A storytelling show featuring the stories of Immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, their descendants and allies, originally created and produced by Nestor “the Boss” Gomez, now with ongoing shows in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago – and also available as a podcast. More about 80 Minutes Around the World at: https://www.nestorgomezstoryteller.com/immigration-stories.html
Nestor Gomez was born in Guatemala and moved to Chicago undocumented in the mid-80’s . He is a seventy-five-time Moth Slam winner, three time Chicago Moth Grand Slam winner, 2022 Milwaukee Grand Slam winner and 2022 National Storytelling Association Grand Slam winner. He is also the creator, producer, curator and host of 80 Minutes Around the World, a storytelling show that features the stories of immigrants, their descendants and allies.
There will be a different set of performers for each of the two shows at Fillet.
January 13:
Anne McNamee-Keels is the descendant of a bunch of Irish and Polish immigrants who made their new homes on the south side of Chicago. Anne is a storyteller, a facilitator, a podcaster, and the former reigning Wrightwood Irish Princess of Chicago’s South Side Irish Parade (5-7 year-old division). She is the co-host and producer of Lapsed, a podcast about growing up Catholic, and she serves as a founding board member and facilitator for Race Conscious Dialogues, an Oak Park-based antiracism organization. Anne lives in Oak Park with her husband, two cute kiddos, and two very furry dogs.
Eliana La Casa is a bilingual Argentinean stand up comedian. She has been featured on Comedy Central Latinoamerica, as well as BBC Radio 4 London’s “Welcome to Wherever You Are” She was voted Best Stand Up Comedian of 2021 by the Chicago Reader. She moved to the US in 2021 and has since fallen in love with Storytelling. She loves testing people’s understanding of context by pronouncing “voting” and “boating” exactly the same. On purpose. She could totally pronounce them correctly. JAJA. Sorry, she means haha.
George Odendo is an East African immigrant from Kenya who became a U.S citizen just last year. George moved to Chicago from Cincinnati, Ohio two years ago. He was humbled beyond belief when Cincinnati’s City council named September 16, 2020 “George Odendo Day” for his efforts in taking matters into his own hands to clean the downtown Pendleton neighborhood where he lived and encourage others to do the same in their neighborhoods. That was just one of the ways George wanted to give back to a country that allowed him in and gave him permanent residence status. and myself
January 19:
Alina Serban was born and raised in Romania, where she spent over 35 years of her life. For the past 5 years, Alina has been calling Chicago home. In Romania, she was a TV journalist, with a career of 17 years and thousands of hours on live television. Her biggest accomplishment was presenting Eurovision Romania twice, once on the main stage in 2015, and the second time in the Green Room in 2018. In the US, Alina graduated The Second City storytelling class, performed twice on The Second City stages, and also curated and organized Together for Ukraine, a storytelling fundraising event. Alina loves The Moth and after years of listening to the podcast, she told a story at a Chicago Moth StorySLAM. She finished third place, on a memorable night making a dream come true. Alina works as Chief of Staff for Embrace Living Communities, a non-profit organization providing affordable housing to low and very-low income seniors and people with disabilities. Alina lives in the Chicagoland area with her husband Matt, and their son Daniel.
Dennis Oulahan is a retired teacher. He and his wife, Anne, live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He has been telling stories all of his life. Some true. Some not so much. He started telling stories on stages in 2016. Now he sticks to the true ones.
Siddharth (Sid) Shah was born and raised in Mumbai and has called Chicago home for the past five years. Sid is a planner and engineer who works to make streets safer for people walking, biking, or traveling any other way. He enjoys ice cream, biking, exploring new neighborhoods, and all those together. Some of his favorite cities are Ahmedabad, Kyoto, Vienna, and New Orleans.
Health is Wealth. We all know this. But what happens when it’s impossible to measure? Or when the measurements can’t encompass the complexity of being Black and in America? Recalling their own unique experience with mental health as Black people in particular, both storytellers reflect, where they have been and perhaps, where they are headed. The work is rooted in the Black diasporic continuum with elements of call and response, breath and movement as well as ancestral allusion. As always the aim is not Resolution but Revelation.
As a Golden Valley, Minnesota native, Drew Ryan (Storyteller) went to Hopkins High School, but it was not until going to college at Normandale Community College that he developed a passion for acting. After being encouraged by one of his close family members to take acting as an elective class, he discovered his ability to excel in this area. Not only was it something he enjoyed, but it was also something he was great at. Drew ended up graduating from SMSU with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in 2022. In his spare time, he also enjoys watching plays and supporting local artists. In his perspective, supporting others is especially rewarding because not only does he contribute to their growth, but he takes something away from each person that impacts him. Something Drew aspires to accomplish in his future is to continue to be a student in acting and be an advocate to those who do not have a voice. It is important to him to create an impact for future generations using acting as a liaison for advocacy.
Shelby Marie Edwards (Storyteller) is an actor, solo performer, and poet born and raised in Charlottesville, VA and based in Chicago, IL. Chicago Theatre Credits include The Wedding Singer (Surging Films and Theatrics), Liberators: An American Musical, Lucky: A Musical (Chicago Musical Theatre Festival); Monger (Her Story Theatre); Holly’s Ivy, Lost Home Win Home (Lifeline Theatre). Regional credits include Chicken & Biscuits (Virginia Repertory Theatre), Little Women (Virginia Theatre Festival. Film Credits include HBO’s Lovecraft Country. Education: M.A. from the University of Chicago & B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University. Shelby is a proud alumna of Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s leadership program.
