Testimonials
Kevin Allison – NYTI “College Try” at Symphony Space
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
Michele Carlo – NYTI “What I Know” at Culture Lab LIC
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This is different, this is curated. You pick the people who are going to be in it, and you workshop the stories for a couple of weeks with the group. Then you read each other’s stories, which I thought was really cool.
Michele Carlo
H.E. Fisher – NYTI “aMuse” at The Astoria Bookshop
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I was delighted to participate in No, YOU Tell It! “aMuse” for the Brooklyn Book Festival’s Bookend Event. I loved the process of NYTI: from the welcoming—and hilarious—round-table editing sessions, to rehearsing with Kelly Jean Fitzsimmons, to the standing-room-only performance itself.
The NYTI team are fantastically organized and focused, and provide an encouraging and spirited space for the writer-performers to create and grow. I look forward to attending future events!
H.E. Fisher
Calvin S. Cato – NYTI “Coming & Going” via Zoom
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I’ve done many storytelling shows, but I’ve never had an experience quite like this! It was so great to not only get to workshop a story, but to also have a chance to hear my story coming out of someone else’s mouth. Not to mention how great it was to tell another person’s story and feel so connected with the author. In addition, I really appreciated the directing aspects, which helped me better inhabit the story. I’d highly recommend both attending the show and participating in it!
I found it to be a powerful experience. And especially during this pandemic time, I valued the chance to both be creative and connect with other artists to create a really moving show.
