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 CavittWed 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 YingWed Nov 3 - Open Mic Storytelling - The Elephant @FGCU -
Theme: "Kindness" - Emcee Dr. Joel YingFri 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 YingFri 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 StoriesWed Mar 3 at 6pm – 7:15pm:
Sheila Arnold, Workshop – Re-imagine the World: Dilemma Tales in Contemporary TimesFri Mar 5 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
Sheila Arnold, Performance – Folk tales – Brer Rabbit SpeaksFri Mar 12 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
Storytelling Circle – Open Mic – Stories of Luck, Emcee: Dr. Joel YingFri Mar 19 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
Alton Chung, Performance, HEROES: Stories from WWIIWed Mar 24 at 6pm – 7:15pm:
Alton Chung, Workshop – Finding the Heart of the Story: Crafting Historic StoriesFri Mar 26 at 7pm – 8:30pm:
Anne Shimojima, Performance – Japanese American Incarceration CampsFri Apr 2 – 7pm – 8:30pm:
Nestor Gomez, Immigration Stories – stories of moving, surviving, thriving, and just living in another countryFri Apr 9 – 7pm – 8:30pm:
Dovie Thomason, Performance – Native American Stories – Women Across TimeWed 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.
Lisa Leonhardt (1st place winner! Overall champion of the night! Gift card to Starbucks!)
Tashahara Jallad (2nd place overall!)
Pam Minton
Rhonda Brazina (Time Deduction! Be careful!)
Our student storytellers. Thank you for your bravery.
Dejora Curry (Winner of category! Gift card to Amazon!)
Griffin Baker-Royo (Gift card to Amazon!)
Natalie Barrios (Time deduction! Be careful!)
Thank you to our professors & instructors that supported our event.
Steve Cavitt (Winner of category! Gift card to Amazon!))
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