Odyssey Storytelling Presents: Chemistry
Curated by Jen Nowicki Clark
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Doors at 6:30, show at 7
The YWCA, Francis McClelland Community Center, 529 N. Bonita Ave.
$8 Adults, $6 Students
Was it the right combination or was it really, really wrong? Why do our hearts skip a beat and our minds get rearranged sometimes? Experiments, explosive reactions, elemental bonds. Solids, liquids and gases. This is the stuff we are made of- and the clues to so many mysteries. So will this collection of true stories bring about the perfect recipe or the perfect storm? Come down to the lab and find out.
Storytellers include:
Jon Wirtis has had his hands in the food business for a long time. Currently he is the Executive Chef for the YWCA of Southern Arizona’s Corazon Café, building two café training programs, a social enterprise catering program and a kitchen incubator program to help launch and support low income people and families to start and grow their food business. He has also served as the Executive of The Old Pueblo Grille, Italia, and McMahon’s Prime Steakhouse, among many other kitchens throughout the country. While he was working at Shlomo & Vito’s New York Delicatessen in NYC, one of his accomplishments was making the World’s Largest Matzo Ball…486 lbs.
Ana Gaskin recently moved here from Baltimore, has lived in Iowa, raised in California and was born in Mexico. Ana has tons of stories to tell, and loves to talk, so be careful getting her started. She’s currently working on writing her stories, preferably into a book that you may even enjoy some day. Ana has read several of her stories out loud for events and has also performed monologues. By day she removes her cape and tiara and puts on her glasses so no one recognizes her. Then, she just pretends to be an HR expert.
Adam Hostetter is Quantum Mennonite. An avid food fermenter, Reiki practitioner and Tarot reader, he believes that with the energy of love and peace, we create change, and we heal, not just ourselves, but the entire universe. You can find info on Reiki, Tarot and his essays on his website QuantumMennonite.com.
John Barnes retired after working as a help line worker for seniors and disabled. He served 4 years in the Air Force; one of those being in Vietnam. He now does erotic male sculpture , works in the garden and around the house. He was the entertainer, telling jokes and singing, on the first “all gay” cruise down the Danube River. Ask his friends and they will tell you he has a thousand stories. Most of the stories are about his struggles with acceptance, spirituality, learning life lessons and being able to laugh at yourself. He has a Masters Degree in grief counseling .
Terry Gallegos has worked for the Tucson Police Department Crime Laboratory for over 28 years. She currently supervises the Alcohol Section and the Latent Print Unit. She has been working with blood and breath alcohol analysis since 1994. Terry has a Bachelor of Science degree from the U of A and a Master of Science degree from the University of Florida in Forensic Toxicology. She is President of the non-profit fundraising group, Quilt For a Cause, which sells donated, handmade quilts and gives away money for breast and gynecologic cancer screening, treatment and healthcare. She is an aspiring quilter, a runner, and is training for the 54 mile bicycle ride in the Tour de Tucson. She celebrates 30 years of marriage to her husband, Mark and they have 3 amusing cats.
Sharon Schneiderman is a Tucson native currently working as an assistant preschool teacher and babysitter. She is a senior at NAU and will be graduating in May with a BAS in early childhood education. Her goal is to work in hospitals as a child life specialist, helping children cope with illness and treatments. In her very little spare time, Sharon likes to play board games and RPGs. She was married to her wonderful husband, “Odyssey sound guy,” Miles, in June and adopted a very energetic dog, Wraith, in August.
Jen Nowicki Clark (Curator) is an educator, printmaker and mother. As director of the consulting firm, Creative Narrations, www.creativenarrations.net, she facilitates participatory multi-media digital storytelling trainings for groups locally and throughout the country. As a mom of two young kids, Odyssey nights are her one big night out each month, but that’s not the only reason that she loves Odyssey. She believes that there is no better tool than a story told from the heart to heal, inspire, teach and break down stereotypes.
