The last storytelling show Better Said Than Done hosted in 2019 was called “Family Ties.” Storytellers Catherine Calvin, Miriam Nadel, Jessica Robinson, Giselle Ruzany, Ellouise Schoettler, Sarah Snyder, Gayle Turner and Sufian Zhemukhov shared true, personal storytelling show about family, at The Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, VA.
Gayle Turner started the show off with a family story passed down from his father to him. Watch the video of Gayle’s slightly tall tale here.
Ellouise Schoettler story was about wanting a room of her own, with a door and everything. Watch Ellouise’s story here.
Storyteller Sarah Snyder concluded the night of true, personal stories with a tale about her adult family of choice, a family she found while living in Scotland. Watch Sarah’s very revealing story here.
Better Said Than Done had a wonderful array of storytelling shows, workshops and events in 2019. You can read about most of them here. But we ended the year of storytelling with a show about family for a reason. We all came from somewhere. We all have diverse experiences of family, and, as you can see from just this one show, diverse interpretations of what family means. But we all have also become a family, a community of storytellers and story listeners.
I’m looking forward to the first of many family reunions – at our first storytelling show of 2020, “My America,” on January 25, 2020. Join us, won’t you?
Details of our upcoming storytelling shows, and advance $12 entry, here.
2019 might not have been the best year for the world, or our country, but for fans of storytelling in Northern Virginia, it was great. Too many things happened to list them all. But here’s a quick look back.
January, 2019 We had two wonderful storytelling shows in January, and one great loss to the storytelling world. Sheila Arnold joined Jessica Robinson on stage at Jammin’ Java for a special show called “Peace & Justice,” hosted by Nick Baskerville.
A few days later, storyteller Anne Thomas passed away. We honored Anne at our last Saturday of the month show at The Auld Shebeen, “Fairy Dust,” by playing a video of one of her stories that brought me, and most of the audience, to tears. Here’s a remembrance of Anne, for those who did not get to know her, or just miss her terribly.
February, 2019 In February, Roar: True Tales of Women Warriors, received honors in the Storytelling World Awards! We also joined Fall for the Book for an Open Mic Pop-Up Lit night at the Old Town Hall. Our regularly scheduled, last Saturday of the month at The Auld Shebeen, storytelling show was called “On a Winter’s Night,” and it warmed the heart of all of our audience members. Bonus: we welcomed first time storyteller Jon Modell to our stage.
March, 2019
In early March, Jessica Robinson once again had the honor of teaming up with some amazing, professional storytellers, for a special show. In “Adventure Calling,” Anne Rutherford and Norm Brecke flew in from Oregon to bring exciting tales of cheese, treasure, coffee, and cowboys, and Jessica threw in a little castration for fun. Later in the month, at our “Lost and Found” storytelling show, we found experienced storyteller Denise Bennett on our stage for the first time, along with our usual crew.
April, 2019 In April, we had a “Climate Change” on our stage when Margarita Rozenfeld performed with us for the first time. Oh, and we totally fixed global warming!
May, 2019 May marked our 8 Year Anniversary, so we hosted a storytelling celebration with 8 storytellers telling 8 minute stories – or, at least, trying to. And the person making 8 enough was first time storyteller Bill Weech!
June, 2019 In “Smoking Gun,” we not only made people laugh and cry, we also added first time storyteller John Howell to our community.
July, 2019 Jessica Robinson led a specially crafted 2 hour storytelling workshop at the Arlington Public Library.
August, 2019
Our August storytelling show was filled with love, as our community grew
closer through story. We were joined once again by the fabulous Geraldine Buckley, and for the first time by wonderful storytellers Les Schaffer and Jay Johnson in “Other People’s Stories.” Sadly, that same night, our country endured two mass shootings. My thoughts on gun violence and community here.
