Heart Mind Productions - 11644 Maple Road - Plymouth, IN 46563 - Ph. (574) 936-3896 - Fax (574) 936-8302 heartmind@hoosierlink.net

George Schricker was raised in the small town of Plymouth, Indiana during much of the 50’s and 60’s.  In 1966, his family moved to the east side of Indianapolis where he attended Warren Central High School and appeared in a number of theatrical productions.

He attended college at Indiana University and Northwestern University from which subsequently graduated with a degree in Interdepartmental Studies in the School of Speech.  While there he began to develop many interests in areas such as poetry, oral interpretation, performance studies, painting, filmmaking, and writing.

 After college Mr. Schricker worked for a time in advertising in New York City.  While there he performed his poetry in Greenwich Village and further inhabited the world of filmmaking and writing.  He returned to the Chicago area to work as a media consultant with The Chicago School Board and The Chicago Heart Association, while he continued his writing and performance work. 

 In 1976, he moved to Tacoma Park, Maryland to work as a media consultant to Agricultural lobbyists on Capitol Hill.  While in the Washington D.C. area he taught creative writing at The Writer’s Center in Glen Echo, Maryland.  Moved by his work and his reading to rediscover his roots, Mr. Schricker returned to Plymouth, Indiana in 1978 where he began working at The Plymouth Public Library as the head of the audio-visual department.  Studying music for a brief period of time, Mr. Schricker began to write historical ballads concerning the history of the Potawatomi, Indians and perform them for various civic groups.  He also taught creative writing during the summer at The Deer Track Writer’s Conference in South Bend, Indiana.  There he met his partner and friend, Michele Strohman and with her help, began a performing career in 1981, traveling to Indiana schools to perform songs and tell stories.

 During the past twenty-five years, Mr. Schricker shared his original and creative work in interactive performances with children and adults across the state of Indiana and beyond.  He also received numerous artist-in-residence grants from the Indiana Arts Commission to teach his workshop in storytelling, “The Story Inside,” to students of all ages.  He has performed his original stories at The Hoosier Storytelling Festival and The Jackson (Michigan) Storytelling Festival.  He has performed his original songs at The Chicago Field Museum, The Indianapolis Children’s Museum, The Indianapolis Museum of Art and at numerous festivals across the Midwest.  In 2000, Mr. Schricker toured New Found Land and performed at schools and libraries across the West Coast of the Island.

He also performed at the Juan De Fuca Festival For The Arts, in Port Angeles, Washington. Since that time, Mr. Schricker has received two grants to produce two original works, one entitled,” The Space,” is a biographical story which he performed at the Indiana Historical Society and The Indianapolis Arts Center.  This work, a performance art piece, is an effort to put forth a sincere inter-faith dialogue concerning the commonalities of the world’s major religions.  His other recent commissioned piece, “Goodbye To The Animal People,” reflects upon the last of the fur trade in the Northwest Territory.   This piece was performed at the Indiana Historical Society and The Hoosier Storytelling festival.  It takes the form of an epic poem and is modeled on the work of the midwestern poet, Edward Dorn.

 Recently, Mr. Schricker released a new children’s CD (his eighth recording)* entitled, “George’s Brother,” that contains 10 of his original children’s songs.  The album features a variety of professional musicians, including a symphony orchestra and a children’s choir.  He has just received a fellowship from The Warren Central School District of Indianapolis to teach his storytelling methods to each of their 11 elementary schools in the Winter and Spring of 2005.  His new workbook that will accompany this endeavor, is entitled “The Story Inside: Teaching Storytelling To Children”.