History of Events

Spring 2022

• Tue Feb 8 - Open Mic Storytelling - The Elephant - Theme "Consequences" – Emcee: Dr. Joel Ying, Storytellers: Mary Lou Williams, Walt Belcher, Lynn Jaffe, Susie, Jalea, JaNaya, Sevin, Raphael

• Mon Feb 14 - Performance with Q&A, Sheila Arnold - Adults Only: Love Stories

• Tue Feb 15 - Workshop / Performance with Q&A (Black History), Sheila Arnold

• Tue Feb 22 - Performance with Q&A (Spoken Word Poetry), Shawn Welcome

• Tue Mar 1 - Open Mic Storytelling - The Elephant - Theme "Poetic Justice" – Emcee Dr. Joel Ying, Storytellers: Mary Lou Williams, Robin, Sevin

• Wed Mar 2 - Workshop / Performance with Q&A (Diversity & Inclusion), Sue O'Halloran

• Fri Mar 18 - Ann McCutchan ~ Reading, Reception, Book Signing

• Tue Mar 29 - Performance with Q&A (Creative Non-Fiction), Robin Schulte

• Wed Mar 30 - Performance with Q&A (Fractured Tales), Mary Lou Williams

• Tue Apr 5 - Open Mic Storytelling - The Elephant - Theme "Art for Art's Sake" – Emcee Dr. Joel Ying, Storytellers: Maria, Ash (art student), Robin, Jalea, Gracie, Sevin, Susie, Alex

• Wed Apr 6 - Workshop / Performance with Q&A (Healing Stories), Linda Schuyler Ford

• Wed Apr 20 - Student Showcase @Veteran's Pavilion

• Fri Apr 22 - Storytelling Salon "Earth Day Perspectives"

• Tue Apr 26 - Dr. Joel Ying, Tell Your Story: Legacy of Love @Veteran's Pavilion

Fall 2021

• Fri Sep 17 - Open Mic Storytelling - The Elephant @FGCU -
  Emcee Dr. Joel Ying, Storytellers: Chery Owens, Isaiah Torres, Deb Jewett, Stephen Cavitt

• Wed Sep 22 - Performance with Q&A - Kuniko Yamamoto

• Wed Sep 29 - Performance with Q&A - Kuniko Yamamoto

• Tue Oct 19 - Performance with Q&A - Jessica McCune

• Wed Oct 20 - Performance with Q&A - Jessica McCune

• Fri Oct 22 - Open Mic Storytelling - The Elephant @FGCU -
  Theme: "Spooky" - Emcee Dr. Joel Ying

• Wed Nov 3 - Open Mic Storytelling - The Elephant @FGCU -
  Theme: "Kindness" - Emcee Dr. Joel Ying

• Fri Nov 5 - Storytelling Salon - "Heaven Starts on Earth"

Spring 2021 - Online Series (Zoom)

• Fri Feb 12 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
  Storytelling Circle – Open Mic – Stories of Love, Emcee: Dr. Joel Ying

• Fri Feb 19 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
  Sheila Arnold, Performance – Underground Railroad – Locks Open: EXTRA ORDINARY!

• Fri Feb 26 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
  Sheila Arnold, Performance – Social Justice Stories

• Wed Mar 3 at 6pm – 7:15pm:
  Sheila Arnold, Workshop – Re-imagine the World: Dilemma Tales in Contemporary Times

• Fri Mar 5 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
  Sheila Arnold, Performance – Folk tales – Brer Rabbit Speaks

• Fri Mar 12 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
  Storytelling Circle – Open Mic – Stories of Luck, Emcee: Dr. Joel Ying

• Fri Mar 19 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
  Alton Chung, Performance, HEROES: Stories from WWII

• Wed Mar 24 at 6pm – 7:15pm:
  Alton Chung, Workshop – Finding the Heart of the Story: Crafting Historic Stories

• Fri Mar 26 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
  Anne Shimojima, Performance – Japanese American Incarceration Camps

• Fri Apr 2 – 7pm – 8:30pm: 
  Nestor Gomez, Immigration Stories – stories of moving, surviving, thriving, and just living in another country

• Fri Apr 9 – 7pm – 8:30pm:
  Dovie Thomason, Performance – Native American Stories – Women Across Time

• Wed Apr 21 – 6pm – 7:15pm:
  FGCU Student Showcase ~ Storytelling as Healing

Fall 2020

Fri Oct 16, 2020 – Theme: “Pandemic Stories”

• Online Event. Storytelling Circle. Story exercises, memory openers, and OPEN MIC facilitated by Dr. Joel Ying.

Fri Nov 20, 2020 – Theme: “Gratitude Stories”

• Online Event. Storytelling Circle. Story exercises, memory openers, and OPEN MIC facilitated by Dr. Joel Ying.

