Great Tales Live presents classic literature and Pennsylvania history in a lively, interactive style.

From Poe and Dickens to the Civil War, these are great stories well-told, designed to enlighten while they entertain.

We tour year-round to schools, senior centers, theatres, and special events throughout Pennsylvania and beyond.

Wherever there’s an audience, we’re ready to put on a show!

“I loved your stories and I liked how you told them.”

“Excellent job. The show was amazing.”

“Virtuoso performance…. Riveting.”

“Steve did an excellent job!”

Great Tales Live on CD

A Christmas Carol and Tales From Poe are just $15 each. Email for details!

Upcoming Engagements

Friday, April 16, 2010 at 6pm

Tales From Poe

PA Bar Association retreat in Baltimore

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 6:00pm – Thaddeus Stevens: Politics of Freedom

National Civil War Museum, Harrisburg

FREE, live taping for PCN-TV.

Sponsored by PA Humanities Council.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010 at 12:05pm – Tales From Poe

Keystone Building, Harrisburg PA

Sponsored by the PA State Bookstore.

FREE, and open to the public.

Sunday, October 24, 2010 at 4:00pm Ghostly Tales from Gettysburg

Camp Hill Presbyterian Church, Camp Hill

FREE and open to the public.

Ongoing

Thaddeus Stevens: Politics of Freedom

Touring with PA Humanities Council’s “Commonwealth Speakers” 2010-2011

FREE to non-profit organizations.

Recent Engagements

Schools: Manheim, Dover, and Carlisle School Districts; Dickinson College; Capital Area School for the Arts; PA School Boards Assn.

Libraries: New Cumberland, Fredricksen, Hershey, Annville, and Amelia S. Givin Libraries

Theatres: Oyster Mill Playhouse, Ephrata ACT, Eichelberger Performing Arts Center, Indian Head Theatre for the Arts

Senior Centers: Carlisle Senior Center, NE Social Services Center, Frey Village, St. John’s Herr Estate, Red Land Senior Center

Public Events: Dickensfest, Baltimore Book Festival, PA State Museum, Baltimore’s Artscape 2009

Private Events: Conferences, fundraisers, family reunions, retirement parties, company picnics, and more!

Great Tales of Literature:

You’ve heard these stories before… but never like this.

NEW! Bah, Humbug: Inside a Dickens Classic. Explore the cultural history behind Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” How did it take shape? How has it changed our celebration of Christmas? And what is a humbug, anyway? Features a live performance of selected scenes. Running time: 45 to 60 minutes. Developd with a grant from the PA Council on the Arts.

Tales From Poe. Discover the original master of horror and suspense. Experience the madness of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” the obsession of “Annabel Lee,” the grief of “The Raven,” and the tragic life of the author, Edgar Allan Poe. Running time: 45 minutes to an hour, or 90 minutes with an extra story or two. Developed with support from the PA Council on the Arts and Jump Street.

A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens’ classic tales of ghosts and Yuletide redemption comes to life, just in time for the holidays. Meet Scrooge, Marley, and an entire Victorian village. Running time: about an hour. Or, add Bah, Humbug as a pre-show or post-show discussion, and you’ll have a full 90-minute evening of seasonal fun!

Great Tales of Pennsylvania History:

You’ve heard about the soldiers at Gettysburg—but what about Carlisle, and York, and Mechanicsburg? What about the women and children? These are just a few of the Civil War storytelling programs we offer….

Women of Gettysburg. From Catherine Garlach, who stood up to the invaders… to Carrie Sheads, who saved more than a life… to Salome Myers, who found love in the aftermath, these are the stories of the women who called Gettysburg home.

Legacies of Lancaster. From the early abolitionists, to the resistance at Christiana, to the burning of the Columbia bridge, the road to Gettysburg leads through Lancaster County. Hear the true stories of our local heroes.

Civil War Kids! Fun, fast-paced, and interactive, these are stories about kids, for kids, telling the story of the Civil War in Pennsylvania through the eyes of our youngest residents.

Ghostly Tales of Gettysburg. On July 1, 1863, almost two hundred thousand soldiers descended on the quiet town of Gettysburg. Ten thousand gave their lives… and legend says, some never left. Experience these spooky, creepy, and just plain weird stories, and you just might learn some history along the way.

Great Tales in First Person:

Shake hands with Pennsylvania history with our living-history presentations.

NEW! Thaddeus Stevens: The School Law. A fifteen-minute keynote address on the 175^th anniversary of public education in Pennsylvania, including the School Law of 1834… and the fight to save it from repeal one year later.

NEW! Thaddeus Stevens: The Politics of Freedom. Spend an hour with Thaddeus Stevens, and discover how a poor farm boy with a twisted foot became one of the most powerful men in America. As an attorney in Gettysburg and Lancaster, a Congressman during the Civil War, and an author of two Amendments, Stevens worked for fifty years for freedom, equality, and education. How did he form his convictions? How do his divisive politics relate to ours? And why did Jubal Early want him dead?

Non-Profit Organizations can also book Thaddeus Stevens: The Politics of Freedom free of charge through the Pennsylvania Humanities Council’s Commonwealth Speakers program for 2010-2011.

About the Storyteller:

STEVE ANDERSON is a professional actor and storyteller with more than twenty years of performance experience. Based near Harrisburg, PA, his credits include more than one hundred stage plays, ten years with the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, seven years as a storyteller in Gettysburg, and three years as a certified living-history interpreter with the Pennsylvania Past Players. When he’s not performing live, he narrates audiobooks, provides character voices for radio plays, and writes a newspaper column on Pennsylvania history. He’s also an experienced playwright, a former college professor, and is proud to be owned by three cats.

Contact Us: Steve Anderson, c/o Great Tales Live, 717-982-1538, Info “at” GreatTalesLive.com, or visit www.SGAcreative.com.