Erica Dischino
The theme for the New London Story Show on January 28th was “A New Thing” and truth be told, the whole experience felt like a new thing for me. If I’m doing my math correctly, this was the 6th or 7th show, and it took place at the New London Little Theatre. It felt brand new perhaps due to the biggest crowd we’ve had so far, and a few unique aspects of story-telling were included this time. Decha Larson’s smashing poetry, Jeff Vetsch with music, and Ed Huseby adding a splash of music with his poem as well. Then there were the amazing, heartfelt and honest tales strung and told by Erica Dischino, a Minnesota newbie, and other brave Story Show newcomers, Amy Berghorst and Pat Laib. Pat also brought something new by appearing in uniform to tell his great-grandfather’s Civil War story, a moving and powerful piece about the power of hope and kindness in the midst of devastation. Jessica Rohloff and Jim Molenaar both returned, but did something a little different than they had in the past.
All in all, the show received rave reviews by the audience, and once again, we cannot wait until next time! If you haven’t attended a Story Show yet, I beg you to give it a try. It’s hard to describe what it is, or to imagine what it might be, so showing up is the best way to learn why our community loves these shows so much.
Thank you to the story-tellers, the audience and my helpers, Jason and Elsie. Thank you to Andrea and Amanda and Ella for working the ticket counter. Thank you to Jeff and Anne, for the fun and creative musical entertainment. And heck, let’s all thank life, for the stories it brings about everything from nordic skis that empowered a little boy, and left turn lanes and decision making crossroads, to over-coming addiction and abuse and surviving grief. From learning to use your voice, to appreciating the daily grind and beautiful life-giving joys of hard work on the farm, to discovering that our ancestors left country and home on “Crying Day”, a day so full of loss and hope. And maybe, just maybe, some Scooby Doo antics can help vanquish the monsters that neighbors can sometimes be, leaving them to say, “If it wasn’t for those meddling kids, I would have gotten away with it too.”
(Maybe that made no sense if you weren’t there, but it’s a taste of each story, and how all the threads within our tales bind us.)
Erica Dischino, Ed Huseby, John Hanson, Jessica Rohloff, Decha Larson, Amy Berghorst, Pat Laib and Jim Molenaar
Please visit the Flyleaf Facebook Page or the New London Story Show Facebook page for more photos and details. Thank you.
