Celebrate 'Holidays' at December's Arizona Storytellers event

Roxanne De La Rosa, Arizona Republic
·2 min read

Six tellers from the community will share stories around the theme of "Holidays" at the last 2022 Arizona Storytellers show on Wednesday, Dec. 14.

Among them: Glendale's Elizabeth Wunsch will tell how a traumatic childhood Christmas encounter put her on a long journey searching for understanding and meaning about the holidays.

"Never give up hope. There are signs everywhere that will provide opportunities to heal, as long as we allow ourselves to recognize them," Wunsch said.

Wunsch is retiring this month as a director of Andre House, a Phoenix nonprofit that provides meals and support services to those who are homeless.

"I have had the privilege of witnessing and sharing incredible stories of hope and help. We never know who will share a little piece of themselves that will provide insight and healing. Many times our guests (at Andre House) will provide moments of hope and healing for the many volunteers that come through our doors," Wunsch said.

Other tellers for next week's show include:

Elizabeth Wunsch will tell at the "Holidays" show Wed. Dec. 14.
Elizabeth Wunsch will tell at the "Holidays" show Wed. Dec. 14.

  • Bryce Barraza, a storytelling student at South Mountain Community College, who will share how childhood memories during the holidays helped the Phoenix resident discover magic as an adult.

  • Anthony "Tony" Fusco Jr. , of Goodyear, will share how a Holocaust survivor taught the Estrella Mountain Community College professor, about celebrating Jewish holidays but, most importantly, about love and forgiveness.

  • Phoenix's Sharee´ Hurts, a storytelling instructor at South Mountain Community College, will share how family traditions help carry-on the spirit of giving and generosity during the holidays.

  • Diane Jacobs, a Phoenix architect, will share how her family learned to blend and appreciate the holidays through different cultures and traditions.

  • Tucson-based author and speaker Adiba Nelson will share how her mother made the holidays special despite facing hardships.

Arizona Republic reporter Rafael Carranza cohosts the show with Arizona Storytellers founder Megan Finnerty.

"Holidays" is the last of 2022's six shows. In October, nearly 400 people attended October's "Food & Family" themed show.

All stories are true, first-person accounts. Tellers are coached by Republic journalists and by instructors and students from South Mountain Community College's Storytelling Institute.

Arizona Storytellers: Holidays

Where: Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Pkwy., Tempe.

When: Wednesday, Dec. 14. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Show begins at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $12 and can be purchased online only at storytellersproject.com. No tickets will be sold at the door.

Note: Captioning services for the deaf and hard of hearing is provided by the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Come celebrate the "Holidays" at December's Storytellers Project