Hot and Spicy Stories
2025-07-10 20:00 - 21:30 (America/New_York)
Better Said Than Done’s Hot and Spicy storytelling show, online.
On July 10, 2025, join storytellers Vicki Bryan, Claire Hennessy, Jessica Robinson, Jude Treder-Wolff and Megan Wells, on Zoom, for Hot and Spicy Stories.
$15 Suggested/$5 Minimum
All Proceeds Split Between Producer and Storytellers
If you miss it live on Zoom, you can watch the recording on Youtube.
Details and tickets here.

Women Tell at the NSN
2025-07-17 12:00 - 2025-07-20 17:00
I am thrilled to be sharing a story in a Women’s Storytelling Festival showcase at the National Storytelling Network Conference in Georgia this July. Our showcase features storytellers Carmen Agra Deedy, Karin Amano, Lona Bartlett, Lyn Ford, Bonnie Gardner, Jennifer Munro, and me, Jessica Robinson. It really is a phenomenal lineup and I am thrilled to be sharing stories, and the stage, with these women.
The NSN conference runs from July 17 – 20, 2025. It will take place in-person at Kennesaw State University, as well as many of the events being available to watch online, including our women’s showcase.
You can find the complete conference schedule as well as details on how to register to attend in-person or purchase a virtual ticket here.

Good Liars Club Festival 2025
2025-08-02 15:00 - 22:00
I love me some good lies, and the Good Liar’s Club Festival is chock full of the best lies! This year, as in years past, I will be emceeing one showcase and lying in another.
Live on Zoom, Anne Rutherford & Norm Brecke present:
The 2025 Good Liars Club Festival
Sat Aug 2
11am AKDT/ Noon PDT/ 1pm MDT/ 2pm CDT/ 3pm EDT
6 showcases of 24 fabulous liars stretching the truth in good-natured fun.

Showcases run every hour on the hour
One registration link lets you come in and out of the festival as you please.
Donors get a recording of the festival to watch on demand.
Don’t miss the fourth year of this festival of confabulation!

Festival schedule & registration:
https://www.anne-norm.com/2025-glc-festival

At 6:00pm Eastern, I will be telling a lie alongside fantastic fabulators Nancy Wang, Steven Heneger, Claire Hennessy, and emcee extraordinaire Tobey Ishii Anderson.

At 7:00pm Eastern, I get to say whatever I want (it is a lying show!) about the penultimate prevaricators Amanda Lawrence, Chetter Galloway, Clementine Ryder, and Ed Stivender! Oh, am I gonna have fun!

You can too! You can even watch for free, though donations are