Earliana “Earl” McLaurin (she/her) is a licensed secondary education English teacher, writer, storyteller, teaching artist, actor, director; in short, anything that will allow her to manifest stories to create more understanding in the world. As a teaching artist, Earliana has worked with students aged 9 to 99 through her work with the former Rialto Square Theatre School, the Park District of Oak Park, Light Opera Works Summer Musical Theatre program, GeNarrations (a Goodman Theatre educational program), and is a facilitator and company member with 2nd Story. When she isn’t creating stories she’s using that same spark of creativity to teach others how to equitably integrate technology into public education. Earliana is a graduate of Truman State University, the University of Missouri, and is a K-12 Instructional Technology Specialist
Willa J Taylor is a writer, teacher and storyteller who was lucky enough to grow up in a family of tale-tellers, fabulators, and raconteurs in Dallas, Texas. She created the GeNarrations storytelling program for people 55+ while she was Director of Education and Engagement at Goodman Theatre, and has taught writing and performance across Chicago for the past 14 years. She believes that sharing our stories will help heal the world.
A Fragile Peace – stories of courage. Featuring stories from across the storytelling spectrum. Our shows were produced for several years at the Oak Park Brewing Company in Oak Park. Co-producers Margaret Burk, Peter LeGrand and Megan Wells switched it up to BACK ROOM STORIES OUTSIDE! the past four summers and performed in inviting outdoor spaces. This year’s show features four personal stories revealing the heart of the matter; that courage is the fuel for positive change.
Margaret Burk brings decades of performance, teaching and producing experience to her storytelling programs and workshops. She tells personal stories, as well as traditional folktales throughout the Chicago area, and on the nationwide virtual stage. Margaret produces Tellers’ Night, a monthly show in Forest Park and Back Room Stories OUTSIDE! in the summer months in River Forest. She was featured in the 2022 Women’s Storytelling Festival in Fairfax, VA. www.margaretburk.com
Stephanie Douglass is a performer, farmer, writer, and trainer. She is the Associate Director of the Greater West Town Community Development Project, helping Chicago’s students to complete high school and serving adults with barriers to employment. Stephanie recently performed her original solo show, “LIVE! NUDE! COMPLICATED! GRIEF!” at the National Women’s Theater Festival, winning Best Solo Performer. She is a Moth GrandSLAM Champion. Find her on Facebook @Stephanie Douglas or Instagram @beetgrrl26.
Peter LeGrand has been a pig farmer, airline owner, nursery school director, and elementary school teacher. He is a master woodworker; has made boats, a small home that can be pulled by a bicycle, and the portable stage on which we have produced Back Room Stories OUTSIDE! for the past four summers.
Megan Wells has been a full-time professional storyteller for nearly 40 years. Her extensive repertoire includes personal stories, fairy tales, folktales, and historical impersonations of women such as Florence Nightingale, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Princess Diana to name a few. Megan has been featured at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough Tenn. and was inducted into America’s Circle of Excellence in Storytelling by the National Storytelling Network. www.meganwells.com
Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning… Building, breaking, rebuilding – Carl Sandburg, “Chicago”
In his 1914 poem Carl Sandburg branded our city with the enduring words, “City of the Big Shoulders” for we are as he describes “proud, coarse, strong and cunning”. Join us for an hour of compelling stories from among the most dedicated and relentless mission driven organizations in Chicago, determined to help change our city for the better.
Produced and Hosted by Suzy Kahn Weinberg
Suzy is the executive producer of Big Shoulders Stories and one of the founders of the monthly storytelling show, Is this a thing?
Featuring: Sanjee Choudhuri (Literacy Chicago); Zachary Dymterko (Refugee One); Crystal Palmer (National Public Housing Museum); Tanesha Peeples (The Roots Initiative); Susan Rohde (Healing Corner); Giovanni Scumaci (Chicago Scholars); Vondale Singleton (CHAMPS)
CHAMPS Featured storyteller Vondale Singleton
The mission of the C.H.A.M.P.S. Male Mentoring Program is to Educate, Empower, and Expose Boys and Young Men of Color beyond the four walls of the school in order to help them to achieve their dreams and goals. C.H.A.M.P.S. Male Mentoring Program envisions a safe environment for every young man by developing their mindsets through culturally relevant conversations and interactions that will help them develop the skills and habits necessary to navigate life in a positive and productive way. CHAMPS Founder Vondale Singleton Sr. started C.H.A.M.P.S. ten years ago in an effort to mentor young men focusing on SEL, Mental Health, Leadership Development, and Identity Formation.
Chicago Scholars Featured storyteller Giovanni Scumaci
Chicago Scholars is the largest college access and leadership organization in the city. Every year, we put 500+ of Chicago’s best and brightest on the path to college while finding innovative ways to reach more students, from technological interventions to programs for young men of color.
The Healing Corner Featured storyteller Susan Rohde
The Healing Corner was launched in 2015 in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. The Healing Corner community-building events were created to engage the community in open dialogue around the issue of violence. The Healing Corner goes to different corners known for violence predominately on the West Side of Chicago and passes out free food, hugs, gun locks, Narcan, and other essentials and resources. Since our start, we have had over 100 community events. We put an emphasis on getting to know the young men and boys who hang out on the corner and guide them towards a positive path. The Healing Corner acts as a guide to the community on how we should treat one another by displaying unity, creating a safe space for youth to play, and welcoming everyone. The Healing Corner also has mentoring outings and a mutual aid program. We are completely volunteer run.