September, 2019
After the hazy, lazy days of summer, we got over ambitious in September – with 3 shows! First, Jessica Robinson hosted a night of storytelling and music with storyteller Andy Offutt Irwin. Then we had a special “Open Mic” storytelling show at a new venue in Herndon, ArtSpace Herndon, welcoming first time storyteller Andrea Young and new to our stage Jeri Mae Rowley.
Finally, we returned to our regular last Saturday of the month show at The Auld Shebeen, for “Old School,” where we got a new friend in storyteller Hettie Farley. And, finally in September, as if we didn’t have enough going on, Jessica Robinson started leading her 5 week storytelling workshop, “Your Story, Your Life” for the first time through the Vienna Community Center.
October, 2019
We kept busy in October as well. In addition to the million Halloween parties we all got invited to, we participated in GMU’s Fall for the Book Festival once again. This time, just for fun, we had a “Liar’s Show,”
where the audience was invited to guess which of the storytellers were
dirty rotten liars. We were joined for the first time by Jennifer Fischer and Lisa Leibow. Jessica Robinson led a storytelling workshop for the Rubenstein Fellows at the Brookings Institution in October. And we ended the month with our “6th Annual Night at the Improv” – a storytelling show in which no storyteller is prepared. Hosted by Jack Scheer.
November, 2019
In November, the Better Said Than Done family decided to kick back,
relax, eat some turkey, or tofurkey, and come together one last time for
our final show of the year, “Family Ties.” In addition to having the
wonderful Ellouise Schoettler return to our stage after too long, we were joined for the first time by Gayle Turner. The blog post is pending so you’ll just have to wait for 2020 to hear our family drama.
I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to hibernate for a few months.
Good thing we don’t have anything else to do until January 25th, 2020.
Except prepare for January 25th. I believe that our January storytelling
show, “My America,”
will once again move the conversation forward about how we, as
storytellers and Americans, can come together and form a stronger
community, where we support one another. We’ll see you there, America!
Until then.
Have a happy, peace-filled, sanity-filled, safe, loving, comforting, and joyous rest of the year!
The thing I dread most about this time of year is coming up with a list of stuff I want for the holidays. Here’s the thing. I’m an adult. If I want something, I get it. I have enough stuff. So, I ask for experiences – tickets to shows, trips to festivals, or workshops. If you’ve got a problem person on your hands – someone like me who does not want more stuff – consider getting them a night, a weekend, or an afternoon out. Here are some gift options we can offer to help solve your problem!
Storytelling Show Tickets
Purchase 1 or a dozen advance show tickets for 2020 and give them out as individual gifts for clients, in white elephant exchanges, or secret santas, or give a packet to a friend or family member for them to have a fun night out. Certificates are good for a year for any of our regularly scheduled storytelling shows at The Auld Shebeen. (They do not work at other venues and for special shows with featured National storytellers which may be added later in the year). See some upcoming shows here. Purchase gift certificates below.
The 2020 Women’s Storytelling Festival
Give the gift of being there for the first ever all female storytelling festival! Details here about the Women’s Storytelling Festival – the weekend of March 13, 2020, in the City of Fairfax, VA. Purchase tickets to the Festival here.
Storytelling Workshops
Give the gift of gab. We have 4 half day Spotlight on You storytelling workshops currently on the calendar for early 2020. Attendees will learn some tricks of crafting and performing a true personal story. This workshop is a great jumping off point for novice storytellers and a fun new way of approaching the craft for more experienced storytellers. Find more information about our storytelling workshops here. Click here to register a friend or family member for upcoming storytelling workshops. (If the person you register needs to switch dates, they can, so long as they give at least 4 business days’ notice.)
For the Book Lovers
I know, I know – I said no more stuff! But my one weakness is books. And I don’t think I’m alone in that!
Following are a few new books written by storytellers, or for storytellers, that I can personally recommend.
Roar: True Tales of Women Warriors – a book featuring 21 female authors all sharing true, personal stories of obstacles and empowerment. Read more about Roar here. Available on BN.com or Amazon.
