Serving The Sentence At Fillet Of Solo

I am excited that later today I will perform in Serving The Sentence at Fillet Of Solo. Serving The Sentence is a monthly live lit event where performers are given one sentence with which they must begin their stories. The stories can be funny, dramatic, fiction, nonfiction, read, memorized. Fillet Of Solo is a long running festival celebrating storytellers. This is the first time I have been selected to participate. I am thrilled that so many of my friends are performing throughout the three week event.

The word is that today's event is sold out, however some limited standing room only tickets remain. Serving The Sentence begins at 5:30p at Heartland Studio 7016 N. Glenwood in Chicago. For more information or to reserve some tickets at the last minute, please visit:

Fillet Of Solo

Kimberly's The Selfless Mile

In 2010, I ran my first ever marathon. The Chicago Marathon. Not knowing what to expect and not having proper training, I gutted out 26.2 miles in five and a half hours. I ran the final twenty-two miles with a severely sprained ankle. In 2011, I registered for Chicago again. Surely, I could run faster. It had special significance as I dedicated my race to dear friend, Michelle. I met her while in college. At such a young age, she lost her life to cancer. Through the power of Twitter, several women who worked for Imerman Angels One-On-One Cancer Support introduced themselves and encouraged me to run on Team Imerman. As a result of being a runner and fundraiser for IA, I had access to training with NJOY Racing. Owner, pro Ironman triathlete, Kimberly Shah, welcomed me with open arms. After only twenty minutes of knowing me, she offered to guide me for the marathon.

This is Kimberly's story of that experience. Thank you, Kimberly!

The Selfless Mile

Laura Sturm Movement

After writing several short films and a full length screenplay, I felt it was best to register for acting classes. I researched various schools reading about courses, instructors, and techniques. I researched experiences and biographies of instructors, administrators, and board of directors. Eventually, I came across Laura Sturm. Almost instantly, I knew I had to meet her. I made an appointment to meet with the school’s Artistic Director. A few days later, I attended a party where one of the co-CEOs of the acting school introduced himself to me. After we spoke for a bit, he suggested I meet with Laura Sturm. He felt Laura and I would connect. Sure enough, within minutes of meeting her, I knew I needed to study with her. She felt similarly.

I struggled mightily. Laura could not get through to me. Years later, I learned she contacted mentors, teachers, and colleagues for guidance in how to best help me. All agreed that Laura had to realize there was a reason blind people did not study the Sanford Meisner Technique nor Lloyd Williamson Movement. There was not a way to accommodate the requirements to fit a blind person. Laura insisted on creating a way. Eventually, she realized that life caused me to build walls to protect myself from pain, injury, and heartbreak. To successfully connect with me, she would have to remove my wall one brick at a time. We were in this together and we would succeed together. one week, I would take one giant leap forward. The next week, I would regress. I was frustrated and angry. If she was, she never displayed it. Laura was always positive. She encouraged me placing her arm around me knowing I was emotionally fragile. She believed that one day it would fall into place and I would make my much anticipated break-through. It took much longer than I expected, but Laura did it! She broke down my walls, reached inside of me, and pulled out the artist. Artistic Director, Ted Hoerl noticed that Laura’s efforts took me from nothing and going nowhere fast to placing me on the edge of being an artist. Ted said, “Laura brought you to the edge. Now it’s up to you to believe in yourself and leap!”

I always feel so touched when Laura Sturm attends a performance of any show I do. I continue to be grateful for all her effort and belief. To this day, I live to make her proud each time I am on stage. To learn about the type of work Laura did with me, I point you to an article PerformInk published. Laura Sturm wrote the piece. This is the movement class I took with Laura.

Laura Sturm PerformInk

After The Gazebo

As a prepubescent, I wrote stories. I wrote and wrote. Page after page. I never knew the ending, but I loved watching my fingers form the letters. I kept going till my fingers and wrist hurt. I rarely shared my stories with anyone. I sat in class hoping the teacher’s next assignment would be to write a short story so I could submit, but the teacher never did, so I never did. By high school, I had a computer. I missed and still miss the tactile feel of forming the letters with my hand. I wrote poems. I printed out seven of them and gave them to one of my English teachers for feedback. She told me they were all bad, but had potential because I had talent which needed some nurturing. She felt I would eventually be published. In my senior year, two of those poems were.

While in college, I wrote my first screenplay. A thirty minute short film. After a couple screenplays, I tackled plays. Friends asked why I did not write plays sooner given my love for dialogue. I missed writing short stories. I returned to them, but quickly discovered I could not write them. I started a novel. Two pages into it, I deleted it. I immediately opened another blank file and began writing it as a screenplay. I had become more comfortable with slug line, action, dialogue. Eventually, that idea for the novel became a screenplay and stage play. The theater piece was in development, but something went sideways with the theater group. Along came the talented Jen Knox. She and I became friends. I read her blog and stories. She was amazing. She wrote an entry on her blog about flash fiction. I wanted to write those. Jen encouraged me. She offered to help where she could. I asked if she would read my work and offer feedback. She told me I was great at sensory description. I had a way of painting a picture and evoking a response. I was moved that a talented writer whom I respected thought so highly of my work. Jen breathed life back into my love for short stories. She inspired me to tackle writing a novel.

Jen Knox’ latest book, After The Gazebo is available for download for the low price of $6.95. If you have not heard of the award winning wonderful, Jen Knox, please visit the link below to familiarize yourself with her work.

AFTER THE GAZEBO