Stories Found features weird, funny, and mostly true stories from writers, artists, and storytellers around the world.
About This Episode This week, we're excited to welcome the very talented and funny Jonathan Wickremasinghe-Kuhn and then listening to his hilarious story, Off-Target. About the Storyteller Jonathan Wickremasinghe-Kuhn grew up in Selma, Alabama and attended the University of Southern California, where he received both his BFA in Writing for Screen and Television and his Master of Professional Writing degree. He has performed story-telling multiple times at The Moth and for the Two Truths & A Lie podcast. His plays have been produced by the A Light in Dark Places Festival, the Paragon Festival, Exposition Review, Stage Left Theater, Laughing Pig Theatre, Carrollwood Players Theatre, Magnetic Theatre, and Crafton Hills College. About the Cast Off-Target was performed by: The author, Jonathan Wickremasinghe-Kuhn, and a Target Shopping Basket Featured Organization 826 National helps foster a love of creative writing in children. Their mission is to help young people use writing as a tool to ignite and channel their creativity, explore identity, advocate for themselves and their community, and achieve academic and professional success. You can help 826 advance this goal by volunteering at a local chapter, buying the children's published works, or shopping at one of their stores which each have a different creative theme. New Orleans offers the The New Orleans Haunting Supply Company. Listeners in Los Angeles can visit The Time Travel Mart, while those in Boston can stop by the Greater Boston Bigfoot Research Institute. There are currently 9 really cool stores like this in cities across the country. Visit 826national.org to learn more about this amazing program and to see how you can help them continue to foster a love of creative writing in children. Featured Sponsors Magikjaz Creations is a woman, minority, and LGBTQ+ owned business based in Austin, Texas. Jazmyn is a proud Latinx artist who creates jewelry and wearable art and specializes in chainmail and wirework. She offers creative, original pieces that are truly one of a kind. Visit her website at Magikjazcreations.com. Want to see your company name here? Reach out for rates: hello@storiesfound.com Let's be BFFs! Subscribe to our newsletter! storiesfound.substack.com Thanks for listening to Stories Found! We heart you. Want to chat about this episode? We're here for it! Email: hello@storiesfound.com Find us on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube! Want to be a featured guest in a future episode? Let's do it. Email: submissions@storiesfound.com Stories Found was recorded at ELA Studios, deep in the heart of Austin, Texas.
About This Episode In this episode of Stories Found, we're talking to one of our very favorite playwrights, Bethany Dickens Assaf, and then listening to her ten-minute comedy, Bird Girl and The Hammer. About the Playwright Bethany Dickens Assaf is a freelance playwright, dramaturg, and theatre artist, and a co-founder of Whiskey Theatre Factory and the Fragmented Theatre Festival. As both a writer and producer, she is obsessed with plays that deconstruct and take unusual perspectives on gender and sexuality, challenging audiences and serving untapped artistic voices by creating meaningful roles for women. Other favorite ideas/themes include female separatism, evangelical Christianity, bisexuality particularly in period settings, gender complementarianism, women in male-dominated spaces (gaming, cosplay), and the exploitation of women's bodies for media such as reality television and true crime podcasts. Almost 100 of her plays have been performed or read across the country including her twisty sci-fi play, The Consciousness, which has been performed at over 10 fringe festivals across the country and won Best Play at the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival (director: Liz Colvert, stage manager: Meghan Pratt). She's also had the amazing honor of working with organizations that are truly making an impact through storytelling such as Threshold Theatre, Theatre Works, FUSION Theatre, Road Theatre, EMBer Women's Theatre, Central Florida Community Arts, Birdhouse Theatre, the Bechdel Group, and more. You can learn more through Bethany's website: www.BethanyDickens.com. You can also read more of Bethany's work on NPX, The New Play Exchange. About the Cast Kate O'Claire as Bird Girl Kate O'Claire (she/her/hers) is a performer, producer, public speaker, and social justice mage who has been seen on stages throughout Central Florida, Paris, and her home state of Wisconsin. She is passionate about telling unique stories, amplifying historically excluded voices, fighting the patriarchy, riding Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios, eating Taco Bell, and reducing shame around difficult topics. Joe Llorens as The Hammer Joe Llorens has been a performer for over twenty years. In that time, he's done things. Some of those things he's liked, even. Joe will keep trying to do things he likes and not be as judgy about the things he doesn't like because he really should cut himself a bit of a break. He loves his wife, children, and pets, though. A lot. About the Crew Engineering by Paul Hanna and ELA Studios. Featured Organization Whiskey Theatre Factory is a theatre collective based in Orlando, FL with the mission to produce meaningful theatrical productions that uplift, develop, and celebrate emerging and untapped voices. We challenge our community through provocative, authentic pieces, examining our culture and revealing the grace of humanity. Interested in reading our Credo or connecting with us? Visit WhiskeyTheatreFactory.com to learn more. Featured Sponsor Magikjaz Creations is a woman, minority, and LGBTQ+ owned business based in Austin, Texas. Jazmyn is a proud Latinx artist who creates jewelry and wearable art and specializes in chainmail and wirework. She offers creative, original pieces that are truly one of a kind. Visit her website at Magikjazcreations.com. Want to see your company name here? Reach out for rates: hello@storiesfound.com Let's be BFFs! Subscribe to our newsletter! storiesfound.substack.com Thanks for listening to Stories Found! We heart you. Want to chat about this episode? We're here for it! Email: hello@storiesfound.com Find us on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube! Want to be a featured guest in a future episode? Let's do it. Email: submissions@storiesfound.com Stories Found was recorded at ELA Studios, deep in the heart of Austin, Texas.
