Tag: Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons

Pre-Show College Essay Workshop Available!

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Have or know students starting the college application process? Entertainers and educators trading true tales is an excellent way to encourage students to think about the story they want to tell with their college essays.

Students attending our “College Try” show at Symphony Space can sign up for a pre-show workshop with producers Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons and Tim Lindner to jumpstart ideas for a college essay that opens a window into their unique character for admissions officers.

Contact noyoutellit@gmail.com for more info and to register. Ask about our discount code for student tickets!

 

Event Information

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.)

Storytelling, performance, and college admissions all at Symphony Space!

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Storytelling, performance, and college admissions all tied together into one fun evening at Symphony Space. More info and tickets HERE!

Entertainers and educators trading true tales inspired by the theme “College Try” is an excellent way to encourage high school students to think about the story they want to tell with their college application essays.

High school students can sign up for a pre-show workshop with producers and college essay writing instructors Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons and Tim Lindner to jumpstart a college essay that will wow admissions officers.

Contact noyoutellit@gmail.com to register for the pre-show college essay workshop or to arrange for a block of tickets for your school.

Plus, play story trivia for fun literary prizes and donations made to Bottom Line on behalf of the winners.

Bottom Line partners with thousands of degree-aspiring students from under-resourced communities as they get into college, graduate, and go far in life. Learn more and get involved at bottomline.org.

Event Information

Mar 16 2023 @ 7:00PM

Symphony Space (2537 Broadway at 95th St.)

No, YOU Did It! Celebrating 2022

Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons here! Sending out accolades for all YOU helped us accomplish this year. Heck, over this past DECADE (wow…), with your love and support.

Keep us in mind for your end-of-year giving to support 10 more years! Click here to make your tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor The Field.

Want to make a donation via a Donor Advised Fund (DAF)? Yes, you can do so in support of No, YOU Tell It! through The Field. Contact us at noyoutellit@gmail.com for all the info.

Now, let’s take a look at 2022! Starting with this fantastic 10-year anniversary logo designed by alum storyteller, Zoom guru, and the all-around fabulous Noah Diamond.

JANUARY
WATCH No, YOU Tell It! “Anniversary Apart”

Kicking off our anniversary season, storytellers Chris Crowthers, Gaby Martineau, and Jenna Struble swap tales for our virtual show, “Anniversary Apart,” with support from Tim Lindner & Amanda Sisk as story coach(es) and director! And, of course, the aforementioned Noah Diamond.

All of our story trivia winners received a donation in their name in support of our friends at Friends with Four Paws. Plus a puppy named after them!

MARCH
WATCH No, YOU Tell It! “What I Know” 

In celebration of women’s history month, storytellers developed true tales inspired by the theme “What I Know” on the page. Watch them step into each other’s life experiences on stage. Featuring: Michele Carlo, Julia Granacki, Hannah Leland, and Sheria Mattis

Big thanks to our “What I Know” directors, Erika Iverson and Marcos Stafne.

Fun fact: Sheria Mattis and Michele Carlo’s swap is the most recent pair in the No, YOU Tell It! Ten-Year Anthology 2022, featuring a beautiful introduction by their director, Erika. Give it a read!

Special shoutout to Lee Anderson and Palm Circle Press for making the No, YOU Tell It! anthology a reality.

SEPTEMBER
WATCH No, YOU Tell It! “Punch Up” 

For our September Brooklyn Book Festival “Book End” Event, storytellers who write for the page and the stage developed true stories inspired by the theme “Punch Up.” Featuring: Jenn Wehrung, Aida Zilelian, Matt Storrs, and Maria Rubio.

Plus, guest host and director Ellie Dvorkin Dunn and fab story coaches Tim Lindner and Pichchenda Bao. 

No, YOU Tell It! was proud to receive a 2022 Queens Art Fund (QAF) grant. Both of our live shows at Culture Lab LIC were made possible (in part) by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

Thank You, QCA!

NOVEMBER
We celebrated the launch of the No, YOU Tell It! Ten-Year Anthology 2022 from Palm Circle Press with the first in-person event at The Astoria Bookshop since March 2020!

Thank you to contributors Ellie Dvorkin Dunn and Jeff Wills, who read that evening, and to everyone who came out.

Get or GIFT a copy of our anthology to read through ten years of stories and behind-the-scenes insights for the series. Local to NYC? We encourage you to purchase it through The Astoria Bookshop to support a small, local business.

DECEMBER
Just when you thought all of our anniversary fun was done…
Last week we were honored to receive one of THE BIG GIVE 2022 “Pay Your People” Grants from IndisSpace!

Check out this blog post on IndieSpace website with the links to the names and websites of all of the Pay Your People grant recipients at The Big Give 2022. Please visit their websites to learn more about their work and upcoming productions.

WHEW!! I’m so excited to tell you about the exciting No, YOU Tell It! plans for 2023, but I think I need a nap first…

All my love and gratitude for the support from our amazing No, YOU Tell It! friends and alums all these years. What an amazing journey; I can’t wait to see what the next decade brings.

