Have you ever shared a story with a friend about losing the love of your life? Have you ever made a loved one laugh by telling them a tale about a time you got a surprise kiss from an old lover at a Paul McCartney concert after puking your guts out?! Have you ever gotten to hear a story like that and then couldn’t stop thinking about it?
This what SPEAK. EASY. presented by the Long Beach Community Theater is all about. Every month, ten community members take the stage to share a story with their neighbors, family, and friends to “build community one story at a time.”
Last month’s theme aligned closely with the latest issue of the Art from Ashes Magazine: grief & gratitude, when one door opens another door closes, beginnings and endings, holding on and letting go (in case you missed the latest issue, stories from the latest issue are dropping inside the CityHeARTLove App all month long!)
By the time the music began at 7pm, the house at DiPiazza’s was absolutely packed! It was an incredible kick-off to what is sure to be another moving, meaningful, and memorable season of building community one story at a time.
The night began with Jennifer Abod setting a powerful tone for the night with her story of losing the love of her life and her poem entitled “Apology to the Moon.”
First-time SPEAK. EASY. storyteller Noah Dziobecki shared his beautifully written journey with grief, loss, and gratitude, and we cracked up all the way through Jennifer Jo Dellapina’s story of her unexpected kiss at a Paul McCartney concert.
Other storytellers that night included: Austin Nation, Sue Gauthier-Pin, Kristal Harte, Joy Demain, Mushroom Montoya, Diane Marie Brown, and Steven Deeble closed out the night!
Local storyteller and member of the Long Beach Community Theater team co-hosted the night with the Theater’s Artistic Director Ann Wellman.
This month’s SPEAK. EASY. is NEXT WEEK! The theme is LOVE STORIES of all kind — the good, the bad, and everything in between. Art from Ashes Magazine will be there, and we sure hope to see you there too! Music starts at 7pm, and the show starts at 7:30pm at DiPiazza’s in Long Beach!
By Paige Pelonis, Art from Ashes Magazine Editor