On April 22nd Better Said Than Done will be performing for the last time – for the time being – in front of a live, in-person audience. We will be going on hiatus at least for the next few months – from in-person storytelling. The Auld Shebeen, which has been our home for over 7 years, can no longer host us on Saturday nights. So, for the next few months, we will be searching for a new home.
Please join us – one last time – as we raise a glass of Guinness and toast Sláinte! April 22nd, 2023, at 6:00pm Eastern. (Note the special time. Doors open at 5pm and the show is at 6pm.)
We’ve loved our time at the Auld Shebeen and plan to continue to host the occasional storytelling show there, as well as special events. This is not goodbye to the boys. It’s just a fare thee well. But as our fond farewell show, we do want to have some fun. And to that note, we’ve brought back some of our favorite storytellers – both old (Jack Scheer has been with us for FOREVER) and new (Seth Hassett performed with us for the first time 2 months ago) – for Auld Lange Syne: stories old and new.
If you’ve been with us for FOREVER, come on back, one last time. If you are new to storytelling, or to our shows, join us for the fantastic night. Old and new – all are welcome!
With emcee Jessica Robinson and storytellers Bonnie Gardner, Seth Hassett, Jenn Kamara, Jack Scheer, Kathy Stershic, and Andrea Young.
Not that you need the refresher, but here are the night’s storytellers:
Emcee Jessica Robinson
Bonnie Gardner
Seth Hassett
Jenn Kamara
Jack Scheer
Kathy Stershic
Andrea Young
It’s going to be a fabulous night of looking back, remembering old friends, making new, and sharing stories. Join us on April 22, 2023 at 6:00pm Eastern for Auld Lang Syne! Sláinte!
The Recording of Auld Lang Syne: Stories of Old and New,with emcee Jessica Robinson and storytellersBonnie Gardner, Seth Hassett, Jenn Kamara, Jack Scheer, Kathy Stershic, and Andrea Young, is now available for purchase.
Read more about the show and the storytellershere.
The Auld Shebeen is located at 3971 Chain Bridge Rd., Fairfax, VA 22030. Better Said Than Done performs DOWNSTAIRS. The entrance is located on North St. Doors open at 5:00pm. The live show starts at 6:00pm. A full dinner and bar menu are available.
Saturday, April 13, 2023
6:00pm Show Starts/5:00pm Doors Open
$15 Per Person/$5 Minimum Virtual Tickets are divided into virtual ONLY – for watching online
When you purchase a ticket, you will receive an email that will include a link to watch the live-stream, whether or not you are coming to the live show. If you purchase an “in-person” ticket, your name will be entered on the list at the door. You do not get a physical ticket.
You should receive a link to watch the streaming video shortly after purchase. If you do not see that email, please contact stories@bettersaidthandone.com BEFORE 6pm on the day of the show.
Ticket sales for the in-person show close when we sell out or when the show starts. However, you will be able to purchase the recording of the show until 11:59pm on the Sunday after. Your receipt will reflect that date. PLEASE NOTE: We recommend you get tickets in advance. If we do not sell out, we’ll have tickets available at the door for $15 per person.
Online ticket sales for this event are closed.
In the “Buy Tickets” box, click on the amount you’d like to pay and then “add to cart.” At the top of the “Buy Tickets” box, a little box that says “Go to Cart” will appear. Click on that. Confirm everything in your cart is correct. Click “Review Cart and Make Payment.” Then click on “Make Payment through Paypal.” That will take you to Paypal where you are given the choice to login to pay OR to pay with credit card.
After purchase, you will receive 2 emails. One will be your receipt, the other will have the link to watch the show.
If you don’t see the link to watch the show – check your junk folder. If you still don’t see it, email stories@bettersaidthandone.com BEFORE the show starts. We cannot respond to emails during the show.
With just a week to go, here’s the final blog post to whet your whistle for the Women’s Storytelling Festival, running over the weekend of March 24th to 26th, in Fairfax, VA and streaming on the ol’ World Wide Web!
We’re trying something new for this year’s festival. After many requests, we will be holding a competition! Saturday afternoon will see the People’s Choice Storytelling Contest.
