Program
May 7, 2022
May 7, 2022
And the silence that terrified me? It was the sound of others listening.
It was the sound of human connection. The audience was right there with me, suspended
and bound in the shared experience of storytelling.
You don’t need to be a writer to be a storyteller.
Your story is enough.
—Padma Lakshmi, Moth Storyteller
It was the sound of human connection. The audience was right there with me, suspended
and bound in the shared experience of storytelling.
You don’t need to be a writer to be a storyteller.
Your story is enough.
—Padma Lakshmi, Moth Storyteller
ACT ONE
How to Waterproof a Mic
Bobbie Jeffrey
Two Weeks on Mars
Wayne KaufmanSchmidt
The Night of the Grizzly
Mark Matthews
understudied by Melissa Matthews
The Most Terrible Dog I Loved with All My Heart
Meredith Ramos
Influencer
Anne McDonald
Story of a Coach
Eugene Pogorelov
Intermission—15 to 20 minutes
ACT TWO
Tolkien, God, and Mexico
Brent Heid
Hold Pressure
Meredith Ramos
Love Is Not a Coincidence
Jesse Riggs
Words and Tears
Jon Bowles
The Night I Danced with the Princess
Bruce Jeffrey
Proceeds from tonight’s event will go to Perception Funding’s Ukraine initiative.
To learn more: www.perceptionfunding.org and click on “support our efforts in Ukraine.”
To learn more: www.perceptionfunding.org and click on “support our efforts in Ukraine.”
Storyteller Bios
Jon Bowles
Jon is the founding pastor of Beggars Table, a church in the Kansas City Crossroads District which, among other things, runs and operates an art gallery. He has written for multiple journals and in 2010 published his first book, Art & Faith.
He is married to his wife, Kari, and for the first time in years, both of their children, Palmer and Elli, are away at school. Jon and Kari have the TV to themselves!
Brent Heid
Probably the only farmer in the room, Brent comes from a generational line of yarn-spinners, story-swappers, and tale-weavers. He believes the best stories and characters in stories are real—because real life is interesting and strange enough on its own.
Bobbie Jeffrey
Certifiably insane, Bobbie has started three theatre companies—one for home educated students, one designing and chairing a college theatre program, and one for everyone! She’s a bit disturbed that her husband is telling stories about other women.
Bruce Jeffrey
Bruce graduated from the Air Force Academy, has flown B-52's, and taught college English. He has worked as a manager, trainer, and consultant. He’s also known as “The Husband of the Director.” He has three sons, three daughters-in-law, and three strong and courageous granddaughters. And he’s sorry for telling stories about other women.
Wayne KaufmanSchmidt
Wayne cheated death five times during his early years growing up in Wisconsin. In 1994 he moved to Kansas City, and while he misses the Great Lakes and hates allergy season, he has never looked back. Wayne is a designer, a builder, an artist, and a geek.
Mark Matthews
Mark is a retired anesthesiologist who loves telling stories of his many adventures. Now that he’s not working, he uses his stories instead of drugs to put people to sleep.
Melissa Matthews
Melissa is also a retired doctor. She has many stories about her patients that she cannot tell and many stories about her kids that she is forbidden to tell. Stories about her own adventures, however, and stories about her husband are still in play.
Anne McDonald
Her dad and her Uncle Paul were Anne’s family storytellers. From thumping watermelons while racing to exit the farmer's field to the Battle of the Bulge, every shared meal brought its own entertainment. May she be fit to carry on.
Eugene Pogorelov
Born and raised in Moldova, Eugene began his spiritual journey through the influence of a basketball coach. As a result, he now works for a ministry centered on fulfilling the Great Commission in the countries of Ukraine and Moldova and serves as the Director of Basketball Operations at the Admirals Basketball Academy in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Chișinău, Moldova.
Jesse Riggs
Jesse sometimes suspects himself of having the virtue of truthfulness. All his best thoughts were stolen by the ancients. Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. Three kids, one wife. Pursuing a knighthood.
Meredith Ramos
Meredith is a Kansas City native. Though a nurse practitioner by trade, she spends most days wrangling her three young sons, her dog, and her wife. She loves books, nature, books about nature, and laughing. Those who know her well say it's not difficult to get her to cry, or to sing. She was born in the Orwellian year of 1984–don’t mess with her.
Jon is the founding pastor of Beggars Table, a church in the Kansas City Crossroads District which, among other things, runs and operates an art gallery. He has written for multiple journals and in 2010 published his first book, Art & Faith.
He is married to his wife, Kari, and for the first time in years, both of their children, Palmer and Elli, are away at school. Jon and Kari have the TV to themselves!