Literacy Chicago Featured storyteller Sanjee Choudhuri
Established in 1968, Literacy Chicago stands as the longest-standing non-profit literacy organization inChicago. While our roots lie in empowering adults through basic reading skills, we’ve evolved to meet the dynamic needs of our community. Today, our comprehensive programs extend beyond traditional literacy, encompassing ESL, Citizenship Preparation, GED, Digital Literacy, and Workforce Development. Despite our growth, adult literacy remains a paramount focus as we actively address and combat low literacy levels in our city. At the heart of our mission is the belief that education is transformative, and we invite passionate individuals to join us as volunteer tutors, contributing to the collective effort of empowering adults through education.
National Public Housing Museum (NPHM) Featured storyteller Crystal Palmer
In the late 1990s, as thousands of public housing units across the country were being demolished, public housing residents dreamed about creating a National Public Housing Museum to preserve their memories and histories of public housing. They wanted their children, grandchildren, and the public to know more about their place in the American experience and to understand the policies that impacted their families. In 2007, civic leaders, preservationists, and cultural workers collaborated with residents to incorporate the museum, which has since offered programs that connect the past with contemporary issues of social justice and human rights. The museum’s mission is to preserve, promote, and propel the right of all people to a place where they can live and prosper — a place to call home. Its permanent home will open to the public in 2024 at the historic Jane Addams Homes in Chicago’s Near West Side.
RefugeeOne Featured storyteller Zachary Dymterko
RefugeeOne is a pivotal local answer to critical global needs. Since 1982, RefugeeOne has welcomed 20,500 refugees from every major world crisis including Rwandans fleeing genocide, Jews from the former Soviet Union, the Lost Boys of Sudan, Syrians displaced by civil war, Afghans who escaped the Taliban, and now Ukrainian families fleeing Russia’s invasion. Today RefugeeOne is the largest resettlement agency in Chicago.
We provide comprehensive services (Housing, English language training, Wellness support, employment, dental care, youth programs, and immigration assistance) that help families to become self-reliant in their new home.
The Roots Initiative Featured storyteller Tanesha Peeples
The Roots Initiative: At The Roots Initiative, our goal is to inspire and support Black youth in their journey to become architects and drivers of transformative change in their communities and beyond. By harnessing their passion, genius, and potential, we aim to contribute to a future where communities thrive, and civic and social progression is shaped by the visionary leadership of our youth.
Penelope’s father moves in with her in 2018 and it causes her to reflect on who he is, but more importantly who she is.
Penelope Walker is grateful for this opportunity, to be performing, again, in the Fillet Of Solo Festival! She was here in 2013 with her show, “How I Jack Master Funked The Sugar In My Knee Caps.” She’s been doing theatre, tv, film and voice overs for many years. Penelope finds that creating & performing her personal solo work is the scariest and most fulfilling work she may ever do.
Bonnie Bagdon, Judy Parker, Nancy Solomon and Pete Wood met as classmates in GeNarrations, the Goodman Theatre’s storytelling program. We soon discovered we had a lot in common. The four of us all survived too many awful jobs. And Essential Workers was born. We are thrilled to make our group’s debut at the 2023 Fillet of Solo Festival.
Bonnie Bagdon (To Tell The Truth) Recently retired after 25 years as a trial lawyer defending against personal injury cases. In other words, denying compensation to widows and children! As penance, she volunteers at a food pantry and is active in greyhound rescue and cat adoption. She now enjoys telling stories to more than groups of twelve. She has been part of The Goodman Theatre’s GeNarrations program since 2022 and She has performed with Story Lab, Is This a Thing?, Serving the Sentence, Word Salad, Story Sessions, and Fillet of Solo.
Judy Parker (Sales Flunky) Judy has been with the GeNarrations Storytelling Program at the Goodman since 2018. Originally a Modern Dance Major, she drifted towards Musical Theater where she was primarily cast in comedic roles. She’s performed in Summer Stock and Dinner Theaters, eventually doing Stand Up Comedy in NYC. In Chicago she was Grandma in Tony & Tina’s Wedding. She currently is a tour guide for both Steve’s Segway Tours & Untouchable Tours. Since Covid her focus has become writing stories, one woman shows and grocery lists.
Nancy Solomon (Jobs Sustenance) I’ve been a member of the Goodman Theatre’s storytelling program, GeNarrations, since 2018. I found out about GeNarrations years ago when two members of the Goodman program presented their stories at the first Fillet of Solo Festival I attended a few years before. I am now completely obsessed. Thank you, Fillet of Solo, for championing storytelling and inviting me to return to the Festival again this year to share my stories and enjoy everyone else’s.
Pete Wood (Tosca) Has been practicing storytelling with Goodman Theatre’s GeNarrations Program since 2018. He recently performed at Story Lab, Word Salad and has performed twice in Lifeline Theaters “Filet of Solo”. He has performed stand up comedy and played multiple roles for six years in Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding at Pipers Alley. Pete is currently playing Johnny Rocco for ‘Untouchable Tours’ here in Chicago.
From debutante balls and marching bands to halloween frat parties, ilê orixás, and puppet emporiums; this year’s GeNarrations stories are centered around the theme of “pageantry”. What are the celebrations we will never forget? When does pomp and circumstance fall flat? And why do we look so fly when we go to the airport?
Now in its fourteenth year, GeNarrations is Goodman Theatre’s FREE writing and performance workshop for adults “on the better side of fifty-five”. Seasoned storytellers and individuals who are brand new to the craft, meet together at the Goodman, online, and at sites around the city to write short personal narratives inspired by Goodman productions. Many of the stories in this year’s festival come from the Fall 2023 session where participants wrote STORIES OF PAGEANTRY inspired by Pearl Cleage’s hilarious comedy THE NACIREMA SOCIETY.
