The President of the Florida Theatre, Numa Saisselin, said, “We all know the Florida Theatre is one of the great performance halls in the country, and a ‘must play’ stop for touring artists, but we are always looking for new opportunities to connect with our local community. We were inspired to create Untold Stories by Brian and Jake Wolfburg, who told us about a storytelling series in Anchorage, Alaska that they attended. Untold Stories is the Northeast Florida version. We envision four performances a year. Each edition will be themed, and will feature five or six Northeast Florida storytellers, plus a host and a local musical artist who will provide pre-show and in-between music.”
Says Saisselin, “We’re pleased to announce that Barbara Colaciello will be our Guest Artistic Director of the inaugural season. Each season we envision having a different Artistic Director to mix things up and bring a different perspective to the series.”
For over two decades, Barbara has written, directed, produced, and performed socially engaged theater that contributes to vital conversations in the Jacksonville community. She began her career as the Advertising Director of Andy Warhol's Interview Magazine in New York City, and for 9 years Barbara served as the Director of Education for Players by the Sea Theatre. She has collaborated extensively with poet, playwright and nationally known NPR Radio Host, Al Letson. A 2013 TEDxJacksonville Speaker, Colaciello received a 2018 PNC Arts Alive Grant in partnership with the Florida Theatre to direct Letson’s anti-bullying play, Chalk, for Title 1 schools. She was awarded a 2020 Art Ventures Individual Artist Grant from the Community Foundation for Northeast Florida to write a new solo piece Open Heart (ed) exploring women’s heart health and caregiving.
Barbara, known for story slams at her theatre space BABS’LAB located in the CoRK Arts District, says, “There will be nothing more powerful than being in the iconic Florida Theatre, with minds and hearts open, actively listening to some of our cities most wonderful storytellers. My goal is to create magical, intimate evenings where audience members feel like a fly on the wall or rather a lizard on the wall when we’re talking Northeast Florida.”
That’s a sly reference to the new logo for the series, which features an Anole Lizard. Says Numa Saisselin, “We were trying to find an image that was distinctly North Floridian, and what could be more evocative of North Florida than that? We haven’t given him, her or they a name yet, but I’m sure that’s coming.”
There will be four performances a year of Untold Stories. Each will be themed, and each of the four themes for the 2021-2022 series suggests place, water and movement. However, each theme can be interpreted in many different ways by the individual storytellers. The dates and themes for the next four editions are listed below.
The first season of Untold Stories is made possible by a generous contribution from the Wolfburg Family. The performers for the November 27 performance are: Willie Evans, Jr., Anna Jacobson, Zonnetta Marie, Johnathon Ross, Angela Tenbroeck & Kedgar Volta. Performer photos and bios are live on the Untold Stories: Ebbs and Flows event page at FloridaTheatre.com now.
The historic, nonprofit Florida Theatre is sponsored by Community First Credit Union. For a complete list of upcoming events or to buy tickets visit the Theatre’s official website, floridatheatre.com.
“Untold Stories”
DATES: 2021 – 2022
Sat., Nov. 27, 2021 at 8 p.m. – Ebbs and Flows
Sat., Feb. 12, 2022 at 8 p.m. – Out of the Swamp
Fri., May 6, 2022 at 8 p.m. – There and Back Again
Sat., Aug. 6, 2022 at 8 p.m. – Fish Out of Water
TIMES: 8 p.m.
TICKETS: Tickets are $35 and $25 and available in person from the theatre’s box office, by phone from the box office at (904) 355 - ARTS (2787), or online at FloridaTheatre.com. Purchase Tickets to all four shows and receive a 10% discount
LOCATION: The Florida Theatre
128 East Forsyth Street.
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 355 - ARTS (2787)
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