Brent Heid
Probably the only farmer in the room, Brent comes from a generational line of yarn-spinners, story-swappers, and tale-weavers. He believes the best stories and characters in stories are real—because real life is interesting and strange enough on its own.
Bobbie Jeffrey
Certifiably insane, Bobbie has started three theatre companies—one for home educated students, one designing and chairing a college theatre program, and one for everyone! She’s a bit disturbed that her husband is telling stories about other women.
Bruce Jeffrey
Bruce graduated from the Air Force Academy, has flown B-52's, and taught college English. He has worked as a manager, trainer, and consultant. He’s also known as “The Husband of the Director.” He has three sons, three daughters-in-law, and three strong and courageous granddaughters. And he’s sorry for telling stories about other women.
Wayne KaufmanSchmidt
Wayne cheated death five times during his early years growing up in Wisconsin. In 1994 he moved to Kansas City, and while he misses the Great Lakes and hates allergy season, he has never looked back. Wayne is a designer, a builder, an artist, and a geek.
Mark Matthews
Mark is a retired anesthesiologist who loves telling stories of his many adventures. Now that he’s not working, he uses his stories instead of drugs to put people to sleep.
Melissa Matthews
Melissa is also a retired doctor. She has many stories about her patients that she cannot tell and many stories about her kids that she is forbidden to tell. Stories about her own adventures, however, and stories about her husband are still in play.
Anne McDonald
Her dad and her Uncle Paul were Anne’s family storytellers. From thumping watermelons while racing to exit the farmer's field to the Battle of the Bulge, every shared meal brought its own entertainment. May she be fit to carry on.
Eugene Pogorelov
Born and raised in Moldova, Eugene began his spiritual journey through the influence of a basketball coach. As a result, he now works for a ministry centered on fulfilling the Great Commission in the countries of Ukraine and Moldova and serves as the Director of Basketball Operations at the Admirals Basketball Academy in Kyiv, Ukraine, and Chișinău, Moldova.
Jesse Riggs
Jesse sometimes suspects himself of having the virtue of truthfulness. All his best thoughts were stolen by the ancients. Do not say, “Why is it that the former days were better than these?” For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this. Three kids, one wife. Pursuing a knighthood.
Meredith Ramos
Meredith is a Kansas City native. Though a nurse practitioner by trade, she spends most days wrangling her three young sons, her dog, and her wife. She loves books, nature, books about nature, and laughing. Those who know her well say it's not difficult to get her to cry, or to sing. She was born in the Orwellian year of 1984–don’t mess with her.
Special thanks from the folks at Imago
To Kelli Sallman—workshop instructor, Grammar Queen (sung to the tune of Abba’s Dancing Queen), wise counselor, word crafter extraordinaire, and friend.
To Jon Bowles—emcee, master storyteller, purveyor of deep thoughts, the spark for SpokenStorySlamKC, and partner-in-crime. Human connection? It’s your jam. Just sayin’.
To Jonathan Jones, videographer and most active fundraising board member ever—do you ever regret signing on for this gig? Not the SpokenStory gig. The Imago gig. Wait. Don’t answer that question.
To Maria Jones, Karen Krahn, and Rachel Sallman, our concessionaires—is plying our audience with IPA beer and wine working? Are they laughing? Is emotion running high? You are all the very best.
To Josh Evers, sound technician—thank you for your professionalism, Josh. After all, we’re certain you know how to waterproof a mic.
To Kari Bowles, Tara Brungardt, and Jessie Fahy who rank among the greatest of all set up and tear down crews and are so generous with their time.
To Callie Johnson for her graphics. Callie can tell a story with just a visual suggestion!
To the good folks at Beggars Table who shared their space generously and with sweet hospitality.
To Jon Bowles—emcee, master storyteller, purveyor of deep thoughts, the spark for SpokenStorySlamKC, and partner-in-crime. Human connection? It’s your jam. Just sayin’.
To Jonathan Jones, videographer and most active fundraising board member ever—do you ever regret signing on for this gig? Not the SpokenStory gig. The Imago gig. Wait. Don’t answer that question.
To Maria Jones, Karen Krahn, and Rachel Sallman, our concessionaires—is plying our audience with IPA beer and wine working? Are they laughing? Is emotion running high? You are all the very best.
To Josh Evers, sound technician—thank you for your professionalism, Josh. After all, we’re certain you know how to waterproof a mic.
To Kari Bowles, Tara Brungardt, and Jessie Fahy who rank among the greatest of all set up and tear down crews and are so generous with their time.
To Callie Johnson for her graphics. Callie can tell a story with just a visual suggestion!
To the good folks at Beggars Table who shared their space generously and with sweet hospitality.
