Ghost Stories with Spirited Storyteller Michael Katz

Looks like we’re in for a seriously spooky time this Halloween season when dynamic storyteller Michael Katz offers a selection of ghost stories for the young, and young at heart, in a free program at Soul Bites on Monday, October 30.

Starting with a 4 p.m. show just for the little ones, ages 5-9, Katz (a very popular storyteller performer at local elementary school assemblies), will share some of his favorite eerie tales drawn from folklore, myths, and his own life. 

“Often I decide the stories on the spot,” he says. So while the tales are “not set in stone,” the 4 p.m. set includes stories for the youngest crowd such as Wiley and the Hairy Man: a Black American folktale and Tia Miseria: a Mexican American folktale.

The program for ages 10 and up (starting at 6 p.m.), could include Spin, Spine Reel off Skin, a Creole story which is certainly appropriate for the southern soul-themed venue. Also potentially on the playbill are a personal story, The Duck Story; a Pennsylvania folktale, The Stuffed Panther; and another riff on Tia Miseria, The Juniper Tree, this one is based on Grimms. 

“I’ll be telling ‘ghost stories,’ which means what I would consider ‘eerie’ and ‘jump tale’ (i.e. look, I made you jump),” said Katz. “The truth is, rarely are there ‘ghosts’ in a ghost story, I usually draw from folklore.

Katz encourages people to bring blankets to sit on and enjoy the delicious soul food available for sale from the Soul Bites team.

Soul Bites is located at 423 State St. The event is free, but guests are encouraged to come early, as seating is limited. For more information, see soulbitesrestaurants.com.