Happy Holidays and wishing you a bright new year!
Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons

Watch “Punch Up” to Win!

Have you watched our “Punch Up” show yet? Don’t miss out on these stellar story swaps! There is also still a chance to win the No, YOU Tell It! Ten-Year Anthology 2022.

Watch the show on YouTube, play along with the story trivia at the end, follow @noyoutellit on IG, and DM us three correct responses to win a free copy!!

Left to right: Ellie Dvorkin Dunn, Tim Lindner, Maria Rubio, Matt Storrs, Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons, Aida Zilelian, Jenn Wehrung, Pichchenda Bao

THANK YOU for another amazing show!

Thank you to:

The storytellers for sharing and performing your work.
The creative team and story coaches for making this event possible.
Ellie Dvorkin Dunn for hosting!
Culture Lab LIC for the venue and all your help.
Brooklyn Book Festival Bookends Committee and Coordinator Stephan Herrera for having us for another #BKBF Bookend Event.
Queens Council on the Arts for helping make this possible.
Palm Circle Press for taking on the challenge of getting the anthology out into the world.

And everyone that came or live streamed the show! We couldn’t have made it 10 years without this community!

Look! “Punch Up” Program (In-Person and Virtual Show)

Sep 26 2022 @ 7:00PM

Our Brooklyn Book Festival Bookend Event hosted by Ellie Dvorkin Dunn is tonight! In-person at Culture Lab, LIC or WATCH HERE virtually via YouTube.

Doors 6:30 / Show starts at 7 pm!

FREE but we’ll be collecting donations for Friends with Four Paws with a match for the first $50. Want to donate directly? Venmo @friendswith-fourpaws or via their website.

Plus, a chance to win the No, YOU Tell It! Ten-Year Anthology 2022, now available to order in paperback and eBook (with links to listen to all the stories via our podcast).

Take a look at these four storytellers who have been developing their “Punch Up” tales on the page with guest story coach and NYTI alum Pichchenda Bao. Tonight, they’ll step into their partners’ shoes and perform each other stories on stage.

TONIGHT’S STORIES!

Confection Resolution written by Matt Storrs, performed by Maria Rubio, and directed by KJ Fitzsimmons

The Great Unknowns written by Maria Rubio, performed by Matt Storrs, and directed by KJ Fitzsimmons

Shaman Says written by Jenn Wehrung, performed by Aida Zilelian, and directed by Ellie Dvorkin Dunn

One Final Lesson written by Aida Zilelian, performed by Jenn Wehrung, and directed by Ellie Dvorkin Dunn

Thank you, thank you to everyone who made this night possible!

THIS IS AN OFFICIAL 2022 BROOKLYN BOOK FESTIVAL BOOKEND EVENT

This show is made possible (in part) by the Queens Council on the Arts with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
***

Want to support 10 more years of No, YOU Tell It! Here are 3 great ways:

  1. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter for updates.
  2. SHARE the No, YOU Tell It! Podcast far and wide. Available on our website and your fav podcasting platforms.
  3. DONATE through our fiscal sponsor The Field. Plus, it’s tax-deductible.

Event Information

Sep 26 2022 @ 7:00PM

Culture Lab LIC, (5-25 46th Avenue, Long Island City, New York, NY 11101)

Episode 66 – Noted (Part 2)

Our first story reminds us that a two-week middle school love is the equivalent of several lifetimes of adoration, and when our hero’s girlfriend slips him a break-up note, they all come crashing in.

In celebration of 10 Years of No, YOU Tell It! enjoy this 2013 throwback swap of “You’ve Been Noted,” written by Justin Klose and performed by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons. Click here to listen to the other half of the evening in Episode 30.

Original Artwork by Allison Gazdik

Our second story takes us on the road with Shakespeare & Company’s spring tour of Hamlet, where, backstage, Ophelia befriends the infamous skull prop to vent her frustrations, share her loneliness, and reveal her secret escapades. Switching it up here’s “Alas, Poor Bob!” written by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons and performed by Justin Klose. You can also give “Alas, Poor Bob!” a read in Hypertext Magazine!

Artist Allison Gazdik designed the original artwork for our “Noted” show, which was performed live at Jimmy’s No 43 on June 3rd, 2013, and here is what she had to say about the theme and how she devised this fantastic image:

The idea behind this piece for the “noted” theme was one of lessons learned. The first image that came into my head was of someone in the rain, as some of our most valuable lessons come from painful experiences. The well-known quote people usually think of is “that which does not kill us makes us stronger” by Friedrich Nietzsche. I wanted to take a colorful and slightly humorous approach to the idea by depicting a gray Nietzsche under a rain of colors, a fitting blend of optimism and pessimism towards life’s lessons. 

Happy 10-Year Anniversary to Us!

Today is our official ten-year anniversary! May is also Kelly Jean’s birthday month!! Help us create ten more years of stories by donating here to our fundraising drive. Anything you can give is appreciated.

What does your tax-deductible donation support? We’re so happy you asked!

