Live Shows

Upcoming and past live shows

Queens “Here & Gone” Highlight: Astoria Pool Sentinels

May 18 2023 @ 7:00PM

What happened to the two 16-foot-tall Metropolis-esque stainless steel statues that once stood atop the Astoria Pool locker rooms? Read our next Queens “Here & Gone” Highlight to find out!

How will these highlights from the archives of the Greater Astoria Historical Society inspire our four storytellers’ modern-day true tales? Click here to grab your tickets to come see!

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Special thanks to Rosalie Chandler, Bob Singleton, and Ava Vitali for helping us create these Queens “Here & Gone” highlights. The Greater Astoria Historical Society is the place to learn and celebrate Long Island City and its neighborhoods. Learn more at astorialic.org.

This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.

This project is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.

Event Information

May 18 2023 @ 7:00PM

Grove 34 (3183 34th St., Astoria)

Queens “Here & Gone” Highlight: The First Photocopy

May 18 2023 @ 7:00PM

Did you know that Chester Carlson invented the first photocopy on 37th and Broadway in Astoria, mere blocks from where our “Here & Gone” show will take place at Grove 34? And that, as noted by Bob Singleton from the Greater Astoria Historical Society,

The name ASTORIA was on the First Page of the Information Age.

This show is filled with FIRSTS. Our FIRST grant from Flushing Town Hall. This Queens Community Arts Grant sparked our FIRST team-up with the Greater Astoria Historical Society. As a result, for the FIRST time, our storytellers’ true tales are inspired by four Queens historical highlights from the GAHS archives.

First up, learn about Chester Carlson, and check back for more Queens “Here & Gone”  highlights soon!

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Special thanks to Rosalie Chandler, Bob Singleton, and Ava Vitali for helping us create these Queens “Here & Gone” highlights. The Greater Astoria Historical Society is the place to learn and celebrate Long Island City and its neighborhoods. Learn more at astorialic.org.

This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.

This project is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.

Event Information

May 18 2023 @ 7:00PM

Grove 34 (3183 34th St., Astoria)

No, YOU Tell It! “Here & Gone” Celebrates Queens

May 18 2023 @ 7:00PM

Here comes No, YOU Tell It! “Here & Gone” at Grove 34 in Astoria, where our four storytellers will step into each other’s true-life tales inspired by the rich and, at times, unknown history of Queens.

Get your tickets early for this special team-up show with the Greater Astoria Historical Society! Hosted by Ellie Dvorkin Dunn.

  • 7:00 – 7:30: *Reception featuring Queens “Here & Gone” artwork by Yelena Tylkina
  • 7:30 – 9:00: Switched-up Storytelling inspired by the archives of the Greater Astoria Historical Society

*Drinks and snacks available for purchase.

Storytellers (as pictured above):

  • Lakshmi Gandhi
  • Dan Jessup
  • Rosalie Chandler
  • Olena Jennings

Follow @noyoutellit on Insta to learn more about the artist, storytellers, and Queens “Here & Gone” history.

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The Greater Astoria Historical Society is the place to learn and celebrate Long Island City and its neighborhoods. Learn more at astorialic.org.

This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.

This project is made possible (in part) with public funds from the Queens Arts Fund, a re-grant program supported by New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by New York Foundation for the Arts.

Event Information

May 18 2023 @ 7:00PM

Grove 34 (3183 34th St., Astoria)

Next Show! “Here & Gone”

May 18 2023 @ 7:00PM

SAVE THE DATE for our next show at Grove 34 in partnership with The Greater Astoria Historical Society.

For this special QUEENS show, our four storytellers are working with the NYTI team to create modern-day true tales inspired by the rich and, at times, unknown history of the borough.

Want to tell your “Queens & Me” story? Join our own Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons for a personal writing workshop at Sunnyside Arts on 4/21. Open to writers of all levels! More info and register here.

Event Information

May 18 2023 @ 7:00PM

Grove 34 (3183 34th St., Astoria)

Symphony Space Success

“No, YOU Tell It! is a treasure of a show. You have to witness it to really get how special it is. Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons assembled a team that puts so much heart and soul into guiding storytellers of different ages, races, genders, and backgrounds to swap stories, so that the performers are in each other’s shoes, as the saying goes. The result is hilarious and heartwarming, but also, such a profound experiment in fostering empathy. Everyone in the room, storytellers, show producers, and audience members, have an unforgettably moving evening of entertainment together, and that special sort of connecting of people going on in the show really is something to be cherished.”

– Kevin Allison, RISK!

Story partners Kevin Allison and Najah Imani Muhammad. Photo credit: Russ Rowland

What an incredible night at Symphony Space last week! We’re still on Cloud 9 and couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who made the night a success by attending in person, via the livestream, and/or donating. Check out more “College Try” photos on Facebook or Instagram.

Hey, while you’re there, why not LIKE or FOLLOW?

