It's never really just about food, is it?
Four stories about appetite, identity, and belonging
Hello True Story Fans!
Imagine yourself in a crowd of people all laughing at the same moment. Then the room falls silent, sharing a lightning bolt of clarity or an emotional detail you all seem to understand instinctively, even if it’s a situation that hasn’t happened to you personally. This is a magical thing you’ve just experienced, and I’m telling you: it happens at every single Nutshell show.
We’re officially rolling into the heart of the storytelling season, and March is shaping up to be a really fun one. Our next In a Nutshell show is coming up on March 27, and this month’s theme is:
All You Can Eat
Featuring:
Anne Rutherford · Beau Ryder Davis · Steph Rodriguez · Keith Staten
Hosted by the ever-lovely Keith Lowell Jensen (HI KEITH!)
This lineup is a great mix of beloved audience favorites and exciting new voices, and the stories range from hilarious to reflective to surprising. The storytellers are taking us on a journey of all things food, whether it be the simple delight of finding the perfect dumpling (or is that just me?) or the complex ways food can inform our conception of ourselves and each other.
In fact, our connection to food is quite similar to storytelling, isn’t it? There’s nothing like getting to know someone through the kinds of cuisine they choose to share with you; the same goes for stories.
Food is where a lot of our stories come alive: stories about comfort, shame, belonging, family rules, pleasure, identity, and memory can all be embodied through food. And the storytellers this month bring four very different relationships to the ways food weaves itself into our lives.
If you want a preview (and a closer look at the tellers), you can read the invitation post here:
👉 Read about the March 27 show
Ticket sales have been climbing steadily this year, so if you're thinking about coming, advance purchase is the way to go. And yes, tickets are a little cheaper in advance than at the door.
WILDCARD! March 19
WILDCARD! is our slightly feral storytelling sibling. Same heart as Nutshell, but with a little more chaos and surprise.
We’re still working on locking down a venue (the glamorous behind-the-scenes life of producing art!), but the show will happen.
Tickets are already available, and if, for some reason, we can’t make the venue piece fall into place, we’ll refund everyone immediately. Buying tickets helps show potential venues that people are interested in shows like WILDCARD!
If you’ve been thinking about telling a story of your own, get yer buns over here and put your name in the NOT HAT. This is the place for you!
The Nutshell True Story Hour
Our podcast keeps rolling along! The latest episode features Kimberlli Joy, telling a powerful story about confronting racism and realizing there’s nothing wrong with claiming one’s anger.
If you haven’t listened yet, it’s a good one.
🎧 Listen to the Kimberlli Joy episode
Next up:
March 18 Joe Hunter
Joe is a contestant on Survivor 48 and 50 (currently airing!), and he shared an incredible story at Nutshell about how Survivor forced him to accept the “shadow side” in all of us. It turns out the game really rattled Joe’s concepts of honesty, loyalty, and even how he defined himself, and it’s interesting to listen to his story and watch how this shake-up is still playing out, both on the show right now and possibly in his personal life.
You’ll want to hear this one, too!
Nutshell Friends Doing Cool Things
We love seeing storytellers from our community out in the world doing brave, beautiful things.
• John Aubert, one of our favorite story ambassadors, will be competing in the Moth GrandSLAM on March 14. Go John!
• One of our upcoming April storytellers, Jessica Robinson, is also the creator of the only national Women’s Storytelling Festival happening March 19-22, and you can attend virtually if you’d like to support. Our recent storyteller, Meghna Bhat, will be telling a story, as will the illustrious Regina Stoops.
• Why not get ready now for the Bay Area Storytelling Festival? On Sunday, April 26th, they’ll gather to celebrate the vibrant art of storytelling with nationally acclaimed featured tellers like Andy Offutt Irwin, Motoko, and Jasmin Cardenas. It’s a day of award-winning storytelling that brings the ancient art to life for modern audiences.
Storytelling communities grow because people show up for each other, and we love watching that happen.
A small Amy update
Some of you already know this, but I’ll be leaving in early April to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
All things Nutshell will continue while I’m gone; Keith and Aaron will be taking care of the show, and I have full confidence they will keep things running beautifully.
But if you see them after the show or even around town, maybe check in and make sure they’ve had water and snacks? Just saying.
If you’re curious about the walking, thinking, blisters, and general existential wanderings that may occur along the way, I’ll be writing about the journey over on my personal Substack (and I can use all the encouragement you care to give me!):
👉 This Might Go Terribly | Amy Bee
For now, though, we’ve got one more big night together before I head off across Spain.
And I really hope you’ll be there, humans, you know I do. 💜
Thanks, as always, for being part of this strange, wonderful little storytelling world we’re building together.
We cannot wait to see you in real life.
xoxo, Amy Bee (and the very capable Keith & Aaron)
If you enjoy what we’re building here, one of the most helpful ways to support it is by becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps us pay storytellers, pay ourselves, keep live shows going, and continue producing the Nutshell True Story Hour podcast for everyone to enjoy. No pressure, but it truly does make a difference.
And as always: showing up, listening, and bringing friends is already real support💜
Our Ride or Dies:
“What if an umbrella could double as a STOP sign?” That question became a movement to help pedestrians stand out, feel seen, and cross with confidence. The STOP Umbrella is more than just an umbrella; it’s a collapsible STOP sign designed for real life. Curious to find out more? Go to STOP Umbrella and check it out! And thanks for being our Ride or Die!
Looking for things to do in Sacramento?
Sacramento365 is your year-round resource for arts and entertainment in Sacramento County. From festivals and music to theatre and holiday events, you’ll always find something new to do in Sacramento. Visit Sacramento 365 to learn more. And thanks for being our Ride or Die!
Join the best storytelling ambassador we know, John Aubert, at LogOff Brewing for Capital Storytelling’s monthly in-person true storytelling open mic event, Do Tell! At this gathering, you’ll hear true personal stories told by regular folks just like you. In fact, he invites YOU, and anyone else who is interested, to put their name in his AWESOME GIANT HAT for a chance to tell a story.
(You’re receiving this email because you either signed up for it or interacted somehow with Keith, Amy, or Aaron in the past. We’re so glad you’re here!)