Featured: January 14; Audrey Colby, Robert Collin, Racquel Kan DC Jones, Keith Kelleher, Nitsana Lazerus, Denise McIntosh, Erin O’Bryen, Tery Veras and E.J. Wade. January 20; to hear from Terry Brennan, Norman Field, Marcia Kittler, John Norris, Jerry Proffit, Oroki Rice, Dhamana Shauri, Carmelina Sholar, Jeane Townes, and Carrie Waller!
A comedic solo show by Elaine Golden about love, grief, and becoming more than just family – becoming friends. After the death of her father, Elaine needed a place to stay before starting a new job. Her grandmother Joyce Golden, a strong-willed 90-year-old, agrees to take her in. Elaine is excited to bond with her new roommate, but Joyce has been living alone for a decade and soon wants Elaine out. With memories of her late father sprinkled around her grandmother’s life, Elaine is on a mission to keep her grandmother close and will do what it takes to stay at Joyce’s place.
Elaine Golden, originally from Florida, is a Chicago-based comedian, writer and storyteller. Elaine regularly performs around the city at venues including the Laugh Factory, Zanies, and the Lincoln Lodge. On stage, Elaine combines kind charm and quick wit to leave audiences feeling like they are laughing with their new best friend. Last year, Elaine created the indie, comedic musical Rat City which premiered in June 2023 to sold-out crowds and was featured in the Chicago Reader. Now, Elaine is working on her first solo show, Golden Girls: Intergenerational House Party, and looks forward to sharing it with the audiences of the Fillet of Solo Festival.
In “I Don’t Want to Play Myself,” written and performed by Toccara Castleman, Trish Scott is excited to interview The Successful Black Woman on her scrappy nightly TV show “Hey, America!” in hopes of gaining insight and inspiration on how to make it and be fabulous too. But instead of detailing her road to success, The Successful Black Woman decides to revisit New York, the auditions, and the characters she encountered along the way, as she tried, tried and tried again to make her real dreams – the ones you don’t know about – come true.
Toccara Castleman is an African American multidisciplinary artist, who is proudly from the South Side of Chicago. As a storyteller, my specializations are writing and acting, and I produce work in a variety of mediums including theater, digital media (2020 Emmy® Winner Interactive Extension of a Linear Program, USA Network/Mr. Robot) and print journalism. While I love all my children equally, my proudest achievements thus far include: “I Don’t Want to Play Myself” (solo show/stage), “Maybe a Mexican” (stage) (2020 & 2021 Blue Ink Playwriting Award Semi-Finalist), “Escaping Inward” (stage) (Fade to Black Festival 2020, Houston, TX) and “East Marquette Confessions” (web). I’m committed to having a sense of humor, speaking in first person when asked to write fancy bios about myself, and telling stories where Black people and other marginalized – yet deeply and vastly beautiful – communities are always central to the narrative, nuanced and loved. www.toccaracastleman.com
Tor Campbell (Director), is an accomplished figure in the theater industry and the current Artistic Fellow at Northlight Theatre. Currently pursuing an MFA in Directing at Northwestern University, Tor recently directed and choreographed “The Prom” at Northwestern as their final Thesis Project, showcasing their exceptional skills. With a strong commitment to education, Tor has taught at University of California Irvine, Northwestern University and Juilliard imparting knowledge in movement, acting, and directing. Tor’s dedication to diversity and equity is evident through participation in anti-racism training at Northwestern lead by Dr Cristal T. Truscott, volunteering, and facilitating events for inclusivity. Tor remains an inspiring force in the arts community.
I LOVE EVERYTHING is a show that explores storytelling through various forms such as music, comedy, and more. It’s a storytelling variety show hosted and created by Archy Jamjun.
Cast: Archy Jamjun, Xavier Sumpter, Jackson Rothmund, Helen Shih
Connie Shirakawa (directed by Sharon Evans) is a Chicago writer, poet, and storyteller who has performed at the Chicago History Museum, Goodman Theatre, 2nd Story, Backroom Stories, This Much is True, and on recent podcasts such as Snap Judgement’s SPOOKED.
Tony Smith is an accountant and consultant living in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. He has three adult sons and spends his time reading, volunteering, woodworking, maintaining a couple of small wooden boats, and writing essays. He grew up in Libertyville, Illinois. His father was a journalist and his mother a librarian. He has four brothers and four sisters. He reads his stories on a regular basis at an open mic setting called “Writers’ Night” in Sturgeon Bay, and has read at Short Story Theatre in Highwood, Illinois.
A native of Honolulu, Hawaii, John Hahm is a Chicago writer, storyteller, and retired high school English teacher with Chicago Public Schools. He is a Fillet of Solo alumnus, and has also told his stories at Is This a Thing? This Much Is True, First Person Live, 10 x 9, Pour One Out and other venues. John’s stories have been published by Chicago Story Press and The Thread. John is thrilled to share the Fillet of Solo stage
again, with such amazing writers and storytellers.
Kathy Cunningham (Beauty and the Pubescent Beast: Tales from the Pit) is delighted to be performing in Fillet of Solo for the first time. She was introduced to Live Lit via Ian Belknap writing workshops and continued with the GeNarrations program at The Goodman Theatre. Kathy grew up in Belvidere, Illinois and earned a B.A. in Theater/Dance from Northern Illinois University. She went from dance instructor to Chicago Police Officer in 1986, leaving in 2013 to pursue a creative retirement.
Sophie Brown is Jewish. But when she’s questioned at the door of a synagogue, she starts to question her unique Jewish upbringing and tries to become the Jew she thinks she should be. In a fusion between comedy and storytelling, JEW-ISH tackles antisemitism, belonging, and what to do when chronic people pleasing leaves you stranded in Berlin.
