Many residents know Elmore Stoutt as a storyteller and an educator, but fewer probably know that when he was in primary school more than 50 years ago he had to wear his grandmother’s high-heeled shoes to school for a few days.
At least that was what he said as he entertained hundreds of residents at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium on Saturday. Mr. Stoutt was the headliner at the VI Showcase, part of the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College’s 20th Performing Arts Series.
In Mr. Stoutt’s younger days, he recounted, many Virgin Islands residents depended on relatives in St. Thomas or the mainland United States to ship over supplies. So while he waited on a replacement for a lost shoe, he was forced to wear his grandmother’s.
The story was one of many Mr. Stoutt told a packed house that night from a stage decorated with fishing nets, pots and a washing pan. He also sang several fungi songs with a group of musicians.
“Mr. Stoutt gave an excellent performance, as I knew he would,” said Linette Baa, HLSCC’s coordinator of auditorium events and special projects. “He is an excellent storyteller. He is great at what he does, and we thought it would have been an excellent addition to have him with us this season.”
See the Jan. 22, 2015 edition for full coverage.
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