About This Episode It's a special Valentine's Day themed Stories Found Micro Monday! Today, we've got the one-minute play, CRIME of PASSION by Ava Love Hanna About the Playwright / Storyteller Ava Love Hanna is a professional writer, published playwright, and award-winning speaker and storyteller. She is continually amazed by how often she is mistaken for a real grown-up. When she's not co-hosting the Stories Found podcast, Ava can be found producing comedies, hanging out reading plays at NPX, or skulking around these other seedy internet joints: Facebook, Instagram, Post, or Mastodon. Ava is a proud member of The Dramatists Guild and ScriptWorks. About the Cast Viv - Ava Love Hanna Patrol-Bot - Paul Hanna Let's be BFFs! Subscribe to our newsletter! storiesfound.substack.com Thanks for listening to Stories Found! We heart you. Want to chat about this episode? We're here for it! Email: hello@storiesfound.com Find us on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube! Want to be a featured guest in a future episode? Let's do it. Email: submissions@storiesfound.com Stories Found was recorded at ELA Studios, deep in the heart of Austin, Texas.
About This Episode Welcome to Stories Found Micro Monday -- take a super quick break with us to kickstart your week with a laugh. Today, we've got the one-minute play, Lying in a Pine Forest by Greg Romero About the Playwright / Storyteller Greg Romero is originally from Louisiana, Cajun blood on both sides. His plays, site-specific projects, and sound-art collaborations have been presented in performance spaces, found spaces, and through the airwaves of the United States as well as Switzerland, Canada, The United Kingdom, and Jamaica. Romero was selected as the first-ever ArtsEdge Resident, was one of three playwrights to inaugurate the Philadelphia Dramatists Center/Plays & Players Playwriting Residency, and was a pilot member of Hyde Park Theatre's Playwright's Group. He may be the only playwright to have presented a play in the bathrooms of Actors Theatre of Louisville during the Humana Festival of New Plays. He is an alum of the WordBRIDGE Playwrights Laboratory, The Last Frontier/Valdez Theater Conference, The William Inge Theater Festival, The Midwest Dramatists Conference, and his works are published by Heinemann Press, Next Stage Press, YouthPLAYS, and Playscripts. Romero received a BA in Liberal Arts from the Louisiana Scholars' College and an MFA in Playwriting from The University of Texas at Austin where he held the James A. Michener Fellowship. He is a member of ScriptWorks, The Dramatists Guild of America, and teaches at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, where he visits the alligators. He loves being outside. He would love for you to find more of his work at the New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/5432/greg-romero About the Cast Voice: Ellie McBride About the Crew Engineer: Lowell Bartholomee Featured Organization Lying in a Pine Forest was originally written for a ScriptWorks fundraiser. ScriptWorks is an Austin based playwriting organization that offers programs to help playwrights in Austin and beyond. Visit them at ScriptWorks.org Let's be BFFs! Subscribe to our newsletter! storiesfound.substack.com Thanks for listening to Stories Found! We heart you. Want to chat about this episode? We're here for it! Email: hello@storiesfound.com Find us on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube! Want to be a featured guest in a future episode? Let's do it. Email: submissions@storiesfound.com Stories Found was recorded at ELA Studios, deep in the heart of Austin, Texas.
Welcome to Stories Found Micro Monday -- take a super quick break with us to kickstart your week with a laugh. Today, we've got the one-minute play, Living a Lie by Max Langert About the playwright Max Langert is a playwright, producer and storyteller living in Austin. His plays have been performed in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas and elsewhere. He's told stories for Listen to Your Mother, The Vancouver Story Slam, Testify and Austin Bat Cave, and is a regular performer at FronteraFest. He's produced benefit shows for The Autism Society of Central Texas, The SAFE Alliance, and VELA Families. He's excited to be working with the great team at Stories Found! Read more of Max's work on NPX, The New Play Exchange. Max is a favorite at Stories Found. Listen to his first story in Episode 2: The First Time I Got Naked in Front of a Bunch of People I Didn't Know or his ten-minute play in Episode 6: Personality Test. About the Cast Liz - Ava Love Hanna Tom - Paul Hanna Living a Lie was originally written for a ScriptWorks fundraiser. Visit ScriptWorks.org to learn more about their programs and see how they can help you further your writing goals. At Stories Found we're creating opportunities for emerging voices in comedy writing. Make sure to catch our full length episodes every other week featuring some of the most talented humorists in the country. Want to be a featured playwright or storyteller in a future full length episode or a Micro Monday? We're accepting submissions! Be our BFF! Be the first to know about new episodes, upcoming shows, submission opportunities, auditions, merch, and more! Join us at storiesfound.substack.com
Welcome to our very first Micro Monday -- a quick laugh to brighten the start of your week! Every other Monday, we'll be offering up a short play, story, or sketch in under 5 minutes. Today, we've got the one-minute play, The Murderlators by Ava Love Hanna About the playwright Ava Love Hanna is a professional writer, published playwright, and award-winning speaker and storyteller. She is continually amazed by how often she is mistaken for a real grown-up. When she's not co-hosting the Stories Found podcast, Ava can be found producing comedies, hanging out reading plays at NPX, or skulking around these other seedy internet joints: Facebook, Instagram, Post, or Mastodon. Ava is a proud member of The Dramatists Guild and ScriptWorks. About the Cast Flynn - Paul Hanna Fiona - Ava Love Hanna Want to be a featured playwright or storyteller in a future full length episode or a Micro Monday? We're accepting submissions!
