I will forever miss my mother, Elaine Beth Levine. May softness embolden me. When I’m with beloved family and friends, I feel so fortunate. As a native Northeasterner, I have equally come to appreciate the arts, culture, nature, and flavors unique to the Pacific Northwest. Why is it that I forget how lucky I am sometimes?URBAN TELLERS November 2, 2…

Kathy Gillis lives in Portland, OR. She enjoys golf and playing board games with friends. Kathy is a regular listener to NPR (even during pledge drives), and loves consuming podcasts hosted by smart and compassionate people. As a primary goal in life Kathy strives to be the best possible version of herself. Kathy is telling the story of how two sim…

Using public storytelling for the first time to find and share her voice, this is a tale of duality and the cycle of life. It’s the story of creating meaning out of chaos and finding the courage to connect and build deep relationships.URBAN TELLERS November 2, 2019BE HERE NOWSally Berg live at Nordia House in Portland, ORPortland Story Theater, hos…

A trip to Brazil leads to the question 'where is home?' Debz is a Pacific Northwest writer and storyteller.URBAN TELLERS November 2, 2019BE HERE NOWDebz Briske live at Nordia House in Portland, ORPortland Story Theater, hosted by Lawrence Howard and Lynne Duddypdxstorytheater.orgAv PDXstorytheater

How does a former university professor handle living alone in a hunting cabin? Roland spent three years in that cabin in Marlboro, Vermont, 45 years ago. He now lives in Portland, plays tennis, writing a book and does public speaking.URBAN TELLERS November 2, 2019BE HERE NOWRoland Jarka live at Nordia House in Portland, ORPortland Story Theater, ho…

It's a way of learning, it's a way of living, it's a way of drowning. Tonight, Warren would like to thank Gigi, the lady down the street who allowed him and all the other neighborhood kids to swim in her backyard pool. Marco....Polo!URBAN TELLERS June 7, 2019SO IT GOESWarren McPherson live at The Old Church Concert Hall in Portland, ORPortland Stor…

Oh that nagging feeling of not being enough can drive you mad until you simply let go and be...Lynne is curious about all branches of human learning. She has an inexhaustible amount of creative energy that she channels into evangelizing about story and the importance it plays in our lives. A true urbanite and Portland native, Lynne co-founded Portl…

Uncle Rick was a very special person who changed Penny’s life for the better. She feels like the support and love of her family growing up made her the person she is today.Penny is a professional puppeteer and has been since 2002. Visit her on the web at www.Pennypuppets.comURBAN TELLERS June 7, 2019SO IT GOESPenny Walter live at The Old Church Con…

Sometimes, it is a single event that forever changes your life. This will be Lynn’s last story with Portland Story Theater. She is leaving Portland and heading to parts unknown. Being a part of Urban Tellers and sharing a dozen stories with all of you, has been the best time ever. But, her gypsy soul beckons and new adventures await. So...goodbye, …

A gentleman of a certain age wonders about the unknown and unknowable future as he enters the third act of his three- act play.Lawrence Howard has been a hippie woodworker, a legal researcher, an Armchair Adventurer, a lover of limericks, and the self-proclaimed but undisputed barbecue king of Nassau County, NY. He is also a co-founder of Portland …

Is karma immutable? Can we change our perspective, our outlook on life and the meaning of past experiences? Frank explores the possibility of a life that isn't "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short," but rather rich and kind, forgiving and full of promise. Frank's careers run the gamut from construction site go-fer to professor of English, from…

This is the story of growing up in a beautiful and isolated place in the country, and a series of childhood encounters that obstructed that beauty for many years. But new experiences of love and connection helped me find my way back home. A psychologist in private practice, Amanda spends much of her free time hanging out with her cute husband and d…