Plant Trees, Carry Sheep, by S.A. Snyder – a memoir by Sarah Snyder – a regular on our stage – about her experience among the Sufis of Scotland. Available on Amazon.
Sigga of Reykjavic, by Solveig Eggerz – a novel about a woman struggling to keep her family alive in Depression-era Iceland, by storyteller Solveig Eggerz. Available on Amazon.
Writing to Be Understood, by Anne Janzer – a non fiction book about the craft of writing, mostly geared towards business writers. That being said, if you want to know more about writing for an audience, this book is for you. Janzer goes into detail on how to be understood by a particular audience – something every storyteller can benefit from knowing. Available on Amazon.
52 Story Jokes Anyone Can Tell, by Anne Rutherford and Norm Brecke – a guide to telling a jokes a week, by national storytellers who appeared on our stage in 2019, Anne and Norm. You can purchase the book on their website.
Perpetual Calendar, the newest story CD, and other CDs by national storyteller and friend of the show Andy Offutt Irwin, can be purchased on Andy’s website.
No matter what gifts you give or receive this holiday season, may it be merry and bright, and full of happy stories for all.
Our final storytelling show of 2019 is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I don’t know about you, but I am thankful to have a place to go where I don’t have to eat pie, buy stuff that’s “on sale,” or talk politics! On November 30, 2019, join Better Said Than Done storytellers at the Auld Shebeen in the City of Fairfax, VA, for “Family Ties: true, personal stories about relatives, in-laws, and ancestors.”
We promise, you don’t have to talk to YOUR families during the show. You just have to listen to us talk about ours! Host Jessica Robinson and storytellers Catherine Calvin, Miriam Nadel, Giselle Ruzany, Ellouise Schoettler, Sarah Snyder, Gayle Turner, and Sufian Zhemukhov promise to regale you with tales of childhood – stories we grew up with, grew into, and grew from.
Bring your whole family to the show – or leave them at home. We promise our dinner table talk will be entertaining enough to overcome the tryptophan! Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday! See you the Saturday after!
The inaugural Women’s Storytelling Festival, hosted by Better Said Than Done, will take place March 13-14, 2020, in Fairfax, Virginia. Though storytelling festivals have been a popular event in the US for over 40 years, this will be the first ever storytelling festival with a lineup composed exclusively of women. For time, location, other details, and tickets, visit bettersaidthandone.com/womens-festival/
Megan
DuBois, the Cultural Arts Manager for the City of Fairfax, says, “The City of
Fairfax is so excited to host the Women’s Storytelling Festival this
spring. Through the sharing of stories, we learn more about ourselves,
our differences and similarities. Through sharing these stories, we build
community, which is what making art in Fairfax is all about!”
The Women’s Storytelling Festival kicks off Friday, March 13, 2020, with a showcase of local, woman storytellers at The Auld Shebeen, 3971 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22030. On Saturday, March 14, 2020, featured storytellers Sheila Arnold, Megan Hicks, Vijai Nathan, Jessica Robinson, Donna Washington, and Kim Weitkamp will perform a range of true, folk, and historical stories throughout the day at Old Town Hall, 3999 University Drive, Fairfax, Virginia 22030. In addition, there will be a story swap at Old Town Hall, as well as two show-producer showcase performances at The Auld Shebeen, featuring producers from The Moth, The Stoop, and Story Collider, and more.
Megan Hicks, one of the featured storytellers in the festival,
explained her excitement about the new festival. “Explicitly creating a Women’s Festival is a tacit indication
that a slice of demographic pie that has been historically marginalized is
going to be in the spotlight this time — that ‘dominant male culture’ is not
the default setting for this event. The more I ponder this fact, the more
excited I get about participating.”
“Though women have a
very distinct way of looking at culture, almost everything that is projected
about life, ideas, right and wrong, is brought to our culture through the male
gaze,” adds Donna Washington, another featured performer. “If we continue to see everything through the
eyes of only one gender, nothing that needs correcting, fixing, or addressing
will ever be addressed, fixed or corrected. Women’s voices are different
because women see different things. Our voices matter. Our stories matter. It
is time to set them free.”