About This Episode It's time for a special Christmas episode of Stories Found! In this episode, we're talking to the charming playwright, Brian Rust, before hearing his hilarious ten-minute play, Under a Christmas Moon. About the Playwright Brian Rust (he/him) is a Boston-based actor and writer who makes chocolates and searches for cryptids in his spare time. High points of his career include being killed by a pillow during The Robin Hood Faire, appearing on stage with Le Tigre as a member of the Art School Cheerleaders, and using a plunger and ten pounds of jello to create an unforgettable foley effect for a live radio version of CHICKEN HEART. Most recently he wrote and directed ‘Plan 8 from the Outer Ether' (a steampunk prequel to the infamous Ed Wood film), and directed and produced ‘Strange Tales of Davis Square', an interactive audio tour that took participants on a hunt around a local neighborhood to discover mp3s of stories set in the exact spot they were standing. Read more of Brian's work on NPX, The New Play Exchange. Facebook Twitter About the Cast Under a Christmas Moon was performed by: Kate O'Claire as Kel Kate O'Claire (she/her/hers) is a performer, producer, public speaker, and social justice mage who has been seen on stages throughout Central Florida, Paris, and her home state of Wisconsin. She is passionate about telling unique stories, amplifying historically excluded voices, fighting the patriarchy, riding Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios, eating Taco Bell, and reducing shame around difficult topics. Joe Llorens as Scout Joe Llorens has been a performer for over twenty years. In that time, he's done things. Some of those things he's liked, even. Joe will keep trying to do things he likes and not be as judgy about the things he doesn't like because he really should cut himself a bit of a break. He loves his wife, children, and pets, though. A lot. Facebook Instagram Twitter Paul Hanna as Santa Paul Hanna is an audio engineer, musician, and performer. When he's not playing guitar, showing up in one of Ava's plays, editing this podcast, or hanging out with his super cool teenager, he can be found hitting the ice at his favorite hockey rink or working as lead engineer at ELA Studios. Featured Organization: The Post-Meridian Radio Players The Post-Meridian Radio Players are a Boston-area group of creatives dedicated to exploring audio theater as a unique art form. They offer live performances and studio productions of both classic tales from the Golden Age of Radio and original works, with a special emphasis on science-fiction, fantasy, and horror. You can find out more about them at https://pmrp.org Featured Sponsor: The Stories Found Newsletter! Get updates from your BFFs at Stories Found. Be the first to know about new episodes, upcoming shows, our submission opportunities, auditions, and more! Join us at storiesfound.substack.com Want to be a featured playwright or storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
About This Episode In this special holiday episode of Stories Found, we hear the hilarious ten-minute play, A Very Special Hanukkah Special by Mark Harvey Levine. About the Playwright Mark Harvey Levine has had over 1900 productions of his short plays everywhere from Bangalore to Bucharest and from Lima to London. His plays have won over 45 awards and been produced in more than ten languages. His work has been published in over two dozen anthologies by Applause, Smith & Kraus, Routledge and Vintage. Full evenings of his ten-minute plays, such as “Cabfare For The Common Man”, “Didn't See That Coming” and “A Very Special Holiday Special” have been shown around the world, including at the Edinburgh Fringe and in a multi-year tour of Brazil. A Spanish-language film of “The Kiss” (“El Beso”) premiered at Cannes and aired on HBO and DTV (Japan). Two of his plays were adapted for Brazilian television. Read more of Mark's work on NPX, The New Play Exchange. Facebook Instagram About the Cast A Very Special Hanukkah Special was performed by: Paul Hanna as The Narrator, Max, Caroler Paul Hanna is an audio engineer, musician, and performer. When he's not playing guitar, showing up in one of Ava's plays, editing this podcast, or hanging out with his super cool teenager, he can be found hitting the ice at his favorite hockey rink or working as lead engineer at ELA Studios. Joe Llorens as Murray Joe Llorens has been a performer for over twenty years. In that time, he's done things. Some of those things he's liked, even. Joe will keep trying to do things he likes and not be as judgy about the things he doesn't like because he really should cut himself a bit of a break. He loves his wife, children, and pets, though. A lot. Liz Bernstein as Kim Liz Bernstein (she/her/hers) is a training facilitator and career coach in Central Florida. Her first loves, however, are acting, singing, performing, and creative writing. In the Central Florida area, she has performed with the Gemini Blvd collegiate a cappella group, Orlando Cringe, Phoenix Tears Productions, Central Florida Community Arts, and Playwrights Roundtable. She has also worked virtually with the Fragmented Festival and is excited to continue working virtually with Stories Found. Liz is a core collective member of Whiskey Theatre Factory, a group dedicated to producing meaningful theatrical productions that uplift, develop, and celebrate emerging and untapped voices. With Whiskey Theatre Factory, she has helped with new play development and production, including new works in the Orlando Fringe Festival. Most recently, Liz was honored to perform the role of “Amy” in Ava Love Hanna's piece, There Will Be Bears for PRT's production of Launch. Kate O'Claire as Boy and Judy Maccabee Kate O'Claire (she/her/hers) is a performer, producer, public speaker, and social justice mage who has been seen on stages throughout Central Florida, Paris, and her home state of Wisconsin. She is passionate about telling unique stories, amplifying historically excluded voices, fighting the patriarchy, riding Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios, eating Taco Bell, and reducing shame around difficult topics. Ava Love Hanna as Caroler Ava Love Hanna is a professional writer, published playwright, and award-winning speaker and storyteller. She is continually amazed by how often she is mistaken for a real grown-up. Kai Hanna as Caroler Want to be a featured storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