Seven tellers, each with seven minutes to tell her tale. The theme? Perseverance. The judges? Our audience – plus Sheila Arnold and Noa Baum! (Full contest details here.)
Don’t forget – YOU MUST HAVE A FESTIVAL TICKET TO VOTE. TICKETS Here.
The tellers vying to claim the top spot? Lona Bartlett, Julie Bradshaw, Bette Lou Higgins, Robin Kitson, Teri Lott, Gwendolyn Napier, and Stacy Parish!
In the spirit of competition, I asked our contestants this question…
How will you celebrate if you win the People’s Choice Storytelling Contest?
And their answers are…
Lona Bartlett
Lona Bartlett: Celebrating? I would want to spend some time with all of the ladies at the festival. I am honored to be on stage with all of the the wonderful women who are part of this contest. We are all working hard to tell a good story. Let’s break out the chocolate. Then when I get home, Celebration Doughnuts with my husband.
Julie Bradshaw: If I win, I plan to celebrate in the best way possible…with a little bit of an adult beverage and a chocolate dessert! I will also connect with family and friends to give them the good news and to thank them for their votes.
Bette Lou Higgins
Bette Lou Higgins: Well, first off, I’d celebrate with a good dinner with my friends and family who will be at the festival with me. Then I’d be doing posts and e-blasts to thank everyone who voted for me. Unlike Superbowl winners, however, I don’t think I’ll be able to go to Disney World to celebrate — though that would DEFINITELY be a great idea. Maybe a little walk on the Appalachian Trail!
Robin Kitson
Robin Kitson: I would call all the friends who voted for me and tell them. I’d tell all of my Storytelling Guilds (I belong to 3), and see if any would like me to write something for their newsletter about the experience.
Teri Lott
Teri Lott: I’m sure I’ll cry out, probably saying something like, “Oh my gosh” or “Woo-hoo!”, and I’ll hug anyone and everyone within reach (so consider this your warning). Then I’ll text my hubby and my daughter. Later, after the day’s events are over, I’ll be texting, emailing, posting on FB and messaging family and friends to tell them I won and thanking them for their support. Once I’m home, I’ll let my local storytelling group (Storytellers of Central Ohio) as well as WRAPPS of NE Ohio, The WV Storytelling Guild, and The KY Storytelling Association know that I won and thank them for their support as well.
Gwendolyn Napier
Gwendolyn Napier: If I win the People’s Choice Storytelling Contest, I would Celebrate and Share the Winning Circle Stage when announced with the additional 6 Storytellers in the Contest. I know most of the Storytellers in the Festival, and feel deeply in my ‘Heart” that we are already “Winners” just sharing different Stories.
Stacy Parish
Stacy Parish: With a slice of carrot cake, a new notebook and a few new Uniball Signo pens!
So that’s the card for our title bout. Who will emerge with the victory? There’s only one way to find out – join us for the festival. You can come on down to the Old Town Hall in historic Fairfax, VA, or tune in to our online stream of the event! You can vote either way!
The Festival main page includes links to the storyteller bios, the schedule, tickets, a FAQ, and more. Click on the link below to get to the main festival page, and find all additional links in teal along the left side of the website. We’ve tried to make the website easy to navigate, but we hear you — it can be hard to read.Use the teal links as your guide, and look for a revised home page in 2024!
The 2023 Women’s Storytelling Festival starts on Friday March 24, 2023 and runs through Sunday March 26, 2023 at the Old Town Hall in Fairfax City, VA. We are premiering our virtual showcase, online only, at 5:00pm Eastern. The in-person performances at The Old Town Hall, as well as the live-stream, begin at 7:00pm Friday night. The festival concludes around 6:00pm EST on Sunday. Click on the link below for the full festival schedule.
For $40, the Virtual Festival Pass gives you access to all 15 plus hours of storytelling live-streamed from the venue, and also for one month after. If you miss any of the live-stream, you have time to catch up.
$60 gets you the In-Person Festival Pass. You can attend all programs from March 24 – 26 in-person, and you also receive the links to watch all of the recordings for one month after. $110 is the cost for a 2 person, in-person ticket.
Both the virtual and in-person passes give you access to vote in the People’s Choice Storytelling show while it’s happening live.
