Andy Offutt Irwin
One of the most in-demand storytellers in the United States, Andy has been Artist-in-Residence in Theatre at Emory University’s Oxford College since 1991. Among a bunch of other places, Andy has performed at LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts in New York (The FAME! School), The Library of Congress, Walt Disney World, and many times at The National Storytelling Festival. He is a perennial favorite of the Teller-in Residence program at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Andy is a recipient of the National Storytelling Network ORACLE Circle of Excellence Award. He holds eight Storytelling World Awards, A Parents’ Choice Award, and A National Parenting Product Award. In 2017 Andy received a Special Congressional Recognition – For outstanding and invaluable service to the community from Rep. John Lewis. Andy grew up and still lives in Covington, Georgia. Andy can design programing for any project. He thinks he is funny.
Arts Disciplines: Storytelling, Music, Theatre/Drama, Creative Writing
Core Content Curriculum Areas: Music, English/Language Arts, Theatre/Drama
Specialized Content Areas: Character Education
Grade Levels: Pre-K, K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Geographic Availability: Metro Atlanta
Program Fees: $580 for 1 show, $865 for 2 shows (in a row), $1,410 for 3 show (in a row)
Artistic Profile:
Andy Offutt Irwin began his career at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT Center where, under the auspices of SAK Theatre, he performed, wrote, and directed live comedy shows from 1984- 1989. Then from 1995 to 2015 Andy was a teaching artist with Young Audiences of the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta. As a one-person showman, Andy is perennial favorite of the Teller-in Residence program at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and he has been a Featured Teller at the National Storytelling Festival six times. Andy primarily performs musical storytelling programs for children from pre-school to high school which tell stories about the environment, language arts, character growth, history, and the experience of being a kid. Andy has performed in many storytelling festivals and for in school field trips. Andy has also been the recipient of many storytelling awards.
Teaching Experience:
Andy Offutt Irwin was an Artist in Residence at Oxford College of Emory University from 1991- 2007 where in 2001 he was the recipient of the Sammy Clark Award Exemplary Teaching and Service. He continues providing theatre and service projects for Emory’s Oxford Campus (where he is now known officially as Artist in Just Passing Through). Since 1993 to the present Andy has worked in conjunction with Oxford College’s Counseling Center and Student Health Services, developing and directing theatrical orientation programming aimed at empowering student Peer Assistant Leaders (PALs) with tools to guide incoming freshman into a greater awareness of social and health issues.
Andy conducts workshops and performances all over the United States. He has been a guest teaching artist at La Guardia High School of Art, Music, and Performing arts in New York (The “FAME” School). He has been a guest composer with the Amherst College Men’s Double Quartet, a guest lecturer at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Playwright in Residence at Georgia College, a visiting performer and composer with the Georgia Tech Glee Club, a visiting songwriter with the Amherst College Men’s Double Quartet, and part of The University of Alabama’s Resident Facility Speaker Series. Andy has been a Keynote Speaker and storyteller at The Conference on Children’s Literature, Ft Lauderdale, Florida, and a guest instructor at East Tennessee State University, Storytelling Institute, and a guest artist and instructor at the Peter Gruber International Academy in Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Sample Programs:
- Offutt’s Environmental Epic Show
- Theme: Environment, Storytelling, Music
- Grade Levels: All ages
- Number of Students: 200 Student Maximum
- Program Length: 40 min.
- Description: Andy wades down the local creek all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, learning important lessons along the way about pollution, recycling, and the interdependence of all living things.
- Facility and Technical Requirements: Clear Space
- Fee Structure: $580 for one performance, $865 for two performances in a row, $1,410 for three performances in a row.
- Letter’s Numbers and Other Important Stuff
- Theme: Music, Storytelling, Language Arts
- Grade Levels: Pre-K- K
- Number of Students: 200 Student Maximum
- Program Length: 40 min.
- Description: Active counting, alphabet and spelling songs, along with tunes that teach life lessons. Original songs include, I have Ten Fingers, You are a Goofy Kid and, Socks Are Hard to See.
- Facility and Technical Requirements: Clear Space
- Fee Structure: $580 for one performance, $865 for two performances in a row, $1,410 for three performances in a row.
- Cards In the Spokes
- Theme: Music, Storytelling, History, Character Development
- Grade Levels: Middle and High School
- Number of Students: 200 Student Maximum
- Program Length: 40 min.
- Description: Through this story, you’ll be one of the boys roaming free. At Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, you’ll be with black and white children in the movie theatre – segregated, yet stuffed together – during a partly live touring matinee. Then hop on your bike with the boys as they pass back and forth across the racial boundaries of the times. The scenery is Southern, but the themes are universal, and the lessons speak straight to the heart.
- Facility and Technical Requirements: Clear Space
- Fee Structure: $580 for one performance, $865 for two performances in a row, $1,410 for three performances in a row.
Sample Lesson Plans/Study Guides:
- Cards in the Spokes Study Guide
- Letters, Numbers, Study Guide
- Offutt’s Environmental Epic Show! Study Guide
Program Photos and Audio:
- Listing ID: 5994