About This Episode In this special Halloween edition of Stories Found, we're chatting with the multi-talented playwright, composer, director, and performer, Fred Tacon and then listening to his hilarious and spooky ten-minute play, Rent-a-Stiff. Rent-a-Stiff – Mr. Ut, the proprietor of a human taxidermy rental company, is at risk of losing his livelihood due to aging inventory and new competition. But, he makes shocking discovery that just might save his business. This macabre comedy is well-suited for themed evenings of short plays for Halloween, horror, or simply the strange and unusual. About the Playwright – Fred Tacon Fred Tacon is a playwright, composer, director, and performer from Hebron, Kentucky (just over the river from Cincinnati, Ohio). He recently starred as Nick Bottom in a sold-out run of ‘Something Rotten!' at The Footlighters Inc. in Newport, Kentucky. Fred's writing usually focuses on theatre for young audiences, and his musical, ‘The Jester Prince', and plays, ‘Clara and the Nutcracker' and ‘Swan Pond', have been enjoyed by audiences in Kentucky and Ohio. He has also written several short plays, musicals, and monologues that have been seen and streamed in a variety of ways and places. His 10-minute musical, ‘Puddle Jumpers', will be a part of The Drama Workshop's Homebrew Theatre, January 2023, in Cincinnati. Fred serves as Vice President of the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, an organization dedicated to promoting and encouraging the development of new works for the stage by Kentucky playwright Read more of Fred's plays on NPX, The New Play Exchange. About the Cast Rent-a-Stiff was performed for us by: Joe Llorens as Mr. Ut Joe Llorens has been a performer for over twenty years. In that time, he's done things. Some of those things he's liked, even. Joe will keep trying to do things he likes and not be as judgy about the things he doesn't like because he really should cut himself a bit of a break. He loves his wife, children, and pets, though. A lot. Liz Bernstein as Ivan Liz Bernstein (she/her/hers) is a training facilitator and career coach in Central Florida. Her first loves, however, are acting, singing, performing, and creative writing. In the Central Florida area, she has performed with the Gemini Blvd collegiate a cappella group, Orlando Cringe, Phoenix Tears Productions, Central Florida Community Arts, and Playwrights Roundtable. She has also worked virtually with the Fragmented Festival and is excited to continue working virtually with Stories Found. Liz is a core collective member of Whiskey Theatre Factory, a group dedicated to producing meaningful theatrical productions that uplift, develop, and celebrate emerging and untapped voices. With Whiskey Theatre Factory, she has helped with new play development and production, including new works in the Orlando Fringe Festival. Most recently, Liz was honored to perform the role of “Amy” in Ava Love Hanna's piece, There Will Be Bears for PRT's production of Launch. Kate O'Claire as Fran Kinstein Kate O'Claire (she/her/hers) is a performer, producer, public speaker, and social justice mage who has been seen on stages throughout Central Florida, Paris, and her home state of Wisconsin. She is passionate about telling unique stories, amplifying historically excluded voices, fighting the patriarchy, riding Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios, eating Taco Bell, and reducing shame around difficult topics. Danielle Muething as The Grisly Sisters Danielle Muething has twenty plus years of experience in professional acting and singing for the stage, voice over work for local commercials and businesses, and multiple audiobook projects. She has been seen on stages around her hometown of Cincinnati, as well as a five-year stint in Orlando, FL. In her spare time, she loves to hang out with her husband, who built her custom in home studio, and her two dogs, Wally and Willow. Featured Organization: Kentucky Playwrights Workshop Our featured organization this week is the Kentucky Playwrights Workshop, a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion, encouragement, and support of playwrights who live in the state of Kentucky. Visit them at kyplays.org Featured Sponsor: The Stories Found Newsletter! Get updates from your BFFs at Stories Found. Be the first to know about new episodes, upcoming shows, our submission opportunities, auditions, and more! Join us at storiesfound.substack.com Want to be a featured storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
About This Episode In this special Halloween edition of Stories Found, we're talking to the fantastic playwright and author, Clinton Festa and then listening to his super funny ten-minute play, Picky Zombies. Picky Zombies – Tragedy strikes at the fancy French cooking school when an inept student under cooks the foie gras leading to a mass zombie infection. The extraction team sent to rescue the lone surviving student quickly learns that not all braaaaaains are created equal and even zombies appreciate gourmet cuisine. About the Playwright – Clinton Festa Clinton Festa began his career as a writer and cartoonist for his campus humor magazine. Since then he's had short plays produced around the U.S. and Canada, comedy sketches that have placed in national competitions, and a novel recently published with CamCat Books (Ancient Canada: a Mythological Tale). During the pandemic, he wrote and directed a seven-episode action-comedy podcast called The Malone Family in the Enchanted Forest (produced by the Cary Playwrights' Forum). Clinton runs an online book drive for inmates in prisons and juvenile detention centers called Sentences Book Donations. He lives in Greensboro, NC with his wife and children. Read more of Clinton's plays on NPX, The New Play Exchange. Order Clinton's book, Ancient Canada: a Mythological Tale at CamCat Books. Facebook Goodreads About the Cast Picky Zombies was performed for us by: Liz Bernstein Liz Bernstein (she/her/hers) is a training facilitator and career coach in Central Florida. Her first loves, however, are acting, singing, performing, and creative writing. In the Central Florida area, she has performed with the Gemini Blvd collegiate a cappella group, Orlando Cringe, Phoenix Tears Productions, Central