If we do not sell out, we will have in-person tickets available at the door. Virtual ticket sales close on April 1, as everyone has access to the festival videos until April 26.
PLEASE NOTE: You do NOT have to have a Paypal account to purchase. You can “checkout as guest” and pay with a credit card. If you do want to pay with check, please email jessica@bettersaidthandone.com for more info BEFORE March 18.
The People’s Choice Storytelling Contest will take place on March 25, 2023 at 4:30pm EASTERN, both in-person at The Old Town Hall in Fairfax, VA, as well as streaming live online.
JUDGING will be based on audience votes combined with the judges’ scores. Our judges for the 2023 festival are Sheila Arnold and Noa Baum! Both the in-person audience and virtual audience votes will be counted. Audiences, however, can only vote during the live show, in-person or virtually.
YOU, the audience, MUST HAVE a Festival ticket to vote.
If voting online, the LINK TO VOTE will be shared at the end of the live program. You will need to be able to open a new browser window to vote, and you will be required to enter the email address you used to purchase your ticket. Your (online) vote will not be counted if you do not have a valid email (that matches your ticket purchase email).
Thank you to our 2023 Sponsors – The Bridgeport Art Trail, Capture Video Inc., Fairfax City, Financial Advantage Associates, Luna River Publishing, LLC, The Mary & Cathy Team, and Punchlist Consulting!
Please take a moment to click on our SPONSOR PAGE and find out more about our sponsors.
We have opened registrations for our Spring 2023 storytelling workshops. You can register for yourself or get one as a gift for that person in your life that you just know has great stories! There is 1 Spotlight on You workshop that runs about 3 – 4 hours. And one, 5 week, Your Story, Your Life workshop. At this time, all are virtual. If you are local to Northern Virginia and would like to join in-person, we may be able to work that out.
Spotlight on You – May 20, 2023 at 1:30pm, led by Jessica Robinson
Your Story, Your Life Wednesdays, at 7:00pm EST, starting on May 17, 2023 and running through June 14, 2023
Class sizes are limited to no more than 8 registrants so that each attendee will have time to share a story and receive critical feedback. Because the workshops will be over Zoom, participants can also record their own stories and feedback and save the recording for future reference.
Register for a virtual storytelling workshop below.
After registering, you will receive a receipt. Login information and details for the class will be sent approximately 3 days prior. If you have questions in the meantime, or don’t see the email, please contact stories@bettersaidthandone.com
Spotlight on You
A 3-4 hour workshop which includes lessons about storytelling structure, character development and other techniques for creating dramatic, engaging and true, personal stories. Class size is limited so all students will be given the opportunity to share a story and receive critical feedback.
Your Story, Your Life
5 two hour classes, over five weeks, to help you develop secondary characters, dialogue, non-linear structure, enhanced performance skills, and stories of varying lengths to be performed on stage. Students will be able to workshop and hone at least one, and possibly several, stories over the course of 5 weeks.
Read about our storytelling teachers, as well as about what you can expect in our workshops here.
Jessica offers one-on-one story coaching sessions. Email jessica@bettersaidtandone.com for more information. We also offer customized in-person or virtual, storytelling workshops, webinars, and presentations for your organization. Read about our corporate programs here.
The recording of Storytelling, The Musical: The Reunion, with emcee Carol Moore and storytellers Natalie Jones, Sam Payne, Mo Reynolds, Jessica Robinson, Jack Scheer, and Paul Strickland is now available for purchase.
April 13, 2023
8:00pm Eastern/5:00pm Pacific
$15 Suggested/$5 Minimum All Proceeds Split Between Producer and Storytellers
You will receive a link to watch the show moments after registering. If you do NOT see that email, first check your junk mail folder. If you still cannot find it, contact stories@bettersaidthandone.com
As people can watch the recording for up to one month after, ticket sales close on April 15th. Your receipt reflects the date ticket sales close. The link to watch the show has the date and time of the show on it.
Online ticket sales for this event are closed.
In the “Buy Tickets” box, click on the amount you’d like to pay and then “add to cart.” At the top of the “Buy Tickets” box, a little box that says “Go to Cart” will appear. Click on that. Confirm everything in your cart is correct. Click “Review Cart and Make Payment.” Then click on “Make Payment through Paypal.” That will take you to Paypal where you are given the choice to login to pay OR to pay with credit card.
