It’s May, the time of Moms and Proms. And while proms are fun and all, you’re only gonna go to a couple in your life. Moms? Love ’em or not, they’re with you all the way! So it’s only right and proper that we focus on what mothers mean to us.
Which is just what Better Said Than Done is going to do on Thursday, May 12th as we present Mother May I: Stories of Moms and Momming! Your emcee for the evening is Andrea Young, and she’ll be joined by a truly outstanding set of tellers: Shweta Bhatt, Cheryl Hamilton, Vanora Legaux, Jessica Robinson, Kirk Waller, and Donna Washington! This Zoom show starts at 8 PM EDT. Get your tickets now!
Let’s meet the night’s tellers…
Learning how to develop her own unique voice, Shweta Bhatt graduated Brown University with a B.A. in Economics and Anthropology. After graduating, she went on to spend six years as a financial consultant, building her skill for numbers and patterns. Through these experiences she learned that the most important skill shehas to offer is finding confidence in the person she knows herself to be. With the tools of writing and storytelling and a pop-culture flare, Shweta encourages students to find the power in being unique. Her role is not as an instructor of the “right way” but as a reminder that each student knows the perfect way to share themselves with each person they meet, not just in college but throughout life.
Cheryl Hamilton has devoted her career to advancing more inclusive communities and storytelling, from her first job managing the unexpected migration of 2,500 Somali migrants to her hometown in Maine, to her current role directing curation and coaching for Stories from the Stage, a national media program produced by WORLDChannel in partnership with GBH events. Cheryl was the creator and director of Suitcase Stories, a program that featured stories of refugee and immigrant life. In addition to the trainings and events she leads for institutions, Cheryl has coached over 400 people from 80 countries to tell their stories. Her personal stories have been featured on national podcasts and she routinely performs on stages throughout the U.S.
Vanora Legaux, a long time, story loving, storytelling native of New Orleans, is a Past President, and presently Executive Director of the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc. (NABS). Founder of the Stronger Hope Biblical Storytelling Guild; a member of Cenla Storytelling Guild, National Storytelling Network, and the Network of Biblical Storytellers; She is the Griot for the Southern Region Youth Affiliates of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. She delights many with her wealth of woven tales. Vanora is a retired teacher and counselor with 33 years of service in the Orleans Parish School system, a member of the National Black Women’s Health Imperative, and a life member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority.
Our fearless (and tireless!) leader Jessica Robinson began performing stories in front of audiences in 2007, and founded Better Said Than Done in 2011. In addition to performing with Better Said Than Done, Jessica has performed locally (in the DMV) for Story District, Tales in the Village, The Grapevine, Perfect Liars Club and GMU’s Fall for the Book Festival. Virtually, Jessica has performed for the Queens Theater, Artists Standing Strong Together (ASST), Six Feet Apart Productions, Stories for Healing, the First Person Arts Festival, Mostly True Things, The Story Space, Bridgeport Pechakucha, at 2 National Storytelling Network (NSN) virtual Conferences, as a New Voice in the Stone Soup and Forest Storytelling Festivals, and was an Emcee for the Florida Storytelling Festival.
With a lifelong love of story, literature and the performing arts, Kirk Waller has been immersed in these art forms for over 20 years. He summons all of his God-given talents and masterfully fuses them together spoken word, rhythm, music and movement to create an unforgettable storytelling experience. He has garnered national recognition for his abilities, including being awarded the J.J. Reneaux Emerging Artist Grant by the National Storytelling Network, receiving a Parent’s Choice Foundation GOLD award for his latest CD, But Why? Stories, Music and Songs, and many others. Kirk has told at festivals, schools, libraries, churches and special events in the San Francisco Bay Area and across our nation, including the National Storytelling Festival.
Donna Washington is a professional author, storyteller, and multicultural folklorist who has been sharing stories for more than thirty years. She describes herself as “an extremely animated storyteller who uses vocal pyrotechnics (lots of sound effects and voices), has an elastic face, and employs enthusiastic gesture. I’ve been called a Walking Disney Movie and told I was better than television.” Donna has performed at thousands of schools & libraries and numerous storytelling festivals throughout the country. She also offers workshops in storytelling, writing, education, and creative drama. These days you can find her traveling the country at festivals, conferences, schools, & libraries telling stories & giving workshops for anyone who is willing to listen to her.
Look at those superstars! How can you possibly pass on a full evening of tales from them? You can’t! So please come join us. The Zoom feed for the show starts at 8:00 P.M. Eastern. It’s one of our patented “pay what you like” events – with a suggested contribution of $16, and a minimum of $6. We’d love to have you – grab your at-home seats now!