Niani has called Oregon home for more than half her life. She enjoys putzing around her garden, biking around town, and hiking with anyone who is willing to pick up and go. If, heaven forbid, anything should happen to her, Niani hopes this story stands as proof of kinship to those she considers her family.URBAN TELLERS May 3, 2019ALL THESE MOMENTS …

Oksana grew up in Russia and moved to Portland with her husband and three children in 2016. It was a big change in every aspect of their lives. In Russia she was a lawyer. Here, in America, she started her career again. She joined Russian Oregon Social Services as a Sexual Assault Advocate in 2017 and was promoted to the Program Manager position wi…

Matt's bi-coastal, mono-cultural journey to Portland was a meandering path, which led to a personal reckoning concerning his place in the world, and ultimately his past, present, and future self. He is a New York native, whose happy accident of landing in Portland has opened his horizon to a world of possibilities in life, work, and personal growth…

Duncan shares a story of love, pain, and discovery that helped him to find the life he was meant to lead. Duncan is a poet, educational consultant, faculty in the Portland State College of Education. He is also a longtime member of ECKANKAR, Path of Spiritual Freedom. URBAN TELLERS May 3, 2019ALL THESE MOMENTS HAVE LED ME HEREDuncan Wyndham live at…

Bill has been living in two countries for the last 40 years. He says, “It’s like having one foot on the dock and the other on the boat.” As he approaches retirement and prepares for this next stage of life, he has chosen to embrace his ‘inner artist.’ Tonight marks his debut as an Urban Teller with Portland Story Theater. From an early age, Bill be…

This personal story of a Russian immigrant is about how hard work and persistence can bring personal and professional success. Oksana Davletshina came to America with her husband and 3 children in November 2016 seeking asylum. It was a big change in every aspect of their life. In Russia she was a Juris Doctorate (JD) in Law, her husband was a judge…

This is a story of a little girl who becomes the grand hero by saving the day. Luzi Moreno Gilson was brought to the US at age 16. She has lived in Oregon since then traveling the world at any chance she gets, usually in the summer. She teaches 2nd grade Spanish immersion at PPS.URBAN TELLERS April 5, 2019IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE SHOWLuzi Moreno Gilso…

Katerina Perfilova is a web-developer from Russia, who moved to America only three years ago. She tells the story of one of her unusual projects that occurred 10 years ago in Moscow. This story involves Russian gangsters, precious treasure, difficult tasks, and human values… and a happy ending. ***All names and locations are fake. If you recognize …

Due to the unfortunate events at the Notre Dame Cathedral today we felt a replay of this story from two years ago was appropriate.To be fifteen, in Paris, with the man you love: what could be better? Or worse? Leigh Hancock’s wanderlust began on a high school trip to Europe. It carried her from her humble roots in Hueytown, Alabama around the world…

Alejandro Vilches’ story is about what it takes to make connections and wake up to the world around us. He was born in Bryan, Texas, but grew up in Honduras where his family is from. At the age of 28 Alejandro decided to come to the US for graduate school, seeking a new academic and professional challenge. However, he found a completely different c…

Born and raised in Siracusa, Sicily, Angela Zagarella has been calling Oregon home since 1988. She has been teaching Italian for 26 years which has lessened the longing and separation from her beloved island. Not a technological wizard, she only recently discovered she knew more about computers than she thought. She is an avid tea connoisseur; make…

Penny has been a professional puppeteer and the owner of Penny's Puppet Productions since 2002. She truly believes in the power of puppets. In her precious downtime Penny loves to take long walks with her dog Tater, drink coffee, and bake things.Visit her website: www.PennyPuppets.comURBAN TELLERS March 1, 2019SHIFTING PERSPECTIVEPenny Walter live …

Karen tells about breaking free of destructive paradigms, getting in touch with her inner truth and learning to let her light shine in the world. As a public speaker, writer and hospitality mystic, Karen works to spread light and love in the world.Visit her website: www.thefireflylife.comURBAN TELLERS March 1, 2019SHIFTING PERSPECTIVEKaren Lasher l…

