The marquee at Leeds
The marquee at Leeds told the "story" on the night of October 6, 2023: A Night of Storytelling!

Just Rambling: Voices of Winchester

Pete Koutoulas

As I write this, it’s been two weeks since our sto­ry­telling event at the Leeds Center for the Arts. I’ve been so busy with things I had put off until after the show, and I’m just now get­ting time to catch up! By the time you read this, I’ll be enjoy­ing a nice mini vaca­tion in Tennessee with my wife and grandson. 

The Voices of Winchester: A Night of Storytelling was a great suc­cess by our mea­sure. While atten­dance was not quite what I had hoped for, we did have a decent crowd. We may try to avoid sched­ul­ing against home Cardinal foot­ball games going forward!

The folks in atten­dance seemed quite hap­py with the evening’s enter­tain­ment. There was art on dis­play in the lob­by by sev­en local artists, and we had ten sto­ry­tellers on stage who used a vari­ety of forms, includ­ing poet­ry, music, and props to bring their amaz­ing sto­ries to life! And of course, our mas­ter of cer­e­monies, Brett Cheuvront, was on-point as usual. 

We offered up some amaz­ing food from sev­er­al local estab­lish­ments, includ­ing Amy’s Asian Kitchen, Bootlegger Beer Cheese, The Winchester Opera House, Cheesecake & Company, and Cupcake Apothecary. 

And all this was free!

Everything was paid for by a hand­ful of gen­er­ous spon­sors, some of whom wished to remain anony­mous. Others includ­ed DAM Holdings, HCA Pharmacy, Mason on Main, and WWKY. We are so very grate­ful for all of the folks who helped make this such a fun and enter­tain­ing night. 

The theme for the evening was “Hope.” I hope to see many more folks when we do this again next year! 

Check out the pho­to gallery below, cour­tesy of Whiskey and Wiles Photography and Adra Fisher. 