“In April of 2017, Better Said Than Done produced the first of many storytelling shows under the theme of Roar: True Tales of Women Warriors, featuring a lineup exclusively of women,” says Jessica Robinson, Founder of Better Said Than Done. “Rather than fill the void of stories by women and for women, Roar started a snowball effect, of more and more people coming forward and saying, ‘Thank you for sharing your stories. We want more.’ And the best way I could think to open storytelling up to even more women was to host a festival celebrating their voices.”
Gayle Turner, President of VASA
(Virginia Storytelling Alliance), one of the festival’s sponsors, had this to
say about the importance of this festival at this time, “Representing more than
half the world’s population, women’s voices are still underrepresented in the
public dialog. Providing a forum where women can see themselves on the stage
and hear stories that matter to them may encourage others to step up, speak out,
and exercise their influence. At the least, it’s a step in the right direction.”
He added, “VASA is privileged to throw our support behind this groundbreaking
event. Our culture is richer when everyone’s voice is heard.”
The festival brings together 19 storytellers from all over the
country, and from many different storytelling backgrounds. Vijai Nathan
describes her style of storytelling as “Hilarious,
true, personal narrative? Comedy storytelling?” Donna Washington is “primarily
a traditionalist who specializes in folklore and literary narrative.” Megan
Hicks claims to “have made peace with the fact that I have no storytelling
niche. The stories I tell are stories that have bit me on the butt and won’t
let go or that have grabbed my heart and demanded I give them voice. Personal
narrative, historical fiction, second-hand personal narrative, folklore,
parody, literary stories. This is what they all have in common: they are
stories I have crafted for spoken word performance.” Festival attendees will
find a range of stories and storytelling styles featuring diverse experiences
and cultures.
Festival tickets are on sale now at bettersaidthandone.com/womens-festival/. The stories are intended for a mature audience; people of all gender identities are welcome to attend.
“I love stories about
women. I love stories about strong women,” says Donna Washington. “I love the
idea of being part of a festival that celebrates both. I hope the audience
comes away with a love for stories, and perhaps a different way of thinking
about some of the things they take for granted. Mostly, I hope they love the
tales and want to hear more.”
Our 6th Annual Night at the Improv was hosted by storyteller extraordinaire – Mr. Jack Scheer. He gave our storytellers an opportunity to introduce themselves, asked the audience some very personal questions, and then let the games begin.
By games, of course, I mean true, personal stories improvised on the spot by our brave cast of storytellers. The storytellers who played along were Catherine Calvin, Jack Pelar, Colleen Pelar, Sarah Snyder, Erin Benbennick, Richard Barr, Sandra Hull, and Jessica Robinson.
It is hard to adequately explain what our improv storytelling show is like. It is easier to show you. So I’ve included a video of most of the night’s events below.
Since the stories are made up on the spot, they’re not fully formed, so I don’t break each one out as an individual video. Many of the storytellers will work on the stories they were inspired to tell this October, for a future storytelling show. Still, it was a fantastic night of storytelling, even if it was improv storytelling.
Better Said Than Done has one more storytelling show in 2019. Join us at The Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, VA on November 30, 2019 – the Saturday after Thanksgiving – for a great night out, either with, or away from, your family.
Tickets available here for “Family Ties: stories about ancestors, relatives, and in-laws.”
I am a storyteller. It’s kinda my thing. I perform in a lot of storytelling shows. And I go to a lot of storytelling shows. And I love storytelling.
But I also love stand-up comedy. I go to a lot of comedy shows. I watch a lot of comedy specials. But when I perform in a one-hour special, it’s called a storytelling special, not a comedy special, even if it’s funny. I am not a comedian. I am a storyteller.
