San Francisco Bay Area
Kirk Waller, Storyteller
Spoken word, rhythm, music and movement — stories that move a crowd to laughter or to tears.
Kirk Waller has been involved in theater, public speaking, mime and, of course, storytelling for over 20 years. He performs in schools, libraries, churches, storytelling festivals, businesses and special events, and has a lifelong love of story, literature and the arts.
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Recognition
National recognition for his speaking abilities, including a first place in After Dinner Speaking in the Phi Rho Pi National Forensic Speech Championships and the J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Grant awarded by the National Storytelling Network.
- J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Grant — National Storytelling Network
- First place, After Dinner Speaking — Phi Rho Pi National Forensic Speech Championships
- Marin Arts Council Community Arts Grant recipient for the Colors of Diversity Storytelling Project
- Parent's Choice Foundation GOLD award for the CD But Why? Stories, Music and Songs
He is a member of the National Storytelling Network, the National Speakers Association, and the Storytelling Association of Alta California.
Kirk Waller is a storyteller based in the San Francisco Bay Area whose performances blend spoken word, rhythm, music and movement into experiences that can move a crowd to laughter or to tears. The site presents a quiet, literary portrait of a performer whose work has grown out of more than two decades spent in theater, public speaking, mime and, of course, storytelling. The emphasis throughout is on the art of narrative itself, and how a well-told story carries an audience along with it.
The performance programs described here extend well beyond formal stages. Kirk Waller performs in schools, libraries, churches, storytelling festivals, businesses and special events across the Bay Area and beyond, including festivals and gatherings further afield. That range speaks to a versatile performer who reads the needs of a particular room and adjusts the material accordingly, whether the setting is a classroom, a sanctuary, a corporate gathering or a community hall.
Recognition for speaking abilities has followed this body of work, including a first place in an After Dinner Speaking division within a Phi Rho forensics context and awards from an emerging artist network. The site also notes a Gold Award received from a parent-choice foundation, as well as recognition connected with a national storytelling organization. Such mentions sit lightly alongside the deeper theme: a lifelong love of story, literature and the arts.
Accompanying the text are video excerpts and a fuller biography, inviting visitors to see and hear the work rather than simply read about it. In visual terms the site favours restraint: a muted light grey page background, crisp white content panels, near-black serif typography and a single blue-toned accent for links. Generous whitespace, square corners and a thick black rule beneath the image area give the layout an editorial calm that matches the subject matter.
A working storyteller
Kirk holds a Bachelor's Degree in English and a Master's in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. His programmes reach children, teens and adults, and he also works as a story coach for speakers, teachers, preachers and sales representatives.
Festival appearances include the Bay Area Storytelling Festival, Telling Tales Berkwood Hedge Festival, and the DVC Ethnic Storytelling Festival. On April 7 he performed stories about tolerance and diversity for first through fourth graders at Marin Primary & Middle School, as part of a Diversity Speaker Series sponsored by Fair Housing of Marin.
Programmes
Booking and enquiries
Storytelling programmes are available for schools, libraries, churches, businesses, workshops, conferences and keynotes, as well as private groups and individuals. Kirk is available for your workshops, conferences and keynotes.
Phone: 510-290-0253 · or use the contact form to ask about a date.