Brian “Fox” Ellis is part Cherokee and has studied with native Elders from several tribes. He has performed at Powwows and Native Gatherings across Turtle Island. In recent years he was invited to perform at the Apple River Fort for their commemoration of the Black Hawk War and for a group of Sauk and Fox Elders at the Black Hawk Museum in Rock Island. He has presented at the Trail of Tears Museum in the foothills of The Smokey Mountains and at the Assiniboine Reservation for a conference on Seeing the Prairie Through Native Eyes. The following programs give voice to the Native American view of American History, including much that is left out of your history books.

Black Hawk’s View of American History - Imagine sitting around a campfire with Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kiuk-kiuk, listening to the stories of creation and the legends of his grandfathers. Drawing from Black Hawk’s Autobiography and his knowledge of American Indian Cosmology, Fox portrays the reporter who transcribed and published Black Hawk’s life story. Fox weaves true history with folklore to create a tapestry of symbolic language that draws the audience into the world view of this respected leader of his people. There are traditional chants and drumming songs, including a chance for the audience to participate in a few social dances.

Two Faces of Illinois’ History: A Conversation with Ninian Edwards and Chief Gomo: 200 years ago Ninian Edward’s men burned the French Village of Peoria and Gomo rescued the French women and children left behind. We commemorate the burning of Peoria in the War of 1812. Spend an hour with two of the most pivotal and dynamic personalities in Illinois History. First meet Illinois’ Territorial Governor Ninian Edwards as he speaks on his role in The War of 1812, the burning of Peoria, and the Cahokia Council with the Indians. Then hear Pottawatomie Chief Gomo as he shares his side of the story in the rescue of the French women and children of Peoria, his relationships with the other principal chiefs of this region, including Black Partridge, Tecumseh and The Prophet, and his speech responding to the Governor. Much of the text is taken directly from the speeches these two men delivered to each other as they squared off to determine the future of this region. Storyteller, Brian” Fox” Ellis steps into each of their shoes to bring to life a controversial story in this vital moment in the birthing of Illinois. This program explores American History unvarnished and promises to inspire a lively discussion!

Indian Legends with Henry Rowe Schoolcraft: Spend an afternoon in the parlor of this consummate storyteller and poet as he shares tales of the Ojibwa. He lived among the American Indians in Northern Michigan in the early 1800's. Schoolcraft was one of the first to make a comprehensive effort to collect folktales from the tribes he worked with. He also married a Chippewa woman. Longfellow’s Hiawatha was plagiarized from Schoolcraft’s scholarship. Like Lewis and Clark, Colonel Zebulon Pike, and the Long Expedition, Schoolcraft was hired by the US Government to conduct extensive geological and natural history surveys of the west including explorations the lower region of the Louisiana Purchase and an ecological survey of the Illinois Valley in 1834. Schoolcraft also discovered and named Lake Itasca, the ‘true head' of the Mississippi.

Prince Maximilian and Karl Bodmer: Touring the Wilderness of North America: Join the Prince of Wied, Maximilian, as he takes you on a tour of North America as he saw it in 1832-34. Using Karl Bodmer’s illuminating illustrations, Prince Maximilian will escort the audience on an adventure from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to the Great Falls of the Missouri River, from New Harmony, Indiana to New Orleans, Louisiana. Travel with this intrepid explorer to meet America’s best scientific minds, explore the West in the wake of Lewis and Clark, and participate in traditional American Indian drumming songs. Storyteller and author Brian “Fox” Ellis steps into the shoes of Prince Maximilian allowing the audience to step back in time. Much of the text for this performance comes directly from his journals. The backdrop includes the landscapes, portraits, and scenes from everyday life painted by Karl Bodmer.

Tribal Tales from the Rivers Edge: Before ethnology was a scientific discipline, Lewis and Clark collected stories, songs, and artifacts from the dozens of distinct cultures they encountered in their journey west. They kept detailed notes on tribal customs and collected vocabulary to create a rough outline of a dictionary of Indian Languages. In this dynamic performance, Fox shares both folklore and true history from the American Indians met along the way. The audience sees something of the transformation of the Corps of Discovery as they adapted to Native American life ways and they hear about life before the white man came. Not once, but several times, the journey would have failed if not for the kindness of Native Americans.