Sophie Brown is an up and coming comedian, storyteller, actor, and writer. Originally from Palm Springs, California, Sophie is a senior studying Theatre and Comedy at Northwestern University. She has performed all over Chicago and New York at venues such as The Bell House, Brooklyn Comedy Collective, and The Laugh Factory. She has over 4.5 million views and 650,000 likes on TikTok because her roommate is hot. She’s a huge people person and probably wants to talk to you! You can find her @sophiebrownhahahaha on Instagram or @philosophieee on TikTok.
Life’s Too Short . . . and So Am I is a coming of middle-age story about a woman searching for her place in the world with the help of the Queen of Reinvention.
Julie Danis is a writer, storyteller, and former global marketing/advertising executive, specializing in consumer behavior and strategy. As a business humorist, she wrote a Chicago Tribune column called “It’s a Living”, and contributed commentary to Marketplace radio. She was a writer for the award-winning documentary film, The Girl Who Wore Freedom, contributed essays to “Storyteller’s True Stories About Love. Volume I.” Chicago Writer’s Press, 2022, and in “Fast Fallen Women.” Woodhall Press 2023. She taught as an adjunct at Northwestern University’s Medill School, received an MBA and MA in Social Service Administration from University of Chicago, and is a graduate of the Second City School of Improvisation. Her favorite professional title was Director of Mind & Mood.
Founded in 2011, Lifeline Storytelling Project produces storytelling events featuring Lifeline-affiliated artists.
Nona C. Flores (On the Trail) discovered a fondness for the sound of her own voice pontificating to captive audiences of college students in English lit classes—sometimes she even talked about the work assigned for class. She has been lured back for a 4th year of performing with the Lifeline Storytelling Project by the promise of margaritas and chips at the show. Thank you to Miss Dorothy Gross, and Ferde Grofe.
Shea Lee (How to escape a stereotype (or make it work for you)) is proud to make her Fillet of Solo debut! She is an alumna of Northwestern University, where her focuses included musical theatre, theatre for young audiences, and Asian American studies. Recent Lifeline credits include Extra Yarn (Annabelle) and Cat’s Cradle (Newt). Other favorite credits include Mr. Kotomoto is Definitely Not White (NoMads Art Collective), Over My Dead Body (Laughing Stock Theatre), and StarDog (independent). She is also a founding ensemble member of Laughing Stock Theatre, Chicago’s premiere Commedia dell’Arte theatre company. Shea is represented by Shirley Hamilton Talent.
Jay D. Lenn (Colonists in the Family) is a stay-at-home dad, medical writer, gardener (with greater expectations in May than in August), and dabbler in storytelling. He lives with his husband and son in a little bungalow in Chicago’s West Ridge neighborhood. Jay is vice chair of the board of directors at Lifeline Theatre.
Amanda Link (Fear and Driving in Chicago) is an actor, director, choreographer, and writer. She is a member of the Artistic Ensemble at Lifeline Theatre. Favorite credits there include directing Anna Karenina, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, Sparky!, The Velveteen Rabbit, and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and acting in many KidSeries shows. Amanda holds a BFA in Acting from the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University and is also a graduate of the Conservatory Program at the Second City training center.
Deshawn Middleton (Music and Cars) is a musician and music producer. He participated in Lifeline’s drama and storytelling program at Sullivan High School in Rogers Park (2020 graduate).
Darren Robinson (Cheap Chicken Monday) is an avid biker, car enthusiast and enjoys playing Lego Bits with friends. You can find his car review channel at: https://www.youtube.com/@Hennesseyautoreviews Darren participated in Lifeline’s drama and storytelling program at Sullivan HIgh School in Rogers Park (2019 graduate).
Loose Chicks is a collection of courageous women who share experiences that most women keep to themselves. Each show features exceptional writers and performers who allow themselves to be vulnerable as they share with uncommon honesty.
Featuring: (cast list to come later)
My Dad, His Chimp, and a Serial Killer is a riveting one-man show is based on a real-life incident that happened in 1964 when Pitts’ dad, David Pitts, was traveling across America in a van with Spanky his ice-skating chimp, going from LA to Duluth for Ice Capades rehearsals. Outside of Las Vegas, Pitts picked up a hitchhiker — a serial killer who kidnapped Pitts and Spanky for 3 days. This unique show weaves between absurd comedy and horror and is an exploration of America and its relationship with celebrities, chimps, violence, and wide-open spaces.
Jonathan Pitts is an award-winning international improviser, coach, director, producer, and storyteller. He’s performed and/or taught in 27 countries and over 100 cities. He’s created 3 devised improvised theatre productions, “Storybox”; “The Oracle” and “The Silent Movie” that have been performed globally. He’s done live storytelling since 2002. He’s the former Founder & Executive Director of Chicago Improv Productions; Co-Founder & Producer of Chicago Improv Festival; Creator & Producer of College Improv Tournament. 3 times New City named him a “Top 50” Chicago theatre player. He taught at The Second City, and for 7 years he was Around The Coyote’s theatre/performance curator. Currently he can be heard as the narrator of the feature film, “He Went That Way” (with Jacob Elordi & Zachary Quinto), which is a different take on the same events his one-man show is based on.
Nyra’s Dreams’ written and performed by Shalaka is directed by Stefan Brun. This is a story of Nyra, who walks between different worlds and connects within her fragmented mind to women who teach her about strength, frailty, and hope, helping her realize her real quest to find her way back home to Dyavaprthivi, the place between heaven and earth. This solo play includes contemporary and traditional Indian classical dance, varied characters and humor to bring Nyra and her story to life. Nyra is a fictional character derived from research about the Devadasi system and the history of the Indian Classical dance form ‘Bharatnatyam’. The research partially shows that the Devadasi system is believed to have originated in ancient India and still exists because of mythology that has textually, visually, and orally narrated through generations about various deities, monsters, and badass outrageous women in Indian culture.