  • The marquee at Leeds
    The mar­quee at Leeds told the “sto­ry” on the night of October 6, 2023: A Night of Storytelling! 
  • Local artists furnished some of their artwork and photography, including Bailey Conlee, Adra Fisher, Nancy Gift, Wes Moody, Kevin Osbourn, Kevin Palmer, and Chuck Witt. (Photo by Adra Fisher)
    Local artists fur­nished some of their art­work and pho­tog­ra­phy, includ­ing Bailey Conlee, Adra Fisher, Nancy Gift, Wes Moody, Kevin Osbourn, Kevin Palmer, and Chuck Witt. (Photo by Adra Fisher)
  • Local artists furnished some of their artwork and photography, including Bailey Conlee, Adra Fisher, Nancy Gift, Wes Moody, Kevin Osbourn, Kevin Palmer, and Chuck Witt. (Photo by Adra Fisher)
    Local artists fur­nished some of their art­work and pho­tog­ra­phy, includ­ing Bailey Conlee, Adra Fisher, Nancy Gift, Wes Moody, Kevin Osbourn, Kevin Palmer, and Chuck Witt. (Photo by Adra Fisher)
  • Local artists furnished some of their artwork and photography, including Bailey Conlee, Adra Fisher, Nancy Gift, Wes Moody, Kevin Osbourn, Kevin Palmer, and Chuck Witt. (Photo by Adra Fisher)
    Local artists fur­nished some of their art­work and pho­tog­ra­phy, includ­ing Bailey Conlee, Adra Fisher, Nancy Gift, Wes Moody, Kevin Osbourn, Kevin Palmer, and Chuck Witt. (Photo by Adra Fisher)
  • Local artists furnished some of their artwork and photography, including Bailey Conlee, Adra Fisher, Nancy Gift, Wes Moody, Kevin Osbourn, Kevin Palmer, and Chuck Witt. (Photo by Adra Fisher)
    Local artists fur­nished some of their art­work and pho­tog­ra­phy, includ­ing Bailey Conlee, Adra Fisher, Nancy Gift, Wes Moody, Kevin Osbourn, Kevin Palmer, and Chuck Witt. (Photo by Adra Fisher)
  • Local artists furnished some of their artwork and photography, including Bailey Conlee, Adra Fisher, Nancy Gift, Wes Moody, Kevin Osbourn, Kevin Palmer, and Chuck Witt. (Photo by Adra Fisher)
    Local artists fur­nished some of their art­work and pho­tog­ra­phy, includ­ing Bailey Conlee, Adra Fisher, Nancy Gift, Wes Moody, Kevin Osbourn, Kevin Palmer, and Chuck Witt. (Photo by Adra Fisher)
  • I opened the show by letting the audience know what we are about: Winchester is for everyone! (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    I opened the show by let­ting the audi­ence know what we are about: Winchester is for every­one! (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • Last year, Brett Cheuvront stumbled over the pronunciation of my last name. (He certainly wasn't the first to do that!) I got my payback by appearing to stumble over his name, finally introducing him as "Brett Chevrolet!" (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    Last year, Brett Cheuvront stum­bled over the pro­nun­ci­a­tion of my last name. (He cer­tain­ly was­n’t the first to do that!) I got my pay­back by appear­ing to stum­ble over his name, final­ly intro­duc­ing him as “Brett Chevrolet!” (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • MC Brett Cheuvront introduced each speaker and kept the audience engaged as only Brett can. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    MC Brett Cheuvront intro­duced each speak­er and kept the audi­ence engaged as only Brett can. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • Dana McCall describes herself as a self-taught artist, writer, and dulcimer player. She charmed us with her music and folksy life stories from a bygone era. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    Dana McCall describes her­self as a self-taught artist, writer, and dul­cimer play­er. She charmed us with her music and folksy life sto­ries from a bygone era. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • At 94 years of age and blind, Paschal Baute is an inspiration. Paschal told a ghost story for children, but with a twist: using clever phrasing and timing, he taught the audience to remember the story word-for-word and retell it to others. My grandson loved it! (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    At 94 years of age and blind, Paschal Baute is an inspi­ra­tion. Paschal told a ghost sto­ry for chil­dren, but with a twist: using clever phras­ing and tim­ing, he taught the audi­ence to remem­ber the sto­ry word-for-word and retell it to oth­ers. My grand­son loved it! (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • Berea professor and Winchester resident Nancy Gift found hope in learning about her parentage and unknown siblings -- and dealing with the trauma thus inflicted. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    Berea pro­fes­sor and Winchester res­i­dent Nancy Gift found hope in learn­ing about her parent­age and unknown sib­lings — and deal­ing with the trau­ma thus inflict­ed. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • Jim Trimble, rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, combined story with radio drama from his days working in public radio. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    Jim Trimble, rec­tor of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, com­bined sto­ry with radio dra­ma from his days work­ing in pub­lic radio. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • Well-known Winchester shopkeeper Mason Rhodus used props from a suitcase to tell five stories that brought hope to him through the years of his life. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    Well-known Winchester shop­keep­er Mason Rhodus used props from a suit­case to tell five sto­ries that brought hope to him through the years of his life. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • Anne Hall kept us enraptured with her folk stories, as she has done for students at Shearer Elementary School for over 20 years. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    Anne Hall kept us enrap­tured with her folk sto­ries, as she has done for stu­dents at Shearer Elementary School for over 20 years. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • Mason McCord told his stories and showcased his talent through his songs. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    Mason McCord told his sto­ries and show­cased his tal­ent through his songs. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • Winchester community activist and former educator Jane Burnham entertained and informed with songs and stories of the life of Fanny Cole, a 19th-century formerly enslaved woman who became one of Winchester's most successful entrepreneurs. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    Winchester com­mu­ni­ty activist and for­mer edu­ca­tor Jane Burnham enter­tained and informed with songs and sto­ries of the life of Fanny Cole, a 19th-cen­tu­ry for­mer­ly enslaved woman who became one of Winchester’s most suc­cess­ful entre­pre­neurs. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • Bo List is new to Winchester, having recently joined the staff at the Leeds Center. But his list of bona fides in working with theatre and other arts is long. His story, "Finding the Pancake Queen," was about the life of Nancy Green of Mt. Sterling, known as the original Aunt Jemima. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    Bo List is new to Winchester, hav­ing recent­ly joined the staff at the Leeds Center. But his list of bona fides in work­ing with the­atre and oth­er arts is long. His sto­ry, “Finding the Pancake Queen,” was about the life of Nancy Green of Mt. Sterling, known as the orig­i­nal Aunt Jemima. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
  • Headliner Willie Carver, a former Kentucky Teacher of the Year and author of "Gay Poems for Red States," reads from his book. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)
    Headliner Willie Carver, a for­mer Kentucky Teacher of the Year and author of “Gay Poems for Red States,” reads from his book. (Photo by Whiskey and Wiles Photography)

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