With literally hundreds of Lincoln impersonators out there, Fox thought it would be more intriguing for the audience to see Lincoln through the eyes of his friends, giving us a unique perspective on our favorite president. This series of programs can be booked as a one man Chautauqua! Follow this link for Lesson Plans. Click here to purchase a CD.

Lincoln Tales Tall and True with Austin Gulihur: Austin Gulihur was born in Kentucky in 1807, making him two years older than his childhood friend, Abraham Lincoln. Gulihur saved Lincoln's life when Lincoln was seven, so if not for him, Lincoln would have never been president! The Gulihur family also settled in New Salem, Illinois just a few years before Abraham arrived. Tracing his youth in Kentucky through his education in Indiana and early days in Illinois this blend of history and storytelling will give the audience a "best friend's" view on Lincoln's early years.

William Herndon Speaks of Lincoln the Lawyer: Lincoln's law partner, Herndon wrote one of the most important and controversial biographies of Abraham Lincoln. Herndon conducted dozens of interviews with informants who knew Lincoln personally. Herndon will share stories from Lincoln's life as a lawyer, his early legal training and some of the most important cases won and lost, including legal precedent that is still quoted in modern courts! Was Lincoln a backwoods, self-taught lawyer or was he one of the highest paid lawyers in America in his day?

Walt Whitman’s Lincoln: Lincoln was a fan of Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass”, reading excerpts to clients in his Springfield law office; the one time he took the poetry home Mary Todd threatened to burn it! Whitman’s most famous poems, “Oh Captain, My Captain” and “When Lilacs Last Bloomed” were written as eulogies for this martyred hero. One of Whitman’s best friends was in Ford’s Theater the night he was murdered. After Lincoln’s death Whitman gave regular lectures on Lincoln’s assassination to rave reviews. Fox recreates a program Whitman delivered on the life and death of Lincoln woven with his Civil War poems and recollections of their misty morning encounter during the war.

To commemorate The Sesquicentennial of the Civil War Fox offers five programs that explore several different aspects of the war from several points of view. For a weekend event or re-enactment, he would be happy to present several of these programs with a bulk discount if you book more than one. Follow this link for lesson plans and Click Here to purchase a CD.

Black Jack Logan: Who was John A. Logan? Was he: General Grant’s favorite Civil War officer, OR one of Illinois’ most powerful Senators, OR Founder of Memorial Day as a National Holiday, OR Mark Twain’s favorite public speaker… Or all of the above? As one historian has said, John A Logan was the most important character of the 19^th century who is completely forgotten in the 21st. How does a man go from small town lawyer to Vice Presidential Candidate? What pushed him from becoming Abraham Lincoln’s bitter rival to campaigning for Lincoln’s re-election? How does an avid racist and author of Illinois’ Black Laws become an advocate for African American Civil Rights and education? Spend an hour with this enigmatic character as personified by Brian Fox Ellis and maybe you will better understand why Frederick Douglas said, if a man like Black Jack Logan can have a change of heart then there is hope for everyone.

Captain Henry Detweiller on The Role of Steamboatin’ in the Union Victory! Based on the pilot’s logs of Captain Detweiller, Brian “Fox” Ellis steps on stage immersing the audience in the vital, though unsung role of steamboats in the siege of Vicksburg, the capture of Natchez, and the horrors of Shiloh. Captain Henry Detweiller was there and shares an eyewitness account. He delivered troops and supplies during the Civil War, was a friend of Lincoln and rival of Mark Twain! Fox brings these stories to life in a first person monologue that shares a unique voice in this important chapter of river history. Fox is also the Riverlorian for the Spirit of Peoria.