Florida Community Arts, and Playwrights Roundtable. She has also worked virtually with the Fragmented Festival and is excited to continue working virtually with Stories Found. Liz is a core collective member of Whiskey Theatre Factory, a group dedicated to producing meaningful theatrical productions that uplift, develop, and celebrate emerging and untapped voices. With Whiskey Theatre Factory, she has helped with new play development and production, including new works in the Orlando Fringe Festival. Most recently, Liz was honored to perform the role of “Amy” in Ava Love Hanna's piece, There Will Be Bears for PRT's production of Launch. Joe Llorens Joe Llorens has been a performer for over twenty years. In that time, he's done things. Some of those things he's liked, even. Joe will keep trying to do things he likes and not be as judgy about the things he doesn't like because he really should cut himself a bit of a break. He loves his wife, children, and pets, though. A lot. Facebook Instagram Twitter Paul Hanna Paul Hanna is an audio engineer, musician, and performer. When he's not playing guitar, showing up in one of Ava's plays, editing this podcast, or hanging out with his super cool teenager, he can be found hitting the ice at his favorite hockey rink or working as lead engineer at ELA Studios. Ava Love Hanna Ava Love Hanna is a professional writer, published playwright, and award-winning speaker and storyteller. She is continually amazed by how often she is mistaken for a real grown-up. Facebook Instagram Twitter Featured Organization: Sentences Book Donations Our featured organization this week is Sentences: Book Donations. Their goal is to network readers with prison librarians and juvenile detention centers to determine their needs and donate books for use in their facilities. You can find the group on Facebook or Goodreads. We encourage you to visit them and see how you can donate books and help further their mission. Featured Sponsor: The Stories Found Newsletter! Get updates from your BFFs at Stories Found. Be the first to know about new episodes, upcoming shows, our submission opportunities, auditions, and more! Join us at storiesfound.substack.com Appreciate what we do? Support the show by buying us a coffee! Want to be a featured storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
About This Episode In this episode of Stories Found, we're chatting with one of our favorite scholar/poet/storytellers, Dr. Christina L. Ivey. We discuss family, autoethnography, and the importance of storytelling. We then listen to her story, Going Home, about how she, as a queer woman, navigates her relationship with a conservative, Trump-supporting father. About the Storyteller Dr. Christina L. Ivey Dr. Ivey (they/she) is a lecturer and budding poet living on the outer cusp of the Pacific Northwest. She currently teaches Communication and Culture classes, but in their own poetic way, thinks of it as training the next frontline of bad ass social justice advocates. When not in the classroom, you can find them in the chair at a tattoo parlor, watching live drag/burlesque/performance art, or snuggling her cats. She has publications in various academic journals (Women's Studies in Communication, The Journal of Autoethnography, QED: A Journal of GLBTQ Worldmaking), as well as a self published chapbook called Sacred Geometry. Follow Christina on Instagram Order a copy of Sacred Geometry by emailing Christina. Featured Organization: Boise Little Theater Boise Little Theater is a volunteer-organized, non-profit organization with an unwavering dedication to quality amateur theater. For over 70 years, BLT has produced plays in all genres. As the longest-running community theater in Idaho, BLT uses theatre arts to enrich lives in its community by presenting different perspectives to promote empathy and encourage laughter, critical thinking, physical activity, and fellowship. Find out more about Boise Little Theatre, see their list of upcoming shows, and discover how you can get involved at boiselittletheater.org Featured Sponsor: The Stories Found Newsletter! Get updates from your BFFs at Stories Found. Be the first to know about new episodes, upcoming shows, our submission opportunities, auditions, and more! Join us at storiesfound.substack.com
About This Episode In this episode of Stories Found, we're chatting about art, life, and family with the award-winning writer of screen and stage, Sophia Valera Heinecke and then listening to her read her beautiful story, The Summer We Built a Pool. About the Storyteller Sophia Valera Heinecke Sophia Valera Heinecke (she/her) is an award-winning writer for the screen and stage as well as a dramaturg, archivist, and producer from Gordonsvillle, Virginia. She is also the Arts and Wellness Manager at The Creative Center for people with cancer and other chronic illnesses. She is drawn to work in the theater because it involves a deep consideration of human bodies and their emotional/intellectual output as the central material for live performance. This has been fortified as she has further developed expertise in the field of arts and medicine. Liveness has unprecedented value in an era where human connection is increasingly diluted and absent. Learn more about Sophia on her website: SophiaValeraHeinecke.com You can also read more of Sophia's work on Medium: https://sophiavaleraheinecke.medium.com/ Instagram Medium Featured Organization: The Creative Center at University Settlement The Creative Center at University Settlement, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing the creative arts to people with cancer, chronic illnesses, and through all stages of life. The Creative Center is proud to have hospital artist-in-residence programs in more than 30 healthcare sites around the New York metropolitan area, free-of-charge art workshops every day of the week, and an online gallery representing professional artists living with illness. Visit them at thecreativecenter.org to learn more about their programs and to see how you can help support their mission. Featured Sponsor: Alicia Verdier Photography Alicia Verdier Photography – specializing in natural light photography. Contact Alicia to arrange a shoot for your family photos, portraits, weddings, births, engagements, senior photos, graduations and other special events. Outdoor or studio sessions available.