(Photo Credit for attached picture- Rich Rankin)
Shalaka Kulkarni is an interdisciplinary dance artist. Trained in Indian Classical dance, she creates experiences that bridge the ancient and contemporary, uplifting marginalized voices. An actor, filmmaker, dancer, and choreographer, she has toured original work and participated in collaborations in India, the United States, and Europe. In Chicago, she has presented her work at various venues, events, and festivals, including the Athenaeum Theatre, Chicago Cultural Center, Chopin Theater, MCA, Ruth Page, Women in Dance, Links Hall, Newport Theater and Dance Chicago Festivals. She is passionate about art education and has taught for dance companies, private studios, and after-school and undergraduate programs. In 2022-2023, she was awarded opportunities to work on ‘Nyra’s Dreams’, the solo play and the short film as a Fellow-in-Residence with High Concept Labs, dancer for camera resident with See Chicago Dance and a summer resident with Chicago Performance Lab at UChicago.
OUTspoken is comprised of storytellers who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer recalling true personal events. Stories are often funny, heartfelt, and sometimes historically significant. The audience will get a window into the lives of a variety of human experiences that will connect on an emotional level regardless of sexual identity. More about OUTspoken!
Featuring: Archy Jamjun, Maria Kostas, Joe Mellen, Nicholas Todd Smith, Prentiss Bonds
Searching For Something To Believe In When the World’s On Fire is an audience-participatory conversation about trying to find…..
Nancy and Willa bonded over Zabars, bagels, pastrami, and dogs. Having lived lives that make them persona non grata in Florida, they are out to fix the world one story at a time.
Willa J Taylor is a writer, teacher and storyteller who was lucky enough to grow up in a family of tale-tellers, fabulators, and raconteurs in Dallas, Texas. She created the GeNarrations storytelling program for people 55+ while she was Director of Education and Engagement at Goodman Theatre, and has taught writing and performance across Chicago for the past 14 years. She believes that sharing our stories will help heal the world.
Nancy Solomon wants to thank Fillet of Solo for inviting her to share her stories again and to enjoy everyone else’s, too. Fillet of Solo is where she first learned about GeNarrations, the Goodman Theatre’s FREE storytelling program for people 55 years old and older. As soon as GeNarrations opened a new location at the Willye B. White Park District in the fall of 2018, she signed up. She is excited to collaborate and perform with Willa Taylor, the woman who co-invented and nurtured GeNarrations for more than 15 years. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Serving the Sentence is a live lit show in which different storytellers take the same first sentence — each in their own direction. At the end of the show, a new sentence is drawn that the next show’s storytellers will embark from!
Featuring: (changing cast)
Story Sessions, founded in 2013, is currently in Edgewater featuring a free open mic every First Friday at 7pm at Sauce & Bread Kitchen (6338 N Clark St). Quarterly curated shows include a Halloween campfire in Glencoe, themed showcases, and supportive fundraisers for local orgs that make a difference. Our resident artist, Jules Darling, illustrates all of our stories in real-time during the show. We proudly give space to writers, tellers, newbies, and veterans alike. “Listening is an act of love”, and for that we love our audience most of all. Thanks to Dorothy Milne and the Fillet of Solo staff for all they do to keep storytelling alive and well in Chicago, the best and most active story city in the country! Come share a story with Story Sessions in 2024! Produced and hosted by Jill Howe.
Featuring: Shannon Cason, Joe Mellen, Kelly George, Amy Sumpter, and Mike Gifford. Jill Howe will host this shindig. Jules Darling will also be illustrating the stories and storytellers in real-time!
With 30 years of shared history, the Sweat Girls have been called “the undisputed tribal elders” of the solo performance scene (Chicago Reader, 2014). Known for their “contagious gusto,” the Sweats are glad to represent the graying edge of Chicago’s flourishing Live Lit community.
Caroline Andres is the most recent member of the Sweats, though it’s now been over a decade. During the week she sweats teaching 8th Grade English Language Arts. Caroline is also a sometime violinist and advocate for LGBTQIA+ youth, working continuously to keep libraries intact and gender care available. She and husband Phil have two children, Wren, a senior attending Occidental College in Los Angeles and Maggie, a recent graduate of Agnes Scott College in Atlanta.
Cindy Hanson (Jan 21 & 22 performances only) is the co-writer of Cooking With Lard and co-adaptor of Hen Lake, both first produced at Lifeline Theatre. She has written and performed Evelyn Dances and the performance piece, Me and My Chakras, in Chicago, San Francisco and New York. Cindy has also written How Margaret Got Home, which was workshopped at Heartland Studio Theatre and she was a regular participant in Write Nights at Frank’s Cocktail Lounge in Ft. Greene Brooklyn. Listen to some of Cindy’s stories on Unabashed from 2B on SoundCloud.
Dorothy Milne has been an ensemble member of Lifeline Theatre since 1992 and served as artistic director from 1999 thru 2018. Dorothy co-curates the annual Fillet of Solo Storytelling Festival and she has directed more than 20 productions at Lifeline Theatre.
Clare Nolan has performed throughout the Chicagoland area, including work at Lifeline Theatre, the Buffalo Theatre Ensemble, the Organic Theatre, the Body Politic, New Tuners’ Theatre, and Blind Parrot Productions. Nolan served as artistic director of Blind Parrot and co-wrote original productions of American Gothic and Exploits of a Living News Paper (Jeff Citation: New Work). She teaches acting at Columbia College, has taught preaching at Seabury Western Theological Seminary and the ACTS D. Min in Preaching Program and has worked with high school students at her church for thirty years.
