“Tales of Our Lives” Story Slammers Perform in Sold-Out Shows

(Back row, from left) Markie Bscherer, Lisa Severson and Laura Murray, all Women’s Fund committee members; Jennifer Aldrich and Jeanne Kuhns, both story slammers. (Front row, from left) Nikki Hedeen, Women’s Fund committee member; Symone Sandoval, story slammer; Mel Ripp, story slammer and Women’s Fund committee member; and Jeannie Hoffman, story slammer. Photo courtesy of Heidi Hodges Photography.

In April, the Women’s Fund of Door County hosted two sold-out performances of this year’s Tales of Our Lives: A Story Slam.

During each performance at the Door County Fire Company in Sturgeon Bay, 100 guests listened to the tales of five storytellers. The first night featured Mel Ripp, Jeannie Hoffman, Symone Sandoval, Jeanne Kuhns and Jennifer Aldrich. The second night’s slammers were Jess Holland, Milly Gonzales, Scout Feldman, Allison Le and Nikki Hedeen. Jeanne Kuhns also provided a musical interlude.

“Stories are what connect us to one another; it’s how we relate to each other; it’s how we know we are not alone in our experience,” said Mel Ripp, a Tales of Our Lives committee member and story slammer.

Using honesty, wit, strength and grace, the storytellers recounted tales about finding love in unexpected places, mustering resilience during challenging times, finding their voices, making unexpected friends and more.Tales of Our Lives began nine years ago and was inspired by the New York City–based The Moth, a nonprofit organization that hosts live StorySLAM events and produces a storytelling podcast.