Tell It On Tuesday

Camille Miller, Inside Out
Where do you go when the bully is the head of the class?  Perhaps it’s the hard times in life that teach the most valuable lessons.

Youseef Elias, Biya  
It’s the summer of 1999, and time for a game of pickup softball in the Berkeley Hills.  An 80-year-old man, in leather-soled shoes, black dress socks, and plaid shorts, “runs” toward first base.  His son, Youseef, reflects on that moment and others in the life of his dad. 

Pharaoh Brooks, The Grand Rehabilitation (Excerpt)
This is the rehab portion of my rehabilitation story.

Camille Miller grew up in redneck California, where she used poetry to process her feelings.  Discovered storytelling a few years ago and fell in love.  “I’m always on the hunt for the next great story.”

Youseef Elias is a career public defender, recently retired after three decades.  He developed Biya in Charlie Varon’s storytelling class.  Youseef is also a veteran of David Ford’s classes, and has performed at Solo Sundays in SF.

Recently released from prison on November 13, 2023, Pharaoh Brooks has performed in several plays.  He has a history with Marin Shakespeare going back to 2014.  Pharaoh thoroughly enjoys writing and performing poetry and music, and hopes to do more solo performances regularly.  For the last year, Pharaoh has been a member of the Formerly Incarcerated People’s Performance Project (FIPPP.org).

The Parkers are a local trio with a classic Americana feel, weaving together well-loved covers and soon-to-be-loved originals. The band features Mia Feldbaum and Till Houtermans on guitar and lead vocals, alongside Keith Morris on percussion and vocals.  What began as a weekly park hang under the trees has grown into something worth pulling up a chair for.

Annette Roman, Nature’s Miracle
It’s September 9th, 2020, in the Bay Area. “Orange Skies Day.” Covid lockdown. And there’s a strange smell in Annette’s living room… No, not smoke. Not despair. Something funky. Something mildewy. Something… festering. And she will stop at nothing to get it out of her home! It’s time for a miracle—Nature’sMiracle™!

Jaguar Bennett,  I Was a Teenage Antichrist
As a teen, Jaguar was the only out atheist in his notch of the California Bible Belt. When every wannabe youth pastor in school tried to convert him, Jaguar declared, “God is dead—and I’m taking his job.”

Edna Mira Raia, Edna and company (excerpt)
Edna’s brain spills out more characters and as usual, she has a hard time containing them.

International Sex Club Party Girl, Origin Story (excerpt)
The first time International Sex Club Party Girl walked through the doors of a sex club, she was flanked on either side by Tinder Darcy and her Platonic Wife. Her Platonic Wife hates sex clubs and she’s only known Tinder Darcy for three days. All things considered, what could go wrong? 

Christina Aanestad, Experiences of a Jailed Woman, P2
Experiences of a Jailed Woman P2 explores what happens after incarceration and my own journey of personal transformation.

Kirk Waller, Dear Doc (excerpt)
Do you believe in time travel? Neither did I, until I unearthed my daddy’s old letters.

Kiki, I am going to put my big girl panties on, now that Muzette gave me some 
At 68 years old, is adulting required? Should I know my clothes size and be expected to purchase my own clothing?

Bekah Barnett and Scott Compton form a soulful music duo rooted in authentic and emotionally rich performances. Hailing from Santa Cruz, California, and New Zealand respectively, their paths crossed at the HOOT! open mic in Berkeley—where they connected after coincidentally each performing songs by Billy Joel. Bekah’s pure voice and melodic piano, paired with Scott’s rugged guitar and gravelly, warm vocals, make for an unmistakable mix that hits you right in the heart. Their collaborations have a raw and intimate energy, whether they are playing original songs or covering artists like Warren Zevon, Tom Petty, or Radiohead.

International Sex Club Party Girl is a San Francisco based writer and entertainer. Origin Story is her first solo show in progress. When she isn’t writing or performing, she can be found practicing boundaries at sex clubs and sex parties across the globe. 