Martie Sanders since 1986, Martie’s performed on Chicago and Regional stages including: Chicago Shakespeare, Lookingglass, Goodman, Lifeline, American Theater Company, Purple Rose, and Madison Repertory. After receiving her Masters of Social Work degree in 2020, Martie became a Chicago Public School social worker, starting her career online during the pandemic and now working in person at a high school. Martie enjoys her summertimes by mentoring teenagers in creating and performing children’s productions in a theater garden. Martie dedicates this performance to her Sweat husband, Kevin.
Pamela Webster has retired to five acres in Naples, Florida where she enjoys the bear, river otter, deer, storks and quiet sounds of nature. She freelances as an antique finder for her son’s business. The other 6 months of the year she travels the US in a truck camper with her husband, Keith and their dogs Willa Cather and Oscar Wilde.
Tellin’ Tales Theatre is a 27-year old company dedicated to shattering the barriers between the disabled and non-disabled worlds through the transformative power of personal story. Tellin’ Tales has been a part of Fillet of Solo for at least 20 years and is happy to be back with new work.
Middle of the Road, their 2024 offering focuses on the crossroads in our lives. Which path should we take—and does it matter?
Featuring: Tekki Lomnicki, Joy Wright, Michael Herzovi, and Shawn Cobb
Tekki Lomnicki is the founder and Artistic Director of Tellin’ Tales Theatre.
Tekki’s two full-length plays When Heck Was a Puppy: The Living Testimonies of Folk Artist Edna Mae Brice and Blurred Vision were critically acclaimed by The Chicago Reader and The Chicago Sun Times. She has written and performed over 27 solo performance pieces, and starred in the award-winning film, The Miracle. She taught youth at Chicago’s Gallery 37 and After School Matters, and adults at the Victory Gardens Training Center, and Disability Lead. She is a recipient of an Illinois Arts Council Artists Fellowship in New Performance Forms, the 2008 3Arts Award in Theater, the 2010 Grigsby Award for Excellence in Solo Performance, the 2014 Dan Van Hecke Award for outstanding leadership and service to the disability community. Tekki is a DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) professional and does disability awareness presentations for corporations. Websites: Tekkilomnicki.com and
Tellintales.org.
Joy Wright is a Best-of-the-Net nominated writer, storyteller, social justice activist, and single queer mom. She works as a fundraiser for a queer healthcare organization by day and spends evenings telling stories at shows around Chicago. Joy’s greatest accomplishment is completing the Sexier Than a Squirrel training with her dog. Her publications include HuffPost, Creative Nonfiction, Entropy Magazine, The Disappointed Housewife, Anti-Heroin Chic, and a column on dating in Rebellious Magazine.
Michael Herzovi is a writer and solo performer who uses a wheelchair and challenges disability assumptions. Michael’s plays include The Break Room, and The Interview. His monologues include Fishing Expedition, The March, Spy Story, Harley Story, and many more. Michael’s work has been produced and/or developed by Tellin’ Tales Theatre, Small Fish Radio, The Access Project, and many others. He appeared on Fox Television’s neXt and AppleTV’s Shining Girls, and more recently in a promo for the Illinois Treasurer’s IL ABLE campaign. He is a co-producer and voice actor with Sarah is Sally Productions and has produced several audiobooks. Awards include: the 2019 3arts Fellowship at the UIC Department of Disability in the Arts and Culture, 2020 Access Fellowship at Chicago Dramatists. Member: Tellin’ Tales Theatre, 3Arts Disability Culture Leadership Initiative. Michael earned a B.S. in Radio-TV and M.F.A. in Theater from Southern Illinois University. His website is www.michaelherzovi.com.
Shawn Cobb has worn many hats over the years, working jobs ranging from forklift operator to Cosmetologist and pretty much everything in between. He finally settled in at the railroad where has worked as a mechanic for over 19 years. However, it was through Toastmasters that he first found his voice as a storyteller. For Shawn, to be vulnerable while operating from a place of love has proven to be the perfect counterbalance to the sometimes harsh and less forgiving conditions of the railroad. But now, with Midlife on the horizon and the railroad in his rearview, he aspires more than ever to inspire through life experiences and stories that find and exposes that common thread that connects us all.
Written and performed by Ann Filmer. Dramaturgy by Arlene Malinowski. Directed by Kristen Vehill. Did your mom carry secrets? Mine did. Mom had a secret life before, during and after I came into this world. While a daughter uncovers the mysteries of her mother’s past, secrets will be revealed. And no doubt Graham Filmer will upstage the proceedings with his editorializing!
Ann Filmer is honored to return to Fillet of Solo after debuting A Toast to Ideas Unlimited at last year’s festival. Filmer started her career as a dancer and choreographer. She then became a director, working with writers to bring plays to production, including solo plays. She ran several theater companies such as The Aardvark, Chicago Dramatists, Estrogen Fest and 16th Street Theater which became nationally renowned for new work. In her third act she plays in rock and roll bands, currently singing in the psychedelic band Vinto Van Go and writing and singing in her own band Mrs Smith and the Present with her husband Barry Bennett. Find out where Filmer is performing next at www.annfilmer.com
This One Woman is hosted and produced by Kyna Lenhof. This One Woman, like all good things, started with office supplies and holiday punch. Kyna and Cynthia Shur Petts were enjoying the food and drinks at a holiday party when they decided to make a twist on the one-woman show. A one-woman show created by many…. The one-woman show where you don’t have to be one or a woman.
Storytelling, stand-up comedy, music, and more*! This One Woman is a variety showcase where the performers comment on a famous or infamous woman. Performers are given the name of the woman of honor or dishonor a month in advance, and are given the freedom to prepare an original piece. They are only told not to do a book report or a recitation from wikipedia.
