Liza Newell is an award-winning performance artist and international keynote speaker who uses storytelling to explore the beauty and complexity of the human spirit.
From hospitals to boardrooms, to universities, museums, and festivals, Liza carries the ancient art of storytelling into modern spaces. Whether on stage or leading a training, Liza invites participants to experience the wide-ranging applications of storytelling in daily life.
Her performances are a living tapestry 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.
Alongside her performance work, she coaches leaders and executives in the foundations of storytelling, helping them translate complexity into clarity, and clarity into presence.
Liza believes in 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.
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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.
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Performances:
Spring Equinox Storytelling: A Ritual Return, Celeste Farms, Richmond, VA, March 2026
Ev’ry Time, Blood from a Turnip, Richmond, VA, February 2026
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 + Keynotes:
The Art of Storytelling, Caroline County Public Library, Denton, MD, April, 2026
In the Footsteps of the Bard, Henrico Public Library, Richmond, VA, April 2026
Storytelling: The Invisible Infrastructure of Clarity, Confidence, and Shared Direction, CloudFest, Rust, Germany, March 2026
Storytelling for Confident Communication, CloudFest, Rust, Germany, March 2026
StoryFire, Bath County, VA, November 2025
Storytelling for Neurodivergent Audiences, Henrico Public Library Staff Training, Varina, VA, August, 2025
Mapping the Mythopoetic Through Storytelling, Richmond Poetry Festival, Richmond, VA, 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
“In a world defined by distraction and fragmentation, Liza offers something rare and profoundly needed: a return to the ancient art of oral storytelling. She is a gifted storyteller who invites us, not just as individuals, but as a species, to remember what it means to gather, to listen, and to participate in the timeless tradition of shared stories.
Liza creates an experience where the listener steps through a portal into another realm. One where time softens, rhythms deepen, and stories move with a different cadence.
During the holiday season, Liza came into my home and curated several intimate storytelling gatherings. As both host and participant, I received one of the greatest gifts imaginable amid the seasonal hustle: a space of wonder, reflection, connection, and collective presence. Her ability to “weave” a room together is nothing short of magical.
I wholeheartedly recommend Liza’s storytelling artistry for private home gatherings, birthdays, anniversaries, seasonal celebrations, or simply a meaningful evening with loved ones. Her work is equally powerful for larger corporate events, where teams are invited to reconnect.
Liza is an artist from another time. One who gently reminds us to gather round, to listen deeply, and to collectively crack open the wisdom waiting inside stories that long to be heard, shared, and witnessed.”
“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 CenterHillary Augustine Author of "The Currency Paradigm" “I remember the first time I heard Liza tell a story and thought “Wow! She understands storytelling!” That was [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