Civil War Ghosts and Legends – True stories and period literature are woven with traditional songs and poetry from the most un-civil war. Join Brian “Fox” Ellis as he takes listeners back in time to the bloody battlefields, and gruesome field hospitals of America’s deadliest war. Fox recites poems by Walt Whitman and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, interspersing his rich knowledge of the war with horror stories by Civil War soldier/reporter Ambrose Bierce and folksongs by Stephen Foster.

A Soldier’s Tale: The Civil War from the Front Lines – In this dynamic performance storyteller and author Brian “Fox” Ellis steps into the shoes of three soldiers to explore the war and its aftermath in American History. In the persona of Mathias Stritt, a German immigrant and first to enlist in Peoria, we hear the overview of the war from Shiloh to the burning of Atlanta and Sherman’s march to the sea. General David Perkins Greer created the Illinois 77^th Regiment and fought alongside Grant and Sherman. Robert Avery fought in the Red River and Mobile Campaigns, was captured and spent much of the war in the notorious prison camp of Andersonville.

Walt Whitman’s Lincoln - Lincoln was a fan of Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass”, reading excerpts to clients in his Springfield law office; the one time he took the poetry home Mary Todd threatened to burn it! Whitman’s most famous poems, “Oh Captain, My Captain” and “When Lilacs Last Bloomed” were written as eulogies for this martyred hero. After Lincoln’s assassination Whitman gave regular lectures on Lincoln to rave reviews. Brian “Fox” Ellis steps into Whitman’s shoes to recreate a program he delivered on the Life of Lincoln woven with his Civil War poems and recollections of their misty morning encounter during the war.

And here is a program I helped Barry Cloyd to research and write. Please Contact Fox if interested in hosting this or any of these Civil War programs:

James Henry Munroe – The Drummer Boy of Shiloh: With more than 2000 Civil War songs to choose from, many written by the soldiers themselves, let the Drummer Boy of Shiloh be your guide on a tour of the Civil War through its music. He was only 12 years old when the War Between the States began, but he volunteered. He marched with General Fremont, General Buell and General Grant. On a Sunday morning in April, 1862 he found himself on the front lines of Shiloh, TN, near a little church of that name. He fought in 27 major battles. After the war he settled in Peoria, Illinois, where he taught music at Peoria Central High School, led several fine orchestras and collected Civil War music. Join singer/songwriter Barry Cloyd as he steps into the shoes of Munroe to explore the history of the war through songs famous and less well known.

The Grimm World of Fairy Tales:
Conversations with Wilhelm Grimm

Wilhelm Grimm Shares His Favorite Fairy Tales!

To celebrate the bicentennial of the publication of the Grimm Brothers' Stories I have posted a new video, Bear Skin, one of my favorite Grimm Tales!

Imagine spending a delightful hour in the library of one of the world’s most famous storytellers! With warmth and humor, these timeless tales remind us of our deepest dreams and secret desires. With Wilhelm Grimm as our guide to the historical and cultural context for each of the stories he tells, this program will by turns make you smile and grip the edge of your seat! The classic fairy tales are brought to life in this one-man theatrical performance. Stories are woven together with traditional folk tunes sung in Deutsch and details from the enchanting life of this prolific author.

This is an inter-generational program where there is humor and romance for the young at heart, history and culture for those so inclined, sing-a-long songs for the minstrel, and a mix of the eerie and spine-tingling for those who are brave of heart; truly something for everyone! Both grandparents and children will leave the program with exciting ideas to talk about. This program is easily adapted for young children, high school history and literature courses, Road Scholars or German Heritage Festivals.

Brian “Fox” Ellis has been performing the stories of the Grimm Brothers for more than twenty years. He has toured Europe fourteen times performing and researching fairy tales in castles and museums. He taught a graduate course for SIUE where he led a two week adventure, traveling the Fairy Tale Road through Europe. They had lunch in Snow White’s Castle, climbed Rapunzal’s Tower and met the Big Bad Wolf while hiking in the Black Forest with Little Red Riding Hood.

Wilhelm Grimm is touring America and would love to share his stories at your library, your next Oktoberfest or German American dinner!

Follow this link for follow-up lesson plans.