Once upon a time in college, Victor heard a quote that stayed in his mind. Years later, he now understands the truth of that quote. Because Victor hails from Venezuela and has lived in the USA for only 4 years, he brings a unique perspective to life’s experiences.URBAN TELLERS March 1, 2019SHIFTING PERSPECTIVEVictor Bencomo live at The Old Church C…

Steve is a transplant from Southern California, but don’t hold that against him. After Steve was kicked out of the world’s largest canoe club, also known as the US Navy, he came to Portland to meet a girl but she never picked him up at the airport. Steve has a very colorful past that he has no problem sharing with his audiences. He can make people …

Chalice recently experienced what it’s like to bathe across cultures and had a coming to terms moment in the heat of it all. Here in Portland you can find her supporting women through the transition of pregnancy and childbirth into parenthood as a doula, or escaping the mundane and romping through a field of wildflowers with her pup.Visit her websi…

The decision to become an exchange student at age 16 continues to have ripple effects to this day. Katie Skurja runs a private practice as a spiritual director/counselor with Imago Dei Ministries, which is dedicated to helping people in the journey toward healing and integration.Visit her website: idmin.orgURBAN TELLERS March 1, 2019SHIFTING PERSPE…

Katie has spent a career in in the world of social services. Her work as a clinician, a consultant, and a frequent trainer and speaker on the topic of creating more trauma-responsive systems focused on improving the lives of children, youth, and families -- and the art of'getting comfortable with being uncomfortable' while in the processof that gro…

There is no illusion more potent than planning for a future that can’t exist. Tracking her subconscious through a country still uncharted, Joan-Carrol Baron maps the mysteries of life through acting, writing, and sculpting in The Land of Good Enough. This is her second story with Portland Story Theater.KISS AND TELL February 8, 2018Joan-Carrol Baro…

This story is about a fifteen year old tasting love for the first time but the sweetness of that first love being abruptly cut short by distance and other life circumstances, and the many years she spent longing for that sweet tasting love -- or was it the lover? Zahra Abukar has been a Portlander for over 10 years, a transplant from Mogadishu, Som…

Ruiyuan has lived in Portland for 4 years and she met her first boyfriend here one and half years ago. A lot of things have happened in those 18 months, and have given her cause for reflection. This is her story about taking a big risk and maybe getting a big reward. Ruiyuan is a teacher in Portland. She is originally from China. She has lived in I…

As a young girl growing up in Caracas, Venezuela, Eva fantasized about her own Hollywood-style love story. Coming to the USA to study seemed like the perfect opportunity for it to become a reality. But what did fate have in store for her? Are happy endings ever more than a fantasy? This is her story.KISS AND TELL February 8, 2019Eva Rotter-Johnson …

Frank’s story explores a journey from grief to gratitude and, incidentally, the possibility of supernatural or extraordinary modes of communication. The greater marvel is how or why, not what.URBAN TELLERS December 7, 2018UNEXPECTED!Frank Engel live at The Old Church Concert Hall in Portland, ORPortland Story Theater, hosted by Lawrence Howard and …

Kathi relates a narrative of fear from a childhood experience into discovering the way forward toward a life of freedom. Professionally, she walks alongside others in their relationship with God as a spiritual director through Boldly Loved and the Companioning Center and as an adjunct professor at George Fox University.Check out her websites: boldl…

It doesn't always look like you think it will. You can't always put it on your resume. Sometimes lessons take decades to land. Joanna's got a story about that.URBAN TELLERS December 7, 2018UNEXPECTED!Joanna Agee live at The Old Church Concert Hall in Portland, ORPortland Story Theater, hosted by Lawrence Howard and Lynne Duddypdxstorytheater.orgMAY…