About This Episode In this episode of Stories Found, we're talking to the phenomenal playwright and creative polymath, Bethany Dickens and then listening to her ten-minute comedy, What's in the Basement, Honey? About the Playwright Bethany Dickens Assaf Bethany Dickens Assaf is a freelance playwright, dramaturg, and theatre artist, the Literary Manager for MadLab Theatre in Columbus, and a co-founder of Whiskey Theatre Factory and the Fragmented Theatre Festival. As both a writer and producer, she is obsessed with plays that deconstruct and take unusual perspectives on gender and sexuality, challenging audiences and serving untapped artistic voices by creating meaningful roles for women. Other favorite ideas/themes include female seperatism, evangelical Christianity, bisexuaity particularly in period settings, gender complementarianism, women in male-dominated spaces (gaming, cosplay), and the exploitation of women's bodies for media such as reality television and true crime podcasts. Almost 100 of her plays have been performed or read across the country including her twisty sci-fi play, The Consciousness, which has been performed at over 10 fringe festivals across the country and won Best Play at the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival (director: Liz Colvert, stage manager: Meghan Pratt). She's also had the amazing honor of working with organizations that are truly making an impact through storytelling such as Threshold Theatre, Theatre Works, FUSION Theatre, Road Theatre, EMBer Women's Theatre, Central Florida Community Arts, Birdhouse Theatre, the Bechdel Group, and more. You can learn more through Bethany's website: www.BethanyDickens.com. About the Cast What's in the Basement, Honey? was performed for us by: Liz Bernstein Liz Bernstein (she/her/hers) is a training facilitator and career coach in Central Florida. Her first loves, however, are acting, singing, performing, and creative writing. In the Central Florida area, she has performed with the Gemini Blvd collegiate a cappella group, Orlando Cringe, Phoenix Tears Productions, Central Florida Community Arts, and Playwrights Roundtable. She has also worked virtually with the Fragmented Festival and is excited to continue working virtually with Stories Found. Liz is a core collective member of Whiskey Theatre Factory, a group dedicated to producing meaningful theatrical productions that uplift, develop, and celebrate emerging and untapped voices. With Whiskey Theatre Factory, she has helped with new play development and production, including new works in the Orlando Fringe Festival. Most recently, Liz was honored to perform the role of “Amy” in Ava Love Hanna's piece, There Will Be Bears for PRT's production of Launch. Joe Llorens Joe Llorens has been a performer for over twenty years. In that time, he's done things. Some of those things he's liked, even. Joe will keep trying to do things he likes and not be as judgy about the things he doesn't like because he really should cut himself a bit of a break. He loves his wife, children, and pets, though. A lot. Facebook Instagram Twitter Featured Organization: Whiskey Theatre Factory Whiskey Theatre Factory is a theatre collective based in Orlando, FL with the mission to produce meaningful theatrical productions that uplift, develop, and celebrate emerging and untapped voices. We challenge our community through provocative, authentic pieces, examining our culture and revealing the grace of humanity. Interested in reading our Credo or connecting with us? Visit WhiskeyTheatreFactory.com to learn more. Featured Sponsor: Alicia Verdier Photography Alicia Verdier Photography – specializing in natural light photography. Contact Alicia to arrange a shoot for your family photos, portraits, weddings, births, engagements, senior photos, graduations and other special events. Outdoor or studio sessions available. Appreciate what we do? Support the show by buying us a coffee! Want to be a featured storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
About This Episode In this episode of Stories Found, we're chatting with Austin-based playwright, Max Langert and hearing his ten-minute comedy, Personality Test. Take a free personality test here! Episode Transcript Here. About the Playwright Max Langert Max Langert is a playwright, producer and storyteller living in Austin. His plays have been performed in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas and elsewhere. He's told stories for Listen to Your Mother, The Vancouver Story Slam, Testify and Austin Bat Cave, and is a regular performer at FronteraFest. He's produced benefit shows for The Autism Society of Central Texas, The SAFE Alliance, and VELA Families. He's excited to be working with the great team at Stories Found! Read more of Max's work on NPX, The New Play Exchange. This is Max's second visit to Stories Found! Listen to his first story: The First Time I Got Naked in Front of a Bunch of People I Didn't Know. Twitter About the Cast Personality Test was performed for us by: Ava Love Hanna Ava Love Hanna is a professional writer, published playwright, and award-winning speaker and storyteller. She is continually amazed by how often she is mistaken for a real grown-up. Facebook Instagram Twitter Paul Hanna Paul Hanna is an audio engineer, musician, and performer in Austin, Texas. He's the principal engineer and owner of ELA Studios and co-host of the Stories Found podcast. Instagram Featured Organization: Cinnamon Path Theatre Our featured organization for this episode is Cinnamon Path Theatre, a small collective of artists based in Austin, Texas. Scrappy and well-intentioned, they like site-specific work. They've produced a number of new plays by emerging writers, as well as a handful of variety shows featuring a slew of local artists benefiting The Autism Society of Central Texas, Safe Place, Vela Families and more. You can read more about them and what they do at cinnamonpath.com Featured Sponsor: Team Jemini Designs Team Jemini Designs is the place for bold, fun, pop culture themed items. T-shirts, gifts and more! Appreciate what we do? Click here to support the show by buying us a coffee! Want to be a featured storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
