Dr. Gladys F. DeVane is a storyteller, actress, writer and professor emeritus. She began her storytelling career at age ten and had become an accomplished storyteller and active thespian by the time she entered high school. Gladys has performed in many main-stage productions, numerous storytelling events and stage-reading projects with the Bloomington Playwrights Project (BPP), the Cardinal Stage Company, and the Bloomington Civic Theater. Her stories appeal to both children and adult audiences. Gladys has lived in Texas, Oklahoma, and Indiana. She says, "I have seen a lot on my journey, and I draw on this wealth of personal experiences and historical events to develop and write stories and vignettes related to past and present experiences and show life as it was then and is now." She is a member of The National Black Storyteller's Association, The Bloomington Storyteller's Guild, and The National Society of Arts and Letters. She serves on the Bloomington Playwright Project Board of Directors. And she is active in many other local civic organizations.