Stories
- Paul Sussman, Beyond Belief (excerpt)
- Liz Nichols, Excuse me, sir, do we look OK to you?
- Bennet Caffee, If anyone else told me that story…
About the Performers
Paul Sussman has written and performed a series of solo pieces through the eyes of Neanderthals, road-ragers, insects, Anabaptists, cannibals, and others who persist in the search for meaning amidst the puzzling evidence. He developed his approach to melodrama and farce through years of work in financial management with Bay Area nonprofit organizations. In recognition of the 2019 premiere of his first full-length show, The Wrong Kind of Pessimism, he now refers to himself in the third person.
Liz Nichols is happy to be back on the TIOT stage. She has been telling stories for over two decades, on stage, in schools, and at the Asian Art Museum. Liz usually tells the folktales and myths she fell in love with as a child. But this time she’s sharing a hero’s journey of a more personal nature—which scares and excites her in equal measure.
Bennet Caffee began sharing stories of his misadventures with bipolar disorder at the Marsh ten years ago, under the guidance of David Ford and Charlie Varon. His first stories highlighted the “fun part” of his disorder. He then began revealing the darker side of his disorder and his eventual surrender to medical management. From these stories came his full length show My First Miracle, which he’s performed at the Orlando, Boulder and Rogue Fringe Festivals.