Carla Vogel 3749 Grand Avenue South, #2 Minneapolis MN 55408 (612) 879-0468 carlachai@yahoo.com Work Samples Video: video clip 1 (higher bandwidth, DSL, ISDN, T1) video clip 1 (lower bandwidth, 56K) To view the work samples, Windows Media Player is required. If you do not have it installed, you can download it for free here: Download Windows Media Player

Carla Vogel Yiddish-Jewish storyteller Carla Vogel reaches into the past, drawing on her own Eastern European ancestry and family folklore, to bring a colorful world of Jewish characters to audiences of all ages and ethnicities. Through poetic language, expressive movement and a unique sense of humor, Carla's storytelling evokes the timeless wisdom, humor and exuberance of Yiddish culture. The stories are interwoven with Yiddish language, folk sayings and songs. In addition to performing for schools and community venues Carla is also available for weddings, birthdays and other life cycle events. Workshops in intergenerational storytelling and theater arts are also available. Available: Anytime for performances; no mileage restrictions Space: There are no space requirements. If the audience is large enough, I require one microphone. Fee: Negotiable

Additional Information:
Carla's training as a storyteller comes from two main sources: her family of origin and her work as a performing artist. Carla remembers her mother's mother Minnie Mack who would narrate reminiscences about her life in Kynshyn, a pre-World War shtetl (village) in Poland. She would hear stories such as celebratory ones of falling in love and dancing on Shabbat to heartbreaking ones of saying goodbye to her family at the train station before sailing off to America.

As a performing artist for over 15 years, Carla's career began not on the stage but on the streets of Lawrence at the University of Kansas. A psychology major at the time, Carla's passion for non-traditional forms of theater led her to join the Costume Party, a street theater troupe. After graduating college in 1986, Carla moved to Minnesota. She has since then participated in a wide variety of community theater projects that used personal stories and oral history as its primary focus in creating dramatic pieces, such as the Whittier Community Play, the Metropolitan Poverty Department and the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange.

In 1995, Carla traveled to Israel, a trip that dramatically changed her work. There she was reunited with her mother's side of the family descendants from Kynshyn, Poland. From these family members, Carla became reacquainted with Eastern European Culture. The experience "opened a door" and reconnected her back to her Jewish roots. Upon return, Carla began to write and perform original Jewish stories. She was now paying attention to the ancestral voices she would hear in her head voices that seemed to say, "Carla, you're finally listening." Her stories were launched at the Wild Yam Cabaret to a receptive and enthusiastic audience.

Many of Carla's stories are set in the shtetls of Eastern Europe. Her stories contain references to characters from shtetl folklore such as Zalman the umbrella fixer to original characters such as Esther Pinkl the shtetl kvetch (complainer). Some of Carla's stories also have personal growth components. One centers on Sophie Jacobvich. Sophie's mother wishes Sophie to find a husband. However, Sophie is considered to be a mieskayt, or unattractive. Shy, she obsessively collects goldfish, which she finds beautiful and graceful, qualities she believes herself to lack. Sophie visits a matchmaker who wants to fix her up with another mieskayt, Jacob Weisman. However, before her date with Jacob she decides to bring her collection of goldfish back to the pond, and then dives in. The fish notice her beauty. Finally Sophie comes out of the pond, and upon glancing at her reflection, she sees herself to be beautiful.

Carla creates original stories that represent traditional Yiddish culture. Weaving past and contemporary themes together her work combines passion with traditional wisdom.