About This Episode In this episode of Stories Found, we hear the hilarious ten-minute play, The Interview by Mark Harvey Levine. The Interview is about a completely normal job interview — during a zombie apocalypse. Episode transcript here About the Playwright Mark Harvey Levine has had over 1900 productions of his short plays everywhere from Bangalore to Bucharest and from Lima to London. His plays have won over 45 awards and been produced in more than ten languages. His work has been published in over two dozen anthologies by Applause, Smith & Kraus, Routledge and Vintage. Full evenings of his ten-minute plays, such as “Cabfare For The Common Man”, “Didn't See That Coming” and “A Very Special Holiday Special” have been shown around the world, including at the Edinburgh Fringe and in a multi-year tour of Brazil. A Spanish-language film of “The Kiss” (“El Beso”) premiered at Cannes and aired on HBO and DTV (Japan). Two of his plays were adapted for Brazilian television. Read more of Mark's work on NPX, The New Play Exchange. About the Cast The Interview was performed for us by: Liz Bernstein Liz Bernstein (she/her/hers) is a training facilitator and career coach in Central Florida. Her first loves, however, are acting, singing, performing, and creative writing. In the Central Florida area, she has performed with the Gemini Blvd collegiate a cappella group, Orlando Cringe, Phoenix Tears Productions, Central Florida Community Arts, and Playwrights Roundtable. She has also worked virtually with the Fragmented Festival and is excited to continue working virtually with Stories Found. Liz is a core collective member of Whiskey Theatre Factory, a group dedicated to producing meaningful theatrical productions that uplift, develop, and celebrate emerging and untapped voices. With Whiskey Theatre Factory, she has helped with new play development and production, including new works in the Orlando Fringe Festival. Most recently, Liz was honored to perform the role of “Amy” in Ava Love Hanna's piece, There Will Be Bears for PRT's production of Launch. Joe Llorens Joe Llorens has been a performer for over twenty years. In that time, he's done things. Some of those things he's liked, even. Joe will keep trying to do things he likes and not be as judgy about the things he doesn't like because he really should cut himself a bit of a break. He loves his wife, children, and pets, though. A lot. Ava Love Hanna Ava Love Hanna is a professional writer, published playwright, and award-winning speaker and storyteller. She is continually amazed by how often she is mistaken for a real grown-up. Featured Organization: Whiskey Theatre Factory Whiskey Theatre Factory is a theatre collective based in Orlando, FL with the mission to produce meaningful theatrical productions that uplift, develop, and celebrate emerging and untapped voices. We challenge our community through provocative, authentic pieces, examining our culture and revealing the grace of humanity. Interested in reading our Credo or connecting with us? Visit WhiskeyTheatreFactory.com to learn more. Featured Sponsor: Team Jemini Designs Team Jemini Designs is the place for bold, fun, pop culture themed items. T-shirts, gifts and more! Appreciate what we do? Support the show by buying us a coffee! Want to be a featured storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
About This Episode In this episode of Stories Found, we hear the humorous ten-minute play, sixteen17 by Jason Rainey. sixteen17 is a funny play about the quirky relationship between a mother and her daughter as the daughter turns 17 — a birthday that’s an important milestone for the mother. Jason wrote this play as partContinue reading
About This Episode In this episode of Stories Found, we hear the humorous ten-minute play, sixteen17 by Jason Rainey. sixteen17 is a funny play about the quirky relationship between a mother and her daughter as the daughter turns 17 -- a birthday that's an important milestone for the mother. Jason wrote this play as part of the ScriptWorks Weekend Fling. The Weekend Fling is ScriptWorks' annual 48-hour playwriting event in which writers are tasked with creating a ten-minute play in 48 hours. There are three ingredients provided that MUST appear in the play. In our interview with Jason we discuss the ingredients that he had to weave into his play, how those ingredients influenced his script, and why we think writing exercises with rigid constraints can often help writers produce work they might otherwise not have created. About the Storyteller Jason Rainey is a member of ScriptWorks in Austin. His work has been commissioned, presented, or produced by ScriptWorks, Last Frontier Theatre Conference (Valdez, AK), Penobscot Theatre (Bangor, ME), Daedalus Theatre (Columbus), Freshwater Theatre (Minneapolis), Mildred's Umbrella (Houston), Sound