Christina Aanestad is a journalist, media maker, and morning news anchor at KPFA radio in Berkeley, California. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, her coming of age stories include foster care, homelessness, violence, abuse, addiction and incarceration

Kirk Waller loves stories, theatre, and keeping culture alive through the arts.When he is not on stage he loves to bake and create art of any kind.

Kiki is a Blerd Blesbian grandmother of one, mother of three, retired, writer/ podcaster/blogger/author/journalist/Substacker/comedian/performer/coach/Alexa skill developer/op-ed columnist and soon-to-be-licensed Practitioner with the Centers for Spiritual Living.

Algiin Ford, The Silent Assassin: It Happened One Day
An examination of both the positive and negative impact of addictive tendencies on the collective consciousness, and their use and misuse through conscious and unconscious mind sets.

Allan Pleaner, What Could Be Easier? (excerpt)
I simply need to fill out the form, the key to my getting Social Security. For heaven’s sake, what could be easier?

Holly Shaw, Roar!
After her boyfriend dies, Holly makes an unexpected discovery about his true feelings. With help from all sides of herself she explores the nature of secrets, the crazy way people react to death, and what it costs to have someone believe in you.

Janet Thornburg, Showdown (Excerpt)
One way to view the psyche is as a family of sub-personalities, with inner children, inner parents, inner rebels, and inner creators. What happens if the internal family members can’t agree on adventure versus security? Showdown!

Algiin Ford is a writer/performer/poet/storyteller passionate about the craft of artistic expression and its transform of power to reshape the tone of the collective consciousness into a more vibrationally inclusive present .

Originally from a small town in South Africa, Allan Pleaner has lived with his family in San Francisco over 40 years. When he’s not writing or on picket lines, he does wood turning, dabbles in magic illusions, builds depression-era model buildings and works as a psychotherapist. 

Holly Shaw is a stand-up comedian and storyteller who regularly performs at comedy clubs and showcases all over Northern CA and competed in the 2024 San Francisco Int’l  Comedy Competition. Shaw has spent a lifetime on stage, T.V. and film as an actor, professional dancer and later as a speaker and coach. She’s currently working on publishing her third book, Queen Lessons: What Stand-Up Comedy Taught Me About Courage. www.HollyShawComedy.com

Janet Thornburg has written and performed eight solo shows in San Francisco. In August 2024, her solo piece, The Bequest, was voted Audience Choice Short at the In Front of Your Eyes Festival at the Marsh in San Francisco. Showdown, her current piece, has been developed with David Ford as part of her new full-length show in progress.

Victoria Sol is a Cuban-American artist and musician based in San Francisco, CA. Her first EP explores themes of place, ancestry, climate catastrophe, grief, limerence, and the loss of her two brothers. She studied humanities at UC Berkeley and design at the GSD. Algorithms have described her music as “melancholic romantic idm adjacent pop that features a dreamy vocal and a grooving beat” Other AIs have called it “downtempo electronica for when you’re feeling sexy, sad, idk.”

Theresa Donahoe, All the Great New Things to Come (excerpt)
December 2019, my sister and I are enjoying our annual holiday visit in Union Square in San Francisco. All of a sudden, a guy on a bike whizzes past me and practically knocks me over. He yells, “Tourist!”
Me? I am NOT a tourist! TRIGGERED!!

Steve Budd, Oy, What They Said About Love (excerpt) 
Is there such a thing as “the one”?  Steve Budd wonders why other people can tie the knot and he can’t. Oy, does he wonder! So, he asked a bunch of couples what brought them together and what keeps them from pulling apart. Meet a Jewish couple who met on Craigslist, an interfaith pair who met at a Halloween party, and more.

Tylon T-Boogie Sizemore, The High Price of Restitution: My $6000 lesson (excerpt)
You know that time you shouldn’t have been sent to state prison but were, and almost died for it? Tylon will share some of the challenges and triumphs of her time in the prison system, including a near-death experience that changed her life forever. It’s a story about resilience, hope, and a willingness to overcome adversity.