After years of telling funny stories at parties, Rob is proud to remember a personal hero on a critical 40th anniversary.URBAN TELLERS December 7, 2018UNEXPECTED!Rob Kass live at The Old Church Concert Hall in Portland, ORPortland Story Theater, hosted by Lawrence Howard and Lynne Duddypdxstorytheater.orgMAY THE NARRATIVE BE WITH YOU®…

Angela Hahn is a physician in Portland, Oregon.Rats helped her get there.URBAN TELLERS December 7, 2018UNEXPECTED!Angela Hahn live at The Old Church Concert Hall in Portland, ORPortland Story Theater, hosted by Lawrence Howard and Lynne Duddypdxstorytheater.orgMAY THE NARRATIVE BE WITH YOU®Av PDXstorytheater

Born and raised in Nigeria, Onyeka's idea of home,once strong and concrete, slowly becameuntethered and nebulous after years of living inAmerica. She shares her struggles with belonging,identity and the journey of redefining her home.Onyeka helps other immigrants, world travelers andlovers of culture create and define their home (Gidanin the Hausa …

Throughout her childhood Wafa Almaktari has always been a defender and always stepped out of her comfort zone to stand for what is right. Now she is a warrior and always makes sure that her voice advocates for the voiceless. She is a senior at Portland state university and will soon graduate with a double major in Human Resources and Management & L…

Four years ago, a bright young fellow was forced out of his comfort zone. Spoiled by his mother, maid, family and friends, he lived in a bubble before he started on his journey as an immigrant in the US. Well, things changed and with little knowledge about life, Victor has had to face many challenges to survive. So far, so good.URBAN TELLERS Novemb…

It’s been said that it’s not enough to be in the right place at the right time. You have to be the right person in the right place at the right time and that describes Ivan Hernandez. Ivan, a DACA recipient, has a story that literally defies logic about a decision that changed his perception of the world around him. Ivan and his family were reunite…

Born and raised in Iraq, Israa’s life journey is to explore, discover, and repeat. Looking for self-recognition, love and identity, she spent the last half of her life discovering herself and her passions. She works as a mental health provider for immigrants and refugees who are torture and war survivors.URBAN TELLERS November 2, 2018IMMIGRANT AND …

Sankar Raman, a Northwest Digital Art Photographer, is originally from India, but spent the majority of his adult life in the U.S. He is the founder and board president of The Immigrant Story which captures the stories of immigrants in short, accessible, visual and written formats. It is the perfect antidote to the divisive rhetoric that continues …

Ever since his college graduation in 2014, Kyle has been working hard to take it easy. The idea of grad school debt or joining the corporate world filled him with dread, so he opted for exploring. His explorations led him to four different continents and an array of experiences that the “Old Kyle” never could have imagined. In this story, he delves…

Lynn’s story is about how she once overcame the challenges of being a lifelong introvert, by assuming an alter ego "Candice the Aluminum Can.”Lynn has had a life filled with adventure, despitethe handicap of being a development director for most of her career. Now entering retirement, she is exploring different options to bring more fun, creativity…

In July 2017, Leah gave up a comfortable, predictable life in rural New Hampshire to travel the country and find a new home. Along the way she surprised herself by re-discovering her long-buried sense of fun, adventure, and sexuality. She has now settled in Portland and spends her days and nights talking andwriting about sex and sexuality, and now …

From an early age, the consequences of Steve’s behavior had little effect on him, which led him down some crazy pathways in life. Today, he is married to his business partner and beautiful wife, Anna. They live in SE Portland with their new Bernadoodle puppy, Bella. Find out more about Steve’s work at teameggerts.com/URBAN TELLERS October 5, 2018TU…

As a playwright, lyricist, and speechwriter, Sharon is used to telling stories on paper; making the leap from page to stage here has her a bit shaken, but not stirred. Her story tonight is about how mosquitoes, malaria and mambo turned her life into a ball - figuratively and literally.URBAN TELLERS October 5, 2018TUNE INTO YOUR TRUE NATURESharon Ga…