Just a few more days until the 2022 Women’s Storytelling Festival, and those of us working behind the scenes are kicking into high gear to make sure it’s the best fest imaginable!
A big part of our preparations is getting ready to welcome the amazing artists who will be descending on Fairfax in a few short days. Let’s take a moment to meet a handful of these luminaries…
Mary D’Alba (Malden, Massachusetts) is living her best life as an Artist, Psychic Medium and Life Coach after escaping the corporate world. Her Spirituality comes through in all aspects of her work to inspire and uplift others. Mary has been featured on Stories from the Stage and has performed stories around Massachusetts at Club Passim, Now Listen Here, Better Said Than Done, and Trident Cafe. She is also the co-host of the virtual 99 Second Story Slam with Sean Wellington.
Laura Packer (Minneapolis, Minnesota) knows that the best way to the truth is through a good story. Whether folktale or true, epic or flash, her stories captivate, enlighten, and amuse audiences. She is the author of From Audience to Zeal: The ABCs of Finding, Crafting, and Telling a Great Story, and has won multiple awards for her performance, coaching, and leadership. Laura has published, told, taught, ranted, raved, consulted and considered storytelling around the world.
Susanne Schmidt (Burlington, Vermont) is a comedic storyteller, producer, and teaching artist. A second generation Italian native New Yorker, Susanne learned the transformative power of personal narrative from a long line of powerful women. Susanne’s work has been featured on WGBH Stories from the Stage, National Public Radio (NPR), Home Box Office’s (HBO) Inspiration Room and CBS Sunday Morning. She is a 2021 recipient of a Webby Award for her story House on Fire. Susanne is currently a StorySlam Producer for The Moth and is the creative director for Say it Forward Productions. In addition to her storytelling work, Susanne is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Susanne is drummer for the band The Brevity Thing and the mother of two amazing young men who LOVE that she talks about them on stage!
Ria Spencer (New York, New York) is a wannabe foodie and world traveler who’s spent years singing everything from classic rock to sweet soul music for marginally sober audiences across the New York metro area. She’s also delighted to be a grown-ass woman who’s lived long enough to have some stories to tell. Ria has appeared on RISK!, Better Said Than Done, The Day I Should Have, Dead Rock Stars, and The Liar Show.
Having lived in four of the continents for over 10 years outside of North America, Andrea Young‘s (greater Baltimore, Maryland) global nomad experiences have taken her to more than 26 countries. There has to be a story in there somewhere and she finds them. Andrea has been a member of Toastmasters International and has performed for Better Said Than Done and for Artists Standing Strong Together.
You can read bios for the rest of our 2022 festival storytellers here. And with showtime getting ever closer, make sure to GRAB YOUR TICKETS NOW! You don’t want to miss this fantastic weekend!