Special shout out to all who helped us provide free student tickets to high school juniors. We had a wonderful pre-show college essay jumpstart workshop, and the students loved the show!!

Want to help No, YOU Tell It! provide more opportunities for future storytellers and students? Click here to make a tax-deductible donation.

What’s next? So glad you asked. SAVE THE DATES:

I can’t think of a better way to kick off our 11th year! Thank you again from all of us at No, YOU Tell It!

The College Try and Then Some!

Left to right: Dion Flynn, Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons, Brett Felder, Ellie Dvorkin Dunn, Najah Imani Muhammad, and Kevin Allison. Photo credit: Russ Rowland.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Thanks to everyone who came out or watched the show on the live stream.
We had a great time, and we hope you did too!
Thank you to our storytellers for sharing their words and those amazing performances.
Thank you to our host, directors, and creative team!
Thank you, Symphony Space, for the amazing space and for being an amazing host.
AND we raised $500 for Bottom Line, thanks to your generosity!
Didn’t win a copy of our anthology? Grab a copy here. Until next time, friends!

Meet “College Try” Storyteller Kevin Allison

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Two days until show day! We’re so excited for you to meet our final storyteller Kevin Allison!!

Buy your tickets here. Don’t live in NYC? Livestream tickets are available, so you can watch from anywhere.

As a writer and actor for projects on HBO, Netflix, and MTV, and the creator of the hit storytelling podcast and live show RISK!, now in its 14th year, Kevin Allison is an expert on the power of narrative in communication. Kevin is the editor of the book RISK! True Stories People Never Thought They’d Dare to Share, available from Hachette Books, and the founder of the storytelling school The Story Studio, where he has trained the staff of businesses such as Google, Pfizer, and Citibank.

Event Information

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.)

Meet “College Try” Storyteller Brett Felder

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Rehearsals start tonight! The story partners have traded tales and will be working with a director to help embody each other’s stories.

First, let’s meet our next storyteller Brett Felder. Don’t forget to grab your tickets for Thursday’s show. In-person and livestream tickets are still available here but going fast!

Brett Felder was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio but has been happily adopted by New York and New Jersey, where she’s spent much of her career in the educational non-profit sector. For the past 15 years, she has managed College Board programs in support of AP expansion for underserved students and, currently, the customer service and test center management operations for the CLEP and ACCUPLACER programs. She served as an Ambassador for the AP African American Studies pilot, collecting feedback about and garnering support for the new course. She is a breast cancer thriver and avid traveler who was recently interviewed on Vented Uplift The Super Power Series by Vented in Brooklyn’s founder, Chrisie Canny, after they connected at the Pink Kickoff for Breast Cancer Awareness Month on Good Morning America. A hibernating multi-hyphenate, Brett is reawaking her creative side and has decided to jump in with both feet to take on the writing and performing challenge that is No, YOU Tell It! Prayers requested. 

Event Information

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.)

Meet “College Try” Storyteller Dion Flynn

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Our next storyteller described No, YOU Tell It! as walking a “literary high wire.”

We couldn’t be happier to have Dion Flynn switch up his story at Symphony Space! In-person and livestream tickets available here.

Cited by Oprah Magazine as “one of our favorite creative thinkers,” Dion Flynn is a writer, keynote speaker, improvisor, comedian, actor, and U.S. Army veteran. He’s best known for playing Barack Obama and other characters, with over 100 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. If Dave Chapelle and Eckhart Tolle had a son, it would be strange looking — and so is Dion. He’s a master at using fun and innovative ways to help people connect with themselves and others, leading hundreds of business professionals, writers, storytellers, college students, sales people, recovering- and non-recovering folks through his dynamic Improvisor’s Mindset Workshops. www.ImprovisorsMindset.com www.DionFlynn.com

Event Information

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.)

Meet “College Try” Storyteller Najah Imani Muhammad

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

We were honored to receive a “Pay Your People” grant from IndieSpace, home of the Indie Theater Fund. However, we’re overjoyed that The Big Give 2022 connected us with our next storyteller: Najah Imani Muhammad!

Learn more about Najah below, and click here to grab your tickets today to see her switch up her story at Symphony Space.

Najah Imani Muhammad is a Hudson Valley based multi-hyphenate artist and educator. She is the co-host of the podcast UnderRepresented Representatives, a space which amplifies the voices of the unheard and gives them a throne. Regardless of the project, Najah’s goal is to use the arts as a communicative tool to bring people together, and start a conversation. After leaving her full-time teaching job, Najah finds ways to stay connected with education through being a teaching artist with Disney Theatrical Group, Beacon Performing Arts Center, and Director of Education for her mother’s non-profit organization, Leaders by Choice. In the past she has worked with programs such as Girl Be Heard, The Leadership Program, and Kaiser’s Room. Follow along her journey @najahknows @underreppedreps @leadersbychoice www.NajahKnows.com

Event Information

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.)

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