Mark Adams, Unravelling the Construct
Come hop on my bike and experience life on the Playa in real-time. A fun romp through the craziness of Burning Man, complete with a sandstorm, crazy outfits, and a chance to participate in the shenanigans. Not for the squeamish.

Theresa Donahoe is a writer, actor, and fourth-generation San Francisco Bay native. She has been performing solo shows since 2014. theresadonahoe.com

Steve Budd is a playwright, standup comic, and award-winning solo performer.  His shows What They Said About Love and Seeing Stars have enjoyed runs at The Marsh.  He’s performed with the San Francisco Playhouse, Marin Shakespeare, Central Works, Custom Made, the New Conservatory, and many other Bay Area theater companies. stevebudd.com

Tylon T-Boogie Sizemore, a native of Oakland, CA, is a captivating stand-up comedian and storyteller with a gift for making people laugh. Drawing inspiration from her parents and life experiences, Tylon discovered her passion for comedy and theater. With a background in Broadcast Journalism and Community Social Services, she entertains and actively contributes to the community through restorative initiatives. She is a fellow in the Formerly Incarcerated People’s Performance Project (FIPPP.org).

Mark Adams is a storyteller and world traveler, having lived in three continents.  After a career in high tech, where he nurtured visions of world domination, he has focused his storytelling on his personal journey. This is his third piece and by far the most fun!

Irma Herrera, Class Migrant: de Aquí y de Allá (Excerpt)
Is it the grammar error, the less than perfect teeth, the silence when the conversation turns to childhood summer vacations? What clues reveal whether we grew up poor, middle class, or downright rich? Class Migrant explores the joy and the sadness that come with class mobility. What can she do with all the rage she feels when people born on third base believe they’ve hit a triple every time?

Pearl Louise, Pass the Nails and Shame the Devil (excerpt)
A Southern family originally from Louisiana decides to build a house in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Oakland, CA.  It’s the Mid-1980’s and the Crack Epidemic and all its danger, recklessness and destruction has taken a foothold in this struggling neighborhood. But with the determination of this family, headed by a strong-willed mother and father and their daughter Pearl, they gather a motley crew of men: parolees, those fighting drug addiction, the least fortunate, and together they fight to make this dream home into a reality. 

Brandon Spars, Lessons I learned…
In my early days as a ninth-grade teacher, I found myself on a retreat with sixty freshmen and only one other chaperone. Needless to say, a lot happened… and I learned a lot. 

Linda Yemoto, Lunar New Year Bullfrogs … and more
What do Buddhism, bullfrogs, and Tilden Regional Park have in common? Come find out!

Beryl and Nicole are a Bay Area duet that does your favorite covers and your new favorite originals, using whatever instruments they can get access to.

Irma Herrera is a writer, solo performer, and former civil rights lawyer. Her first play, Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name? has been presented at theaters, colleges, and universities nationwide. https://www.irmaherrera.com/

Pearl Louise is a Bay Area performance artist and mother who performed in the Fresno Fringe Show, several performances in SF Stage Werx, Tell It On Tuesday at the Marsh and performed two solo pieces for the Formerly Incarcerated People’s Performance Project (FIPPP), leading to the opportunity to perform at Berkeley Repertory Theater.

Brandon Spars has been a high school teacher for more than twenty years. In his classroom, he began telling folktales and personal stories that have taken him as far as the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and the Federation of Asian Storytellers Conference in Suwon, Korea. He is a board member of the Storytelling Association of California, and he resides with his wife of thirty years in Santa Rosa. https://www.brandonspars.com/

As a park naturalist, Linda Yemoto presented nature programs, guided hikes and backpacking programs for over 30 years with the East Bay Regional Park District. She co-chairs the Bay Area Storytelling Festival, and is a member of the Storytelling Corps at the Asian Art Museum, where she uses Asian folktales to interpret the art to school kids and families.