Eva Abram grew up in the small town of St. Joe, Louisiana, in the Mississippi Delta.
As a child, one of her chores was to collect rainwater for household use. It taught her that water is essential for life. She believes that storytelling is also essential, so to promote the valuable lesson of the importance of water and story, she she named her business “Rainwater Storytelling”.
“Stories nourish human beings, as rainwater nourishes the earth’s plants and animals,” she says. “I grew up collecting rainwater. Now I collect stories.”
She believes that the power of storytelling is universal, connecting us, showing us how we are alike even though our cultures may be different.
Eva Abram now lives in Seattle and has performed in schools, theaters, festivals, libraries, and history museums throughout the country.
As an actress, public speaker, and avid lover of history, she brings historical figures to life with lessons for us all. Among others, her characters include Shirley Chisholm – 1972 Presidential Candidate; Bessie Coleman – Aviation Pioneer; and Rosa Parks – Civil Rights Activist.
In one of her many stories, Eva Abram (right) has told of the friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune, noted educator, philanthropist, humanitarian, and civil rights activist.
She also performs a variety of African/American and multicultural stories to be enjoyed by adults and children, including a Brer Rabbit and Friends program. These are presented with masterful use of gestures, body language, character voices and expressions that bring characters to life.
She writes and performs stories about people and events that have shaped our state and our nation. Combining acting and storytelling skills, she creates dramatic presentations that explore race and race relations.
Ms. Abram holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Policy/Public Policy from the University of Washington. She was selected by the National Storytelling Network as the recipient of the 2022 J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Award. As an actress, she has performed in several theatres in the Seattle area.
She says human beings need connection: “We all want to connect with one another and to our humanity. Stories help us make connections. We need to know and feel that we are one. As a storyteller, I take you on emotional journeys with stories. I make characters come alive and audiences experience emotions that help them identify with the story and with each other. When people experience storytelling, they are experiencing their humanity.”
Eva Abram is one of our featured tellers at the 40th Florida Storytelling Festival Jan. 25 to Jan. 28 at the historic Lakeside Inn in Mt. Dora. Visit our festival listing to find when Eva Abram is telling. You will have several chances to see and hear her. She also will conduct a storytelling workshop on Saturday.
To see Eva Abram in action visit: https://youtu.be/BbCtHHDaeqY?si=3mvoWUyuj7wjTAXw