*Once there was a puppet, Also dance, burlesque, poetry, sketch, and drag
Victoria Montalbano deals with her problems like most struggling actors: escaping reality into the world of Doctor Who. When she has a minor health scare during a global pandemic, she has to face a monster scarier than any Dalek…Middle Age. No prior Doctor Who knowledge required! Directed by Ursa Miles.
Victoria Montalbano is an actor, comedian and recovering improvisor. Her first solo show, The Princess Strikes Back: One Woman’s Search for the Space Cowboy of her Dreams has been touring to critical acclaim since it’s premiere in 2021. The Kansas City Fringe Review says she has “impeccable comedic timing” and her mother says she “shares stories that are weird for me to hear about.” She is a regular on stages and Storytelling events throughout the Chicagoland area and is still paying off her theatre degree from Syracuse University, so please keep booking her! She is excited to celebrate her 40th birthday by sharing another ridiculous show with Fillet of Solo! Website: www.VictoriaNotVicky.com
A 50-minute autobiographical solo piece and tonal high-wire act, in which Madison comes face to face with some of the most harrowing moments of her recovery from an unrelenting mental illness that began when she was eight years old. This whimsical, darkly funny, life-affirming solo show depicts a childhood upended by the appearance of a specter, and contends with the question of what it means to live with suffering.
Madison Wray is a Portland-bred, Chicago-based, award-winning actor whose work can be see on onstage and onscreen. In Portland, Madison was privileged to work at Portland Center Stage, The Portland Opera, Anonymous Theater Company, Broadway Rose, Lakewood Theater Company, and Oregon Children’s Theater, among others. Madison has a BA in vocal performance (opera) from Whitman College, and an MFA in Acting from The Theatre School, and she trained with the likes of Tonya Pinkins and Susan Blackwell at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. She is proudly represented by Paonessa.
Carlos Murillo‘s plays have been produced widely throughout the US and Europe. Awards include a Doris Duke Impact Award and a Mellon Foundation National Playwright Residency Program Fellowship. His work is published by 53rd State Press, Dramatists Play Service and Dramatic Publishing and he has been commissioned by The Goodman, Steppenwolf, the Public Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, En Garde Arts, South Coast Rep, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Berkeley Rep. Recent directing credits include Hunchback of Seville at George Mason University and What of the Night? by Maria Irene Fornes at Stage Left. Carlos serves as the Chair of Theatre Studies and the Head of Playwriting at The Theatre School of DePaul University.
Once upon a time, Chicagoan Maria Kostas went to a storytelling class led by the King of Storytellers, Scott Whitehair and in that class, she met Francesca Sobrer, then a recent transplant to Chicago. A friendship for all things storytelling was forged. Since the pandemic, Maria and Francesca have been very active in the Chicago story telling scene, listening to, and telling stories. For the 2024 Fillet of Solo series, join Maria and Francesca for an hour of stories that explores the idea of origin – not just the story of how we got here, but how our stories got us here.
FRANCESCA SOBRER Storyteller, writer, teacher, actor and director, Francesca loves working with actors, and other storytellers to help them develop the story they want to tell. Presently working on a collection of stories about growing up in a delicatessen on Nantucket Island, she has been published in Chicago’s Storytellers Press, and Liminal Publishing. A multi MothStorySLAM winner, Sober has told stories in NYC, on Nantucket, and in her new home city, Chicago: Back Yard, This Much is True, Soul Stories, Soul Serenade, First Person Live, and Homewood Stories. Francesca is thrilled to be back at the 2024 Fillet of Solo Story Festival! francescasobrer.com
MARIA KOSTAS Maria has worked in several different positions including entrepreneur, teacher, trainer for workforce development, a carny, and a bartender. Also a clairvoyant, Maria’s experiences have allowed her to see life through different lenses and listen to stories from various voices. Currently she teaches Meditation for Creatives with StoryJam, and adding a touch of love in the cocktails she mixes while working special events on the weekends. Maria has been featured in various story telling venues around Chicagoland including Louder Than a Mom,Voice Box, Back Yard, Story Serenade, Homewood Stories, Outspoken, Truth Be Told, and Story Jam. She is thrilled to return to Filet of Solo this year, so much so that she postponed getting out of Chicago during January!
Do you believe in ghosts? Errol does. Kim not so much. Join us for a dual storytelling experience where we tell the stories that made us believe, listen, and discover.
Errol McLendon has told stories in Kansas City and in Chicago at People Tree, Backroom Stories, Story Collider, Do Not Submit, This Much is True, Is This a Thing?, Pour One Out, Stories R Us, Ten by Nine, Story Serenade, First Person Live and online for The Elmhurst History Museum website and The Houston Storytellers website. Errol is a two time Moth winner and has had one of his stories featured on a Moth podcast. He was chosen two years ago to be one of six storytellers to compete in the Story Slam at the International Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. Errol’s first solo show, Inner State Stories, was a part of the 2023 Lifeline Theatre’s Fillet of Solo, The Atlanta Fringe Festival and The Indianapolis Fringe Festival. Errol also teaches and coaches storytellers and hosts a monthly storytelling show, Let Me Tell You, on the first Monday of each month in Berwyn.
Kim Morris is a writer, actor, solo performer, storyteller, editor, curator, and teacher. She’s written and performed five solo shows, two off-Broadway. Her fiction and nonfiction have been published in various publications. She’s curated multiple storytelling festivals in Chicago and New York, and developed writing curricula for colleges and arts organizations. She has an MFA in Fiction Writing from Columbia College Chicago and a BA in Rhetoric from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
