Illinois Storytelling Member Directory

Dan LeMonnier 8540 Hawthorne Dr., Munster IN 46321
219-923-5997
email: banjotales@sbcglobal.net
website: www.banjotales.com 

A singer, actor, storyteller and writer, Dan performs world wide, delighting audiences of all ages with his renditions of American folklore, literature, tall tales and music. He has performed at the 53rd Presidential Inaugural Celebration, the Smithsonian Institute (three times), and at festivals, community art centers, and schools throughout the country. He is a recipient of the Frank L. Basile Emerging Stories Fellowship for his performance based on the life of Clarence Jordan (spiritual father of Habitat for Humanity), and was a finalist for the Brimstone Award in Applied Storytelling for his program on hospice. Dan holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from Marquette University and an MFA in Acting from the Goodman School of Drama at DePaul University. For almost twenty years, he was also well known in the Chicago area as "Benny the Bull," mascot for the six-time NBA champion Chicago Bulls. He co-directed the Chicago Children's Museum's Annual Storyfest for three years, and has taught workshops at the National Storytelling Conference.