.   I am so stoked I am going this year.   It’s my first time… be gentle with me,” comments Bill Ratner.

Ratner, a five-time The Moth Story Slam winner, plans to regale an audience at the 38th Annual National Storytelling Festival in historic Jonesborough with a  story about Hollywood and the movies as part of the “Swappin’ Ground” tradition which began when storytellers gathered with an old wagon serving as the stage, and listeners taking their seats on bales of hay.

“We hope to take you out of your comfort zone and inspire you.  We want you to go home energized, exhausted, raving about all the great contacts you made, knowledge you learned, stories you shared, and friends you connected with,” comment the festival producers.  “By sharing our stories, we remember the living threads that make communities whole.  We become vaster, wiser, and more compassionate. Without telling our stories, the land and those who inhabit it become alienated.”

According to USA Today, the National Storytelling Festival is “the leading event of its kind in America.”  This year’s program of includes ghost stories, southern tales, Native American tales, East-West Asian stories weaving the spoken word, music, dance, and rhythmic dialogue, plus a plethora of other cultural voices.

Ratner, a National Storytelling Network member, created a huge following of fans who remember him as “Flint” in GI Joe, Family Guy, and Robot Chicken.  Currently, he is the voice of numerous movie trailers, TV networks, and affiliate stations around the U.S. where he is recognized for his soothing delivery, inimitable charm, and wry humor.  His short stories and essays are published in Pleiades: A Journal of New Writing, Cheng Kung Literary, Southern Anthology, Papier Mache, Nightblade, Spork, Marquee, and Coast Magazine.  Ratner is a long-standing member of Actors Equity, the American Federation of TV & Radio Artists where he serves as a National Board Member, and the Screen Actors Guild. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.  More about Bill Ratner can be found at billratner.com.

The National Storytelling Festival takes place October 1-3, 2010.   More details about the event, including registration fees and the program, can be found on the Internet at storytellingcenter.net or by calling (800)952-8392.

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