I have to say, though, lately, that line between comedian and storyteller is getting a wee bit blurry. I saw something on Netflix (yes, lines between things I watch on Netflix are blurry too) recently with Jerry Seinfeld – he may have been getting coffee – where he was lamenting the fact that you can’t just stand up and tell jokes anymore. People want you to share stories – personal stories. And I thought well, if it’s even getting to Mr. Seinfeld, this must be a serious trend.
Storytelling in comedy certainly isn’t new. I’d date the trend back to Julia Sweeney’s 1998 one woman show “God Said Ha!” If you have not watched it, please do. It is a wonderful storytelling show, starring a fabulous comedian (best known for her many years on SNL). It IS a storytelling show, even though you won’t find that word used in it’s promotional blurbs. Storytelling was still a bit too underground at the time.
Mike Birbiglia changed that for the comedy world, and the rest of us, with the success of his 2008 one man show “Sleepwalk with Me,” published as a comedy special in 2011, and later turned into a movie of the same name. I loved all of the versions but do check out the comedy album if you get a chance. Mike Birbiglia is a very funny storyteller who happens to get booked for his comedy. I would say the continued blurring of the lines between comedy and storytelling sits firmly on his shoulders.
Recently we’ve seen storytelling all over comedy specials. Take a comedian like John Mulaney. His shows might not have one single storyline, but they contain a lot of short stories, each with its own arc, and its own punchline. Hasan Minhaj’s comedy special – “Homecoming King” – is a terrific example of this blended art. His special had smaller stories building up and supporting a larger, overarching storyline. It was a great comedy special but, more specifically, it was a great storytelling show. And finally,
there’s Hannah Gadsby’s “Nanette,” which disintegrates from a comedy special into a storytelling show right before the audience’s eyes.
But what might be a sad new reality for old school comedians like Jerry Seinfeld, looks like a great new way forward for funny storytellers. Here’s the thing, comedians get paid better, have larger audiences, and end up with a lot of specials on Netflix and other channels. Maybe the popularity of storytelling in comedy ain’t such a terrible thing for us storytellers, at least the ones who use a lot of humor.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but next time I am touring with a new storytelling show, I’ll be inviting you to my comedy special. It might be a funny storytelling show, but then, aren’t most comedy specials these days?
Jessica Robinson, Storyteller, Comedian
Watch some of my funny, and not-so-funny, stories here.
For our Fall for the Book Festival storytelling show this year, we decided to try something a little different – lying. In “True Lies: Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them,” our storytellers were told to either share a true story about a lie, or tell an actual lie. At the end, the audience got to guess who the liars were. Watch the videos of the stories below and see if you can guess who’s lying to you. Better Said Than Done Founder, storyteller, and master liar, Jessica Robinson, hosted the event.
Our first storyteller of the night, former Chicago resident Jack Scheer, told a story of the time, long ago, that he got to step in and perform on the Second City stage. Lying? Watch his story here and decide for yourself.
Jennifer Fischer joined our lineup of storytellers for the very first time. Would a new storyteller lie to us? What do you think? Watch Jennifer’s story here.
We know Catherine Calvin well. And she is definitely trustworthy. I trust her to be honest. Do you? Watch Catherine’s story here.
Lisa Leibow, a frequent star of the DC writing scene, and repeat guest at Fall for the Book, took to our storytelling stage to share a true – or not? – story about the ins and outs of marijuana laws in the District. Watch Lisa’s story here, and see if you smell a lie from this first time storyteller!
And then there was me. Jessica Robinson. Founder of Better Said Than Done. I told a story about cereal and death. Watch Jessica’s story here. Call me a liar – if you dare.
Storyteller Miriam Nadel has famously said “all my stories are true – even if they didn’t happen that way.” Is she lying? Watch Miriam’s story here and try to sort out truth.
We let Cyndi Wish conclude the night with a sordid tale of amusement park rides. Was her boxing champion/roller coaster master real? Or did she make the whole thing up. Watch her story here and see if she’s taking us for a ride.
Not only was our “True Lies” storytelling show for the Fall for the Book Festival a great night out in the City of Fairfax, VA, it was a great storytelling experiment. The audience got to find out which of our storytellers make really great liars! Thanks to the audience for playing along.
