Tag: Amanda Sisk

“Anniversary Apart” Program

Jan 27 2022 @ 7:00PM

Show is tonight at 7 pm ET! If you haven’t already, register at nyti-anniversary-apart.eventbrite.com

The storytellers you are about to meet, met each other for the first time earlier this month and collaborated together to develop their true-life tales inspired by the theme “Anniversary Apart” on the page. Tonight they take the virtual stage to step into each other’s stories and experience perspectives and identities that are not their own.

Take a look at our storytellers.

Tonight’s Stories!

Watermelon “Sugar” written by Chris Crowthers, performed by Gabriela Martineau, and directed by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons.

Bolivia written by Gabriela Martineau, performed by Jenna Struble, and directed by Amanda Sisk.

Fifty written by Jenna Struble, performed by Chris Crowthers, and directed by Amanda Sisk.

Donations

There is a $15 suggested tax-deductible donation in support of the series for tonight’s show. Pay what and only if you can – more is always welcome! Click here to donate.

Story Trivia

Pay careful attention because the show will end with a round of story trivia. Winners receive a $35 donation in their name to benefit Friends with Four Paws. Plus, a puppy named after you! 

Didn’t win a prize but want to donate to Friends with Four Paws? Visit their website friendswithfourpaws.org and follow them on social media @friendswithfourpaws

Thank you!!

Huge thanks to Noah Diamond, Amanda Sisk, and Timothy Lindner for all their work producing our third virtual show and for all their support as longtime alums and friends of No, YOU Tell It!

Shoutout to Jenn Wehrung for all her work volunteering with Friends with Four Paws and helping make tonight’s puppy prizes happen!

A Word from Kelly Jean

On a personal note, I’m excited to announce that this show also kicks off No, YOU Tell It’s 10-Year Anniversary Season. I created this series a decade ago and found purpose in helping people share in the stories that need to be told.

Switching stories to embody each other’s racial and cultural experiences in a live performance creates the kind of empathetic connections that are essential as we enter year three of this pandemic.

Want to support 10 more years? Here are 3 great ways:

  1. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter for updates.
  2. SHARE the No, YOU Tell It! Podcast far and wide. Available on our website and your fav podcasting platforms.
  3. DONATE through our fiscal sponsor The Field. Plus, it’s tax-deductible.

All my love,
Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons

 

Event Information

Jan 27 2022 @ 7:00PM

via Zoom!

January 27, 2022 1 comment Live Shows Tags: , , , , ,

Episode 57 – Precious (Part 2)

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Kicking off the second swap from our Precious show, our narrator time travels between Brooklyn and Oklahoma where she cares for her aging mother after her father’s death. Confronted with memories and physical artifacts from her past, she gains a new perspective on the hometown she had so desired to escape as her two worlds collide.

Our first story is “Home,” written by Gail Thomas and performed by Nita Noveno.

Top: Gail Thomas; Bottom: Nita Noveno

We’re not in Oklahoma anymore! Switching it up, our next storyteller reminisces on a ritual (insert animal) slaughter and roast in her Filipino community in Alaska, conjuring her fear and resistance to a cultural norm.

An homage to the gradual influence of tradition and its impact on one’s identity and the collective’s, our second story, “Gathering (1973)” was written by Nita Noveno and performed by Gail Thomas.

Similar to last week’s podcast, we asked the storytellers to draw what three grocery items have suddenly become precious since we last rehearsed in March. It becomes immediately clear how much they’ve (haven’t we all?) gained a new appreciation for basic necessities.

Huge thanks to our friend Amanda Sisk who directed the brush-up rehearsals for our virtual story swaps!

No, YOU Tell It! “Precious” is made possible (in part) by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. 

December 22, 2020 Post Comment Podcast Tags: , , ,

Episode 55 – Coming & Going (Part 2)

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The first story in our second “Coming and Going” swap places us in a New England suburb during the COVID-19 pandemic. A woman leaves her city life and is thrust into the role of caretaker for her elderly parents where, much like the pandemic, there is no end in sight. Experiencing a role reversal with her stubborn father and carefree mother, our narrator comes face to face with her own fears, testing her faith and patience as she struggles to keep her loved ones safe.

“The Faith of Candy” was written by Nancy Agabian and is read for us here by Charlotte Marchant. Charlotte’s reading was directed by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons.

For this, our first virtual show, we asked each storyteller that if we, the listeners, wished to summon them directly to our room what three items might we place in a magic circle to do so. As you see and will hear, a wide variety of ingredients are needed to complete the spell.

Top: Charlotte Marchant; Bottom: Nancy Agabian

Following the arrests of the riotous Weathermen after the Days of Rage in 1969, our second storyteller finds herself in prison, where reputations precede the inmates and communication is bangs, taps, and whispers through the ventilation system. Finding herself in a platonic relationship with a man named Cookie, the narrator grapples with her identity, the future of the revolution, and women’s roles in both.

Written by Charlotte Marchant and read by Nancy Agabian, our second story is “Cookie.” Nancy’s reading was directed by Amanda Sisk.

No, YOU Tell It! “Coming & Going” was AN OFFICIAL 2020 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL EVENT and made possible (in part) by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

October 20, 2020 1 comment Podcast Tags: , , , , ,

Episode 54 – Coming & Going (Part 1)

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Have you ever wanted to be someone else? The opening story of “Coming & Going”— our second team-up show with Lambda Literary — follows Calvin…or as he’d like to be known, Craig, as he travels to Florida to become someone new. This journey to overcome grief caused by a death, a breakup, and an unforgiving New York City reveals that what we seek might already be inside us, even if we have to imagine our future with a new set of eyes once in a while.

Nicole Shawan Junior reads “Becoming Someone Else in Florida” written by Calvin S. Cato.

Nicole’s reading was directed by Amanda Sisk.

Bonus: For this, our first virtual show, we asked each storyteller that if we, the listeners, wished to summon them directly to our room what three items might we place in a magic circle to do so. As you see and will hear, a wide variety of ingredients are needed to complete the spell.

Top: Calvin S. Cato, Bottom: Nicole Shawan Junior

Switching it up, our next story takes us on a trip to the west coast where two lovers seek comfort in each other’s sanitized arms during the COVID-19 pandemic. With the backdrop of 2020’s chaotic energy, the two women must navigate their coping mechanisms, fears, and ultimately their love for each other in order to confront their futures — together or on their own.

Nicole Shawan Junior’s timely story, “Finding Our Way Back Home,” is read for us here by Calvin S. Cato.

Calvin’s reading was directed by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons.

No, YOU Tell It! “Coming & Going” was AN OFFICIAL 2020 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL EVENT and made possible (in part) by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

October 13, 2020 1 comment Podcast Tags: , , , , , ,