  • $25 helps provide literary prizes for story trivia at the live shows in support of local authors and independent bookstores.
  • $50 goes toward administrative fees, such as our Field membership and hosting costs for our website and podcast.
  • $100 supports the storytellers who commit hours of their time to two story development meetings and a theatrical rehearsal prior to the live show.
  • $300 secures experienced story coaches and directors who support our storytellers from page to stage.
  • $500 enables us to provide a professional live stream of the event to broadcast this unique event to an even larger audience. See what this looks like in the video below!

What separates our series is the collaborative time put into each show. This extensive workshop process is a blessing, but the time commitment can also be a challenge for participants and the creative team.

Therefore, as we strive toward a new decade of No, YOU Tell It!, we are dedicated to compensating all of the artists involved. Any size donation is greatly appreciated and goes straight to the artists.

Don’t have the funds right now? Support our series witha FB like or Insta follow and share our podcast on your favorite socials.

Thank you for being a part of 10 wonderful years! Here’s to 10 more!!

Episode 64 – Our First Show!

This Sunday, May 8th, marks the 10-year anniversary of No, YOU Tell It!

Left to right: Erika Iverson, Jorge Cordova, Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons, Jeremy Holmes, and David Harrell. Photo credit: Jon Reznick

Help us celebrate by giving a listen to this original set of four switched-up stories from Erika Iverson, Jorge Cordova, Jeremy Holmes, and David Harrell.

Support 10 more years by sharing our series with a friend! Big thanks to Mike Dressel and Anton Kreisl for producing and engineering this podcast of our first show with music from Tiny Animals.

Since May 2012, we’ve produced 46 shows, working with over 160 artists, and you can listen to hundreds of live story swaps on the No, YOU Tell It! podcast.

Available on Audioboom and your favorite podcasting platform.

This May, please help us raise $2,300 to support 10 more years and in celebration of our own Kelly Jean’s BIRTHDAY on the 23rd. Donate here!

Plus, your donation is tax-deductible through our fiscal sponsor The Field.

Watch “Anniversary Apart”

We wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who was able to come out to “Anniversary Apart” the first show of our ten-year anniversary season! It was truly incredible to hear those stories come to life and see such great performances from each of the storytellers. Click here for the show program.

Sad you missed? Good news! Watch the show here:

Congratulations to our trivia winners who will receive a donation in their name to Friends With Four Paws and a puppy named after them! And what a lovely chat we had afterward. What a way to kick off the year!

If you want, you can still make a $15 suggested tax-deductible donation in support of the series. Pay what and only if you can – more is always welcome! Click here to donate.

And lastly, save the date! Our next show will be in person at Culture Lab, LIC and live streaming on March 7th – stay tuned for more information.

Event Information

“Anniversary Apart” Program

Jan 27 2022 @ 7:00PM

Show is tonight at 7 pm ET! If you haven’t already, register at nyti-anniversary-apart.eventbrite.com

The storytellers you are about to meet, met each other for the first time earlier this month and collaborated together to develop their true-life tales inspired by the theme “Anniversary Apart” on the page. Tonight they take the virtual stage to step into each other’s stories and experience perspectives and identities that are not their own.

Take a look at our storytellers.

Tonight’s Stories!

Watermelon “Sugar” written by Chris Crowthers, performed by Gabriela Martineau, and directed by Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons.

Bolivia written by Gabriela Martineau, performed by Jenna Struble, and directed by Amanda Sisk.

Fifty written by Jenna Struble, performed by Chris Crowthers, and directed by Amanda Sisk.

Donations

There is a $15 suggested tax-deductible donation in support of the series for tonight’s show. Pay what and only if you can – more is always welcome! Click here to donate.

Story Trivia

Pay careful attention because the show will end with a round of story trivia. Winners receive a $35 donation in their name to benefit Friends with Four Paws. Plus, a puppy named after you! 

Didn’t win a prize but want to donate to Friends with Four Paws? Visit their website friendswithfourpaws.org and follow them on social media @friendswithfourpaws

Thank you!!

Huge thanks to Noah Diamond, Amanda Sisk, and Timothy Lindner for all their work producing our third virtual show and for all their support as longtime alums and friends of No, YOU Tell It!

Shoutout to Jenn Wehrung for all her work volunteering with Friends with Four Paws and helping make tonight’s puppy prizes happen!

A Word from Kelly Jean

On a personal note, I’m excited to announce that this show also kicks off No, YOU Tell It’s 10-Year Anniversary Season. I created this series a decade ago and found purpose in helping people share in the stories that need to be told.

Switching stories to embody each other’s racial and cultural experiences in a live performance creates the kind of empathetic connections that are essential as we enter year three of this pandemic.

Want to support 10 more years? Here are 3 great ways:

  1. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter for updates.
  2. SHARE the No, YOU Tell It! Podcast far and wide. Available on our website and your fav podcasting platforms.
  3. DONATE through our fiscal sponsor The Field. Plus, it’s tax-deductible.

All my love,
Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons

 

Event Information

Jan 27 2022 @ 7:00PM

via Zoom!

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