Plays, Texas Dramatist Playwriting Series, and Punchkin Rep in Austin. He has directed several of his own short plays at Austin's FronteraFest, receiving a Best of Fest citation in 2011. You can find more of Jason's plays on NPX, the New Play Exchange: https://newplayexchange.org/users/50068/jason-rainey About ScriptWorks ScriptWorks is a playwriting organization based in Austin, Texas, but it's membership is open to playwrights across the country. Every year, ScriptWorks hosts the Weekend Fling. Writers have 48 hours to write a ten-minute play including three required ingredients. The event culminates with a super fun cold reading Salon on Sunday and all scripts submitted are then reviewed by a selection committee for the Out of Ink Festival. If you'd like to learn more about ScriptWorks membership or how you can join us for the upcoming Weekend Fling in November (11/20 - 11/22/2020) feel free to visit ScriptWorks.org or contact us and we'll connect you. ----- Want to be a featured storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
In this episode of Stories Found, we feature the story, The Vagina-Mommy Incident by Ava Love Hanna. In hindsight, this is one of my favorite parenting moments – the first time my four year old asked me about genitals. I thought I would simply answer him in a straightforward and scientific way and that wouldContinue reading
In this episode of Stories Found, we feature the story, The Vagina-Mommy Incident by Ava Love Hanna. In hindsight, this is one of my favorite parenting moments - the first time my four year old asked me about genitals. I thought I would simply answer him in a straightforward and scientific way and that would be that. It did NOT go as planned. I'm your storyteller this week, Ava Love Hanna. I'm a humorist, published playwright, and award-winning speaker and storyteller based in Austin, Texas. I've told stories at Listen to Your Mother, Testify, The Tellers, Fray Cafe at SXSWi, The Story Department, FronteraFest, and stages across the country. Most importantly, I'm continually amazed by how often I'm mistaken for a real grown up. Want to see me tell this story live at Listen to Your Mother in Austin? Watch HERE. Want to read the story? Read HERE. Check out another story by me in Episode 1 - Am I Willing to Punch a Peacock? at StoriesFound.com You can also find me at: AvaLoveHanna.com or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ----- Want to be a featured storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
In this episode of Stories Found, we hear the hilarious story, The First Time I Got Naked in Front of a Bunch of People I Didn't Know by Max Langert. Max takes it all off and describes his first experience at a spa in Amsterdam.
In this episode of Stories Found, we hear the hilarious story, The First Time I Got Naked in Front of a Bunch of People I Didn't Know by Max Langert. Max takes it all off and describes his first experience at a spa in Amsterdam. Max Langert has had plays produced in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Amsterdam. He's won the Henrico playwriting award, been named Best of the New Southern Theatre Festival in Tennessee and named Best of the Fest multiple times at FronteraFest in Austin. He's told stories at Testify, Austin Bat Cave, and Listen To Your Mother. He also manages Cinnamon Path Theater and has a couple of teenage sons that make him laugh a lot. Get more information about Max and links to some of his other work on our website: StoriesFound.com You can also find him at: MaxLangert.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ----- Want to be a featured storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
In this episode of Stories Found, we hear the story, Am I Willing to Punch a Peacock? by Ava Love Hanna. Ava's story was recorded live at Mayfield Park and the actual gang of rowdy peacocks that tried to ruin lunch with her son that day can be heard in the background. Links to a transcript of the story and a video of the performance are available on StoriesFound.com Ava is the host of the Stories Found podcast as well as a humorist, published playwright, and award-winning speaker and storyteller based in Austin, Texas. She is continually amazed by how often she's mistaken for a real grown up. You can read more of her work at: https://avalovehanna.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ----- Want to be a featured storyteller in a future episode? We're accepting submissions!
In this episode of Stories Found, we hear the story, Am I Willing to Punch a Peacock? by Ava Love Hanna. Ava's story was recorded live at Mayfield Park and the actual gang of rowdy peacocks that tried to ruin lunch with her son that day can be...
Stories Found is brand new storytelling show... err, podcast. We've moved our staged comedy shows to the safe, germ-free world of digital storytelling! Each episode features a different writer or storyteller and their weird, funny, and mostly true stories. Check out the trailer, get to know Ava and Paul and get ready for our full episodes starting later in July. Also, make sure to submit your own story for a chance to be a featured storyteller in a future episode! Stories Found -- We do funny stuff.
Stories Found is brand new storytelling show... err, podcast. We've moved our staged comedy shows to the safe, germ-free world of digital storytelling! Each episode features a different writer or storyteller and their weird, funny, and mostly true...
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