Thank you to all of the night’s storytellers for their honesty – or lack thereof. And thanks to the Fall for the Book Festival for hosting another great year of literary events. Special thanks to Andrew Liebeskind for these – and more – wonderful photos of a great night out in the City of Fairfax!
Join us October 26, at The Auld Shebeen, for our 6th Annual Night at the Improv – where all stories told will be true, personal and improvised on the spot. Advance $12 entry on sale until noon on show day here.
We have one more storytelling workshop left this year. Join Jack Scheer for a half day storytelling workshop on November 2. Details and link to register here.
And tickets on sale now for the inaugural Women’s Storytelling Festival – coming March 2020 in the City of Fairfax – here!
For our last Saturday of the month of September storytelling show at The Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, VA, we went “Old School,” with true, personal stories about education, tradition and age. And since we wanted to keep with tradition, we chose the wisest (aka oldest) storyteller we know to host – Sufian Zhemukhov!
Our first storyteller of the night, Hettie Farley, also joined our stage for the first time – though she’s been sharing stories for more than a few years. Watch a video here of her story about “Mama.”
Richard Barr returned to our stage for the 400th time to share a true, personal story about a kiss – and maybe a little more. Watch his story here.
Margarita Rozenfeld tried to survive her mid-life crisis by traveling to another country for some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, her timing was a little off as that other country happened to be in the midst of a huge Carnivale celebration.
Did you know that Zach Wilks was groomed to be a debutante – or whatever the male version of that is? A true, Southern gentleman. Find out how the attempt was made by watching his story here.
And just in case you think the show was all about old things, here’s Zach’s better 90%, and future better storyteller.
Miriam Nadel took us back to a time and place that most of us only assumed existed in movies from the 1950’s – the annual “class night,” Mouseketeer ears and all. Watch her story here of a tradition from out of a fairytale.
Jeri Mae Rowley also joined our Auld Shebeen stage for the first, sharing a true, personal story of learning about business from her time working in her grandparents’ saddle shop. Watch her story here.
Our Old World host, Sufian Zhemukhov, shared a story of tradition – specifically the traditional way in which he got his name. Watch Sufian’s story here.
As our longest standing member of the Better Said Than Done squad on stage that night, Len Kruger went real old school, taking us back all the way to middle school wood shop. Watch Len’s story here.
Not only was our “Old School” storytelling show a great night out in the City of Fairfax, VA, it was a great storytelling show! Thank you to all of the night’s storytellers for honoring the tradition of oral storytelling by coming prepared with their wonderful personal narrative stories.
For our next storytelling show, the storytellers have to arrive completely unprepared! Join us October 26, at The Auld Shebeen, for our 6th Annual Night at the Improv – where all stories told will be true, personal and improvised on the spot. Advance $12 entry on sale until noon on show day here.
And if you’d like to learn how to be prepared to perform in a storytelling show, we have one more storytelling workshop left this year. Join Jack Scheer for a half day storytelling workshop on November 2. Details and link to register here.
Finally, (drumroll please) Check out the inaugural Women’s Storytelling Festival – coming March 2020 in the City of Fairfax – here!
And then you can save the date for a storytelling event Sarah is hosting. Details below.
Crossing Borders: Stories about faith, courage, and hope
A matinee of stories about encounters with “other”—people from different cultures, races, religions, countries.
Hear stories about changed outlooks and beliefs, how experiences with “other” affected lives and lessons learned about themselves and “other.” Join us afterward for a light fellowship meal and brief storytelling workshop.
Tellers:
Noa Baum, Danita Green, Gayle Turner, and Sufian Zhemukhov
When: Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019; 2 – 5 PM
Where: Church of the Covenant, 2666 Military Road, Arlington, VA
Tickets: www.LunaRiverVoices.com/events
Net proceeds to benefit:
Arlington Alliance for Housing Solutions & Coming to the Table
