Stories from the Stage

Sandi Marx narrowly misses being cast for Broadway's A Chorus Line; choreographer Mark Lamb returns to his small Kentucky town and has an extraordinary reunion; and Jean Appolon dances his way out of a death sentence in Haiti.

Rodrigue Kalambayi seeks asylum from political violence in the Congo; Korean-American Eson Kim is held at gunpoint in her family's hardware store in New York; and Christine Gentry donates a kidney to a complete stranger.

Paloma Valenzuela travels to a Dominican neighborhood searching for her identity; Mark Redmond learns what happens when you're no longer welcomed on your street; Norah Dooley finds the meaning of community from neighbors who teach her life lessons.

Dan Dahari describes smuggled out of Mexico as an infant; Courtney Allen finds freedom during a trip to Havana; and social psychology professor Michael Sargent confronts his own biases on a flight immediately after September 11, 2001.

Surprise!

Ana Hebra Flaster describes her last night at home before leaving Cuba forever; Jackson Gilman's son catches his first fish by any means necessary, and Julie Baker's international love affair is tested during "cabin fever.

Szifra Birke discovers the hidden meaning of her name; Grace Talusan shares how a green station wagon helped her family become Americans; and Kevin Dutremble challenges his assumptions about others.

Coming to America. Hosted by Theresa Okokon.

Cyndi Freeman becomes one of Santa's elves and uncovers a gruesome reality; Ekhlas Ahmed faces hunger as calamity creates a long Ramadan fast; Matt Dicks gathers his courage at Thanksgiving to stand up to his girlfriend's tough-as-nails dad.

For some people, cooking is a refuge. For others, it's a nightmare.

Michele Carlo turns lemons into lemonade when she's busted moonlighting during an internship.

Ben Cunningham works to transform preschool girls into dragon-slaying warrior princesses.

Cecelia Viverios battles a baffling learning disability.

Kevin Gallagher goes postal in the post office. Ashley Rose gets testy with FEMA after a flood in Roslindale.

Sometimes, you have to stick up for yourself-or somebody else-even when that little voice tells you it's safer to keep quiet.

Tonight's tellers share those moments when they stood up, spoke out, and changed everything.

Holidays happen every year but always bring an element of surprise.

Is there anything more fickle than the human heart in love? Joe Pagliuca's surprise marriage proposal turns to be more unexpected than planned.

Road Trip!

Paying tribute to our canine companions and their culinary namesakes.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time..." Storytellers explore those moments when best intentions led to disastrous results.

It's nearly universal - to explore the world and in doing so, learning something about yourself.

Recalling the moments that redefine the meaning of family.

There's nothing worse that the moment we lose something precious.

Family. Sometimes they choose us. Sometimes we choose them.

In the course of a lifetime, we lose all sorts of things: objects, memories, even people.

Sometimes we choose our new beginnings, but perhaps more often we are thrust into them.

Tonight's tellers share unexpected discoveries and "eureka" moments.

If there's any truth about holidays, it's that they're a mixed bag.

It takes a lot of emotions to make a holiday - and not just the happy, life-affirming ones.

Tonight's tellers share unexpected "breakthrough" moments.

Food is so central to life that we almost take it for granted.

It has often been said that experience is the best teacher.

Challenges come as a total surprise. For a sick friend's sake, Heather Angell confronts her worst fear: flying; Harold Cox's courage is tested when a rodent moves in; and after a tragic accident on California's famous Highway 1, Shane Snowdon finds a reason to go on living.

Day by day, meal by meal, food becomes a part of who we are.

When rain falls, sometimes you just have to grab an umbrella and do your very best.

Sometimes, when we least expect it, life throws us a big fat curveball.

Sometimes we'd rather avoid stepping into the fray.

From fateful dates to unexpected connections, romance is sparked in the most unbelievable way.

An unlikely pair meets for an even less likely reason, and against all odds, a relationship blooms.

Food lives at the place where connection, community - and sometimes courage - meet.

Life in the country is simple, yet also complicated.

When it comes to sports, first place isn't always the best place.

What is a life worth living? Certainly a life well lived.

Our relationships with clothes encompasses a world of emotion, from desire and envy to contentment and joy.

You can't win if you don't play. And sometimes just playing makes all the difference.

Rocky top refers to a place in Tennessee that is rocky and tough to plant.

