Milbre Burch to present at Wege Center for the Arts on Jan. 17

The Wege Center for the Arts at Maharishi International University is pleased to announce the creation of the David T. Hanson Artist Lecture Series, featuring annual presentations by accomplished artists, curators and art historians. The inaugural presentation will feature a storytelling performance for adult listeners by Milbre Burch on Jan. 17 at the Wege Center’s Ross Theater.

“What Happens When You Really Listen — Oral Storytelling in the 21st Century”

Milbre Burch will present an hourlong storytelling performance at 2:30 p.m. CST on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. The performance will take place in the auditorium of the Wege Center for the Arts located on the campus of Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa.

“What Happens When You Really Listen” will feature global folktales, original stories and character monologues spanning her nearly fifty-year career. Between stories, she will speak about the visual and co-creative aspects of oral storytelling and the phenomenon of the storytelling trance. Q&A to follow.

Milbre Burch is a Grammy-nominated, spoken-word recording artist, internationally known storyteller, published writer, poet, scholar, and produced playwright. Since 1978, she has performed and taught across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, using storytelling to address social justice issues. She is currently a guest lecturer on folklore and performance as a Research Collaborator in the American Studies Department of the University of North Carolina. In 2023, she made her ninth appearance at the National Storytelling Festival. In 2025, she served as a teller-in-residence at the International Storytelling Center. Burch holds a PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Missouri.