PLEASE NOTE the times on all our events are Eastern Time Zone (EDT or EST).
You should receive an email with the link within minutes of purchase. Please check your email to confirm.
If you do NOT see your login email, first check your Junk/SPAM folder. If still no email, contact stories (at) bettersaidthandone (dot) com
Make sure you have the link before the show. We will do our best to assist you, but once the show begins, we are no longer able to help.
Hey there! We’re back with the latest installment of posts highlighting the outstanding cast of storytellers that make up the cast of the Women’s Storytelling Festival, running March 24th through 26th, in Fairfax, VA and streaming worldwide!
The pandemic forced storytelling to go online, en masse, for the first time in history. But a surprising thing happened – we found there were benefits and advantages to virtual storytelling. So we’ve incorporated that into our tradition, and now it’s part of our festival as well! On March 24th, the festival will kick off with a virtual only showcase. All festival pass ticket holders – whether attending in-person or virtually only, will receive a link to watch the virtual showcase, as part of receiving all the links to watch live or for a one month viewing period after the festival.
This year’s show includes a contingent of tellers who will be joining us virtually from their own home bases, for the virtual showcase. And it’s a great group: Eva Abram, Rachel Ann Harding, Roopa Mohan, Anne Rutherford, and Nancy Wang!
Rachel Ann Harding: I am thrilled at how many storytellers I have had the pleasure of seeing perform, and perform with, virtually from around the world! Pre-virtual world, it was such a rare treat to hear some of these tellers and it has been a joy and education to hear them a little more frequently. I also enjoy the tea service! At least once or twice during a virtual show my husband will quietly open a door and bring in a cup of tea. It keeps me hydrated and my hands warm.
Roopa Mohan
Roopa Mohan: I like telling virtually… It lets me invite a global audience, especially my family and friends from faraway India! My mom is my biggest cheerleader and am grateful I can share my stories virtually with her, in Chennai.
Anne Rutherford
Anne Rutherford: Telling in sweatpants and slippers, of course!
Nancy Wang
Nancy Wang: One, no traveling needed! Yay! Two, after performing, I can retire to my bed, or to the kitchen for a snack, or a book I’m reading, or netflix… And three, I get to see and meet people from across the nation and around the world who I might never meet and they get to see my work and enjoy what I do and have to offer for their soul, their minds and hearts – which storytelling provides. I get to fulfill my mission of celebrating diversity to farther corners of the world.
Whether you follow these tellers’ lead and enjoy their stories from the comfort of your own home, or join the in-person audience in Fairfax, you will want to hear them!
Continuing our blog series highlighting the fantastic tellers who will be part of the fourth annual Women’s Storytelling Festival March 24th, 25th, and 26th, both online and IRL in the City of Fairfax!
This time we’re looking at one of the most essential and transformative aspects of storytelling – what we learn from each other. And it’s a most learned group that we’ve polled: Shweta Bhatt, Jenn Kamara, Bowen Lee, Carol Moore, and Cyndi Wish!
What’s something you’ve learned from other women storytellers?
Let’s see how they responded…
Shweta Bhatt
Shweta Bhatt: Stories are emotional, experiences are emotional, humanity is emotional. Instead of crafting narratives devoid of feeling and depth, I learned to challenge how to give texture and soul to each story, while holding my emotional responsibility as a teller.
Jenn Kamara: Mostly being flexible and unafraid. Also feeling comfortable sharing our flaws with audience but also being comfortable with them and understanding that those things just make us who we are.
Bowen Lee
Bowen Lee: How to pull out your heart and shining soul and hold it in your hand for others to receive as a story they can take with them.
Carol Moore
Carol Moore: By watching the expertise of my fellow tellers, I’ve learned the beauty of folk tales and how impactful they can be for us adults. When I first thought of folk tales, I thought of campfire stories, sleepover traditions, or bedtime rituals. The vulnerability, intensity, and care these women storytellers continuously give to folk tales have been amazing to witness.
Cyndi Wish
Cyndi Wish: Last year the festival felt like a celebration of individual voices that make up a diverse demographic.
