Written By CityHeART’s Art from Ashes
The 3rd Thursday month is right around the corner, and do you know what that means?! That’s right, it means the Long Beach Community Theater’s SPEAK. EASY. storytelling event is back! This month’s theme is: Funny Bonez: Belly Laughs & Tears of Joy.
WHAT: SPEAK. EASY. Storytelling Event by Long Beach Community Theater
WHEN: Thursday April 18 | 7-9pm
WHERE: DiPiazza’s | 5202 E. Pacific Coast Hwy Long Beach
Last month’s SPEAK. EASY. theme was A Moment in Time: If I Could Go back in Time and Relive One Moment, This Would Be It! A full lineup of ten local storytellers took the stage and shared five minute true stories that ranged from sticky, gooey first kisses to life-changing health diagnoses to “Epic Ketchup sweats” (phrase by storyteller Brandee Stillwell, who closed out the show.) AND, 8 out of the 10 were brand new to the SPEAK. EASY. stage at DiPiazza’s!
Ann Mantel kicked off the evening with her tale of entering motherhood and wondering “What if I had been able to seize that moment in time?” Carol Ann Perini followed with a tale of puppy love, a runny nose, and a gooey first kiss! The tales were all over the map, yet all on theme, which made for another incredible evening of laughter, heartache, and real human connection.
Storyteller Lavonna Miller shared a tale that featured her remarkably strong and loving grandmother literally standing up to fight for her — happy belated birthday to your incredible grandmother, Lavonna!
“My Gramma is a G!”
—Lavonna Miller
Harriet Bennish shared a moving and inspiring story of literally living to tell the tale about her very close call with imminent danger, and Patrick Marston closed the first act with an account of all of the many life-defining moments in time that he would love to go back and relive.
“I love the moment of of hearing my husband’s voices for the first time … I would love to live that moment again.”
—Patrick Marsdon
Storyteller Michael Brunt took us on an ADVENTURE highlighting a very fun time he would love to relive, and Monica Aguilera De Gurrola left us all inspired with the story of her health journey and the powerful reminder that:
“We are not our diagnosis.”
— Monica Aguilera De Gurrola
Later on in the evening, actor and performer River Collins shared an extraordinary and original blend of spoken word and theatrical performance that included an artistic incorporation of a rain stick!
Local writer Lisa Ramelow brought us with her to a Led Zeppelin concert where she discovered that “It was okay for me to create more joy,” and LA-based storyteller Brandee Stillwell closed out the night with the story of the time she wandered through the store confused by the strange looks she was earning from fellow shoppers and not realizing that she was rocking a style of “epic ketchup sweats” (ketchup all over her face and lots of sweating!).
SPEAK. EASY. truly never disappoints!