Meet Cast Iron Storytelling
The Art of Connecting with True Stories.
Created by Jason Tinney, Cast Iron Storytelling launched in 2024 with a live storytelling event at Barking Legs Theater on the theme:
Crossroads & Constellations.
The Origin Story
As a writer and actor, I've always loved telling a good story. But it wasn't until I became a guide for Chattanooga Ghost Tours, Inc. that the power of sharing stories crystallized.
Jason here! I tell the city's history and folklore on the streets of Chattanooga every night. My guests often offer up a personal story or memory of their own. What I've discovered is people love to share their experiences with one another . . . and it always sparks a familiar connection, even among strangers.
I created Cast Iron Storytelling to deepen community connections through first person, true stories. It's a way to bring our memories to the surface and pass them on from one generation to the next.
Meet Our Founding Storytellers
Ginger was raised between the Mississippi Delta and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, places that inspire a strong sense of identity in their communities. While other kids were playing sports, she was competing in storytelling and oral reading. She fell in love with the way a story has the power to move people and drive emotion. Ginger never stopped telling stories, putting them to use for causes near and dear and now, professionally, on behalf of Chattanooga Design Studio. She loves being near water, hiking, pretty things, researching something new, and being surrounded by books. Most of all, her whole heart is full of love for her children, Emma Virginia and King, and husband, Alex.
Cathy Scott came to Chattanooga by way of Leighton, Alabama, a small rural town, a heritage in which she is extremely proud. Dr. Scott joined the UTC Social Work program in the fall of 2010. She has 20+ years of social work practice experience working with diverse populations. Her most rewarding work is in gerontological social work. Dr. Scott has taught Social Work Practice, Matters of Race, Ethnicity, Gender and the Family. She loves people, travel and new adventures.
Whether its lighting, sound, set construction, or stage management, Taylor loves getting to do technical theater all around Chattanooga. They are excited to get on stage to perform for the first time in 15 years! When not working a show, Taylor can be found doing photography, writing, or woodworking. They also love playing video games and having a great cup of tea with their spouse, Dylan.
Jason Tinney
Creator & Founder
Jason has performed in over 50 stage productions in New York, Baltimore, Chattanooga, and throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. He was Assistant Director of Theatre at McCallie School and an Artist In Residence at Barking Legs Theater.
His short story collection, Ripple Meets The Deep, was named Best Book by Baltimore Magazine in 2015. He is also the author of Louise Paris and Other Waltzes and Bluebird. In 2020, Jason was awarded Honorable Mention for the Barnett Prize for Local Distinguished Author by the Southern Lit Alliance.
Jason has published widely in magazines, including Maryland Life, Baltimore Magazine, Baltimore Style, Chesapeake Life, and The Washington Independent Review of Books. He won the International Regional Magazine Association’s Award of Merit in the category of Culture Feature for his article “The March,” a first-hand account of life on the front lines with American Civil War reenactors. His short story “Metropolis, Illinois” was awarded Honorable Mention in The Pulse Short Story Contest of 2018. His works have been anthologized in Out Of Tune: Stories About Music and republished in LitHub.
He can never have too many pairs of boots, broken in just right. Neighbors drop by to enjoy his legendary sweet tea and cheese grits.
Holly Morse-Ellington
Marketing & Creative Director
Holly is a marketing strategist & copywriter for some of the most iconic life coaches and style consultants in the country. Her ads and email campaigns consistently generate money for her clients and deliver 4X ROAS.
She received an Individual Artist Award in Playwriting from the Maryland State Arts Council in 2018. Her plays have received full productions with Manhattan Repertory Theatre (NYC), Potomac Playmakers (MD), Palace Theatre (MD), Pumpkin Theatre (MD), McCallie Theatre (TN), and Barking Legs Theater (TN). She’s also published her plays in literary magazines, including Brooklyn’s The Furious Gazelle.
She's published over 200 works of nonfiction in Creative Nonfiction, American Theatre, Baltimore Style, Loch Raven Review, Broad River Review, Flea Market Insiders, and CityScope, among others. Holly has been a storyteller for The Stoop: Storytelling Series at Baltimore’s CenterStage, New Mercury Reading Series at The Windup Space, and Deep Roots: Oklahoma Authors Oral History Project conducted by the Oklahoma State University Library. She was Assistant Director of Theatre at McCallie School and directed new works for The Muse of Fire Project.
Her passions include collecting pink depression glass (gobs of it!) and fiddling with her garden.