Liza Newell is an award-winning performance artist and educator who uses storytelling, song, puppetry, and dance to explore the beauty and complexity of the human spirit.

Liza’s performances are a living tapestry of expression woven from fairy tales, folklore, mythology, and personal experience. Each performance becomes a doorway, inviting audiences into a shared experience of deep listening, connection, and vivid imagination.

From hospitals and boardrooms to classrooms, museums, festivals, retirement communities, living rooms, and more, Liza carries the ancient art of storytelling into modern spaces. Whether on stage or leading a workshop, Liza invites participants to experience the wide-ranging applications of storytelling in daily life.

Liza believes in the power of curiosity and imagination as driving forces for change. Her work invites individuals from all walks of life to journey with her into realms of wonder, reflection, and transformation.

  • Liza Newell grew up in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She hails from a lineage of storytellers and has honed her craft through years of immersion in the rich tapestry of storytelling, musical theater, communal singing, dance, and writing.

    Through her myriad forms of expression, Liza’s creativity opens up new pathways for our lived experiences to intersect.

  • Performances:

    Homespun Stories Encore Performance, Richmond, VA, December 2025

    Stories for Little Ones, The Paonia Cottage School, Paonia, CO, December 2025

    Homespun Stories, Richmond, VA, December 2025

    Halloween Series with Wild at Heart, Richmond, VA, October 2025

    Samhain Celebrations, Warrenton, VA, October 2025

    Fairy Tales for Families, Duck, NC, August 2025

    Seaside Tales for Families, Nags Head, NC, August 2025

    Fairy Tales in Crystal Springs, Roanoke, VA, July 2025

    Adventure Stories for Families, Roanoke, VA, July 2025

    Celebration of Tales, Charlottesville, VA, June 2025

    Fresh Stories Served Hot, Charlottesville, VA, June 2025

    Color Our World, Brunswick County, VA, June 2025

    Stone Soup Storytelling Festival, Woodruff, SC, April 2025

    Spinning Tales along the Holy River, Oakley Farm, Warm Springs, VA, April 2025

    Creating Unity Through Song and Story, The Inner Work Center, Richmond, VA, March 2025

    Flying South, Richmond, VA, March 2025

    Blood from a Turnip, Richmond, VA, February 2025

    Fresh Stories Served Hot, Charlottesville, VA, February 2025

    Northeastern New Member Showcase, Virtual Performance, November 2024

    Halloween Showcase, Roanoke Public Library, Roanoke, VA, October 2024

    Fairy Tale & Folklore Story Showcase, Nags Head, NC, August 2024

    Family Storytelling Showcase, Duck, NC, August 2024

    Barrier Island Center, Machipongo, VA, July 2024

    Celebration of Tales, Charlottesville, Va, June 2024

    Stone Soup Storytelling Festival, Woodruff, SC, April 2024

    Better Said than Done, Falls Church, VA, February 2024

    The Grapevine, Hyattsville, MD, January 2024

    Taking the Stage, Black Mountain, NC, October 2023

    Donald Davis Storytelling Showcase, Ocracoke, NC, June 2023

    Secretly Y’all, Richmond, VA, August 2017

    Workshops:

    StoryFire, Bath County, VA, November 2025

    Storytelling for Neurodivergent Audiences, Henrico Public Library Staff Training, August, 2025

    Mapping the Mythopoetic Through Storytelling, Richmond Poetry Festival, April 2025

    Storytelling as a Tool for Corporate Healthcare, Sentara Healthcare, February 2025

    Storytelling as a Pathway to Connection, Barrier Island Center, Machipongo, VA, September 2024

    Your Story, Your Legacy, Lakewood Retirement Community, Richmond, VA, May - June 2024

    Storytelling as an Antidote to Exploitation, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, March 2024

what people are saying

“I’ve had the joy of hearing Liza Newell share stories a few times now, twice in online spaces, and in person at the Stone Soup Storytelling Festival. Every time, I’ve been moved. But that moment at Stone Soup… that one stayed with me. She told a story that carried a call-and-response song woven into it, and by the end, the whole room was in tears. She brought us all into something deeper than just words.

Liza is a gentle soul who tells with so much care. Her voice, her presence, carries both softness and strength. She doesn't just perform stories, she offers them. There's real love in what she does. She reminds me of the power of story to heal, to connect, and to hold each other close.” 

Liz  Love , Artist in  Residence, Muse134

“Liza’s storytelling is truly something special.  She draws you in in a way that feels easy and natural. Liza is engaging, imaginative, and filled with warmth and heart that she spreads through the experience, and I could have listened to her for hours.”

Erin Parker,  Program Manager,  The Innerwork Center

“I remember the first time I heard Liza tell a story. “Wow! She understands storytelling!” That was three years ago [in 2023] at the Celebration of Tales in Charlottesville. She confirmed that feeling each time I’ve heard her since. Liza’s careful use of voice, timing, word choice, and gesture stirs feelings in her listeners as only a good storyteller can. She has the gift. May we all get a chance to enjoy it.”

Rob Craighurst, Fresh Stories Served Hot, Charlottesville

“Listening to Liza is a treat not to be missed. I had the good fortune to watch her perform in a friends living room to a standing room only crowd. Her unique gift of storytelling transports the listener, creates community amid strangers, and powerfully transmits wisdom of the ages. 

She is engaging, playful, and a talented guide into another realm. And truthfully she is sharing a sacred medicine we could all use right now to preserve our humanity.”

Joan Advent
Creator of The Crone Codes podcast

“Liza is truly gifted at weaving timelines and inviting introspection. At the Art of Storytelling workshop, she exemplified presence rather than performance—connecting listeners to the story while gently drawing them inward. The process of listening, sharing, and writing was quite a journey.

The way Liza guided the group created an enlightening experience. I recommend this workshop for creatives, authors, public speakers, and anyone interested in exploring their inner landscape.” 

Cristal Toribio,  Adult Programming & Community Outreach, Caroline County Public Library