Write your story. Perform someone else’s.
No, YOU Tell It! is a nonfiction reading series that advocates for authentic personal stories by having storytellers speak each other’s words aloud, empowering their voices on the page and stage. Our collaborative workshop process equips writers of all levels with literary tools to elevate the impact of their words.
Switching stories to embody each other’s experience in a live performance creates stronger empathetic connections for both the storytellers and audience members.
For each show, the NYTI team — Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons, Mike Dressel, and Erika Iverson — lead four storytellers through two writing workshop sessions to tell their true-life tale on the page. Then about a week before the show, we pair up our storytellers and ask them to trade scripts. When one of our storytellers speaks their partner’s piece aloud, it does two important things: One, it gives that storyteller a chance to step into another person’s shoes. Two, the writer hears their own story in a different voice. Everyone gains new insight into their writing and storytelling as they share these true-life tales with our live audience and podcast listeners.