• Stories by Mary Lou Williams, Marilyn Graham, Lynn Jaffe, Lisa Leonhardt, Glenn Parks

Spring 2020

Mon Feb 3, 2020 – Theme: “Lost and Found”

• Chris Pritchard

• Mary Lou Williams

• Russ Kafka

• Logan Schneiter (Student)

• Felix Reyes (Student)

• Veronica (Student)

• Zackery (Student)

THU Feb 20, 2020 - Jim Gregory, "The Hanging of Tom Brown: An Odyssey into the 1960's Civil Rights Movement", Cohen Center Ballroom

WED Feb 26, 2020 - Sue O'Halloran, "Who Gets to Call This Home?", Wasmer Art Gallery

In-Person Performance Events cancelled due to COVID-19 for rest of Spring 2020.

Fri Apr 10, 2020 – Theme: “Transitions”

• Online Event / Virtual Open Mic

Fall 2019

Tue Sep 24, 2019 – Theme: “Open to Interpretation”

• Novy Aronfeld

• Mary Lou Williams

• Roz (community)

• Mark Beland (Winner!)

• Marilyn Graham

• Kevin (student)

• Anni (student)

WED Oct 23, 2019 - Sheila Arnold, Performance - Stories of the Underground Railroad "Locks Opened: Waterways to Freedom", Cohen Center Ballroom A

THU Oct 24, 2019 - Sheila Arnold, Workshop - "Folktales, Fairytales & Social Justice", Wasmer Art Gallery

Wed Nov 6, 2019 – Theme: “Alien”

• Amy Hibberd (community)

• Lynn Jaffe (staff)

• Mary Lou Williams (community) – Winner!

• Cardel Emanuel (student)

• Lori Cornelius (staff) – 2nd place!

• Steve Cavitt (staff)

Spring 2019

Thu Feb 7, 2019 – Theme: “Up Close and Unimaginable”

Faculty Tellers:

• Stephen Cavitt (Overall 1st Place!)

Community Tellers:

• Lisa Leonhardt (2nd Place!)

• Mary Lou Williams

• Tashahara Jallad

Student Tellers:

• Clinton Lohey

Tue Mar 26, 2019 – Theme: “School”

• Liz Black

• Jon Calamaro

• Mary Lou Williams

• Lori Cornelius (staff)

• Rhonda Brazina

• Marilyn Graham

• Lisa Leonhardt

• Natalie Barrios (student)

Apr 24, 2019 – Theme: “I’m not here to lie to you”

• Steve Cavitt (staff)

• Mary Lou Williams

• Andrew McKay

• John Argeta

• Lisa Leonhardt (community winner!)

• Natalie Barrios (student winner!)

• Zackary DeArmond

• Colby Brownell

Fall 2018

Wed Sep 26, 2018 – Theme: “How I Got Here”

Location: Bower Arts Complex / Wasmer Art Gallery
Thank you to the more than 50 people that showed up!
Awards by Category.

Congratulations to our amateur & professional storytellers from the community.

1. Lisa Leonhardt (1st place winner! Overall champion of the night! Gift card to Starbucks!)

2. Tashahara Jallad (2nd place overall!)

3. Pam Minton

4. Rhonda Brazina (Time Deduction! Be careful!)

Our student storytellers. Thank you for your bravery.

1. Dejora Curry (Winner of category! Gift card to Amazon!)

2. Griffin Baker-Royo (Gift card to Amazon!)

3. Natalie Barrios (Time deduction! Be careful!)

Thank you to our professors & instructors that supported our event.

1. Steve Cavitt (Winner of category! Gift card to Amazon!))

2. Mark Massaru (Time deduction! Be careful!)

Thank you to the volunteer judges, timers, scorekeepers.

Wed Oct 24, 2018 – Theme: “Sweet”

Location: Bower Arts Complex / Wasmer Art Gallery 

Student Tellers:

• Natalie Barrios (#1 Student Teller of the Evening)

• Savanna Scarborough

Faculty Tellers:

• Lori Cornelius (Tied, Overall 1st Place!)

• Steve Cavitt (Runner Up Faculty Teller!)

• Kaleena Rivera

• Lynn Jaffe

Community Tellers:

• Marilyn Graham (Tied, Overall 1st Place!)

• Lisa Leonhardt

• Mary Lou Williams

Wed Nov 14, 2018 – Theme: “Blind Date”

Location: Bower Arts Complex / Wasmer Art Gallery 

Faculty Tellers:

• Kim Jackson (Tied, Overall 1st Place!)

• Steve Cavitt (Overall 2nd Place!)

• Lynn Jaffe

Community Tellers:

• Mary Lou Williams (Tied, Overall 1st Place!)

• Marilyn Graham

• Helen Wagner

Wed Dec 5, 2018 – Theme: “Friends and Family”

Student Tellers:

• Savana Scarborough (1st Place Student! Winner of the Full Weekend Pass to the Florida Storytelling Festival in January 2019.)

• Sofia Bonasi

• Tosha Fegley

Community Tellers:

• Mark Beland (Overall 1st Place!)

• Jennifer Wasmer

• Martin Angus

• Lisa Leonhardt

• Kyrin Hall