Sunny days and balmy nights...moments when anything was possible.

Putting on, or taking something off, is not about clothes itself but how it represents who you are.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to say yes more often? Stories about what happened when storytellers took that leap in the hopes of landing on their feet.

In honor of the season, tales of joy and disaster under the summer sun.

From a birthday party to a wedding ceremony, a reunion to an unexpected meeting, special events can create lasting memories.

A change of place, temporary or permanent, can transform our perspectives - and our lives -forever.

You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family.

It takes only seven seconds to judge someone. It takes even more time and effort to change our opinions of others.

Special events don't always turn out the way we've planned.

Family matters, sometimes more than others. When they come together in a time of need, it can make all the difference.

The duality of right and wrong is something we all struggle with, especially when making the best choice for ourselves.

In a world full of complicated choices, it can be hard to do the right thing.

What do you do when you think nobody is watching? Tales of tough choices, letting go, and embracing change.

Being first at the scene means facing emotional and ethical dilemmas.

Some life-changing moments can happen only at the scene.

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged us in innumerable ways.

Sometimes our first impressions are dead on. But snap judgments aren't always the best ones.

On Election Day, things seldom go exactly as planned.

Favorite stories about Thanksgiving, the holiday that has us giving thanks.

What does it mean to grow up Black in America, a country too often divided by race? It might mean strangers looking at you with suspicion, being pulled over by the police for no reason and/or being afraid to walk outside because of who you are.

There are all sorts of things people can be proud of: their identity, family and heritage, a wise decision, a singular accomplishment, or just standing up and being true to who they are.

When you take a stand with your resolve unwavering, that rapidly beating heart signals courage.

Top storytellers share stories that conjure the holiday spirit.

Three amazing storytellers share their experiences of family in the LatinX community.

Why can't it just be easy to find the right person? No one knows, but with every misstep, we learn.

In America, growing up Black means so many things: cultural bonds, a struggle for visibility, and all too often, unearned judgement.

The late John Lewis took pride in creating "good trouble" and standing up against unfair laws and power structures.

Stories selected from the Stories from the Stage archives: In Afghanistan, Mahboba Akhtarzadah journeys to her classroom against all odds.

When you live between two cultures, searching for your place in the world can be a journey.

If you want to test a relationship, share space with someone.

Everyone has their own personal space...but sometimes, we have to share it.

At times, it can be hard to relate with someone or something.

Some times we feel grounded. And other times, things up in the air can get scary until we touch down.

When we miss out on the one thing we want most, the universe conspires to give us something extraordinary.

When it comes to life, dark times are inevitable. Plans fail, relationships fall apart, hopes wither.

Twenty years ago the events of 9/11 changed the world.

The news is often attention grabbing. But sometimes the story behind the story is just as, if not more so, interesting as the headlines.

Houston - the U.S.'s most ethnically diverse metropolitan area - is a community of people who have learned the fine art of resilience.

Service members and their families demonstrate their character and resolve in the most trying of circumstances.

For most people, playing sports is about meeting personal challenges - from first tries on the field to last hurrahs on the sidelines, in the thick of it all.

How can you move forward when everything is lost? With luck.

It might be difficult for one person to truly make a difference.

Staying in the game is hard. But when you hang in there for the ride, the memories you create can last a lifetime.

The news cycle spins faster than ever, and the flow of stories never seems to end.

How do we make the best of a situation? With imagination, initiative, and a willingness to take risks.

The truth is that no one wants to be caught in a storm.

Big changes can happen when we least expect them. When they do, we have no choice but to improvise.

From time to time, it's okay to lessen our expectations.

At one point in our lives, we all walk, run, or stumble into the unknown.

Searching and finding the right match - whether forged, challenged, lost or kept - is not always easy.

There is a first time for everything. In many cases, firsts are game changers, becoming unforgettable lessons for life.

In this milestone 100th episode, storytellers share how dealing with challenges showed them strengths they never knew they had.

Sometimes, we are born into families that nurture us.

The search for a life partner is usually far from perfect - bad choices, parental pressure and twists & turns are all part of the journey.

Every day, millions of people are creating their own definitions of what it means to be Asian American.

At a time in our lives, we experience the unfamiliar.

Most of us want nothing but to be accepted. While we hope for a reassuring nod, it can be hard to open doors and unlock welcoming smiles.