I think we’ve all learned a thing or two here. And if you join us via live-stream or in Fairfax for the festival, you’re bound to learn a ton of truths, insights, and revelations!
We’re back with the second in our series showcasing the superb tellers who will be performing in the fourth annual Women’s Storytelling Festival, running March 24th through March 26th in beautiful Fairfax, VA!
Today is a peek behind the curtain of how these magnificent women create and hone the tales they tell on stage. We’ve got a great group to give us that behind-the-scenes perspective: Laura Deal, Lyn Ford, Cindy Rivka Marshall, Misty Mator, and Mo Reynolds.
What’s your favorite part of the story crafting process?
Let’s see how they responded…
Laura Deal
Laura Deal: I love imagining and reimagining the story as I’m developing it, looking for details that will bring the story to life for the listener. Whether I’m changing the point of view character of a folktale, playing with setting or dialogue, or crafting a personal story, brainstorming is the most fun part of the process for me.
Lyn Ford: I love hearing folktale variants and recognizing their connections to diverse story traditions around the world. I also love developing the heart of a personal story, that core truth that builds a relationship with and a community among listeners.
Cindy Rivka Marshall
Cindy Rivka Marshall: I love the interactive nature of the storytelling process. The role of the listener and the witness is key to discovering how to best express and convey the story. I enjoy being on both sides of this process, as a teller, and as a story coach, seeing stories come alive.
Misty Mator
Misty Mator: I love when there’s what my college professor called a “stroke of brilliance” moment for a story: when a great phrase, description, or direction emerges from working with a live audience. No matter how many times I rehearse a story, the best bits always seem to arise when I’m with the listeners. Stories really do come to life best when they are shared.
Mo Reynolds
Mo Reynolds: I love the debut of a story because it is thrilling to see what comes out of the story and into the story the first time it bounces off an audience. I will hear myself add something to the story and think, “Oh, I like that! I’m definitely keeping that in there.” A story is a living thing and I love feeling it change with every outing.
Now that you know their favorite part of the process, come and see them tell the stories they’ve crafted. You can join us in Fairfax, or watch from afar via our live-stream. Everything you need to know is right here!
Here in the DC Metro area, we’re gearing up for the fourth annual Women’s Storytelling Festival. In a scant few weeks we’ll be welcoming twenty-six mighty tellers for a celebration of women and the spoken word. It promises to be a fantastic, fulfilling, and fascinating weekend.
To whet your appetite for this extravaganza, over the course of the next few weeks we’ll be introducing you to the fine performers that will grace our stages. You can read about all of the 2023 festival storytellers here.
And, as is our way, we’ll be making those introductions by way of questions and answers.
This first group of tellers is a storied lot. It consists of Jennifer Munro, Donna Washington, Kim Weitkamp, and Megan Wells.
We asked the following…
What’s your most consistent source of inspiration?
This is what they had to say…
Jennifer Munro
Jennifer Munro: My most consistent source of inspiration comes from listening to other people’s stories, which inevitably make me say, “Oh, that reminds of when . . .” More often than not, a new story eventually finds its way into existence.
Donna Washington: This question doesn’t have a clear answer. I am inspired by everything around me. So…life? I am inspired by the things I encounter as I navigate through the tricky twists and turns that are part of life: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I am inspired by the people I love, hate, fear, and envy. I am inspired by making mistakes, little triumphs, learning, losing, winning, love, arguments, politics, history, and literature. So…all? I am inspired by everything? That’s all I’ve got.
Kim Weitkamp
Kim Weitkamp: As cliche as this sounds, daily life is my greatest source. I live esthetically, always looking and listening to everything around me, no matter where or who I’m with. It’s in the humdrum moments of daily life that I find the greatest pearls.
Megan Wells
Megan Wells: Reading multiple versions of a story or about the subject. I am absolutely nerdish about finding as many variance as I can get my hands on. By reading different versions, the consistent resonances assert themselves. Also, the more I read about the culture and the context of each variant I get a richer palette of possibilities!
If the above has inspired you as much as it has us, then please join in on the fun! The festival runs from March 24th to 26th in historic downtown Fairfax, VA, and can also be enjoyed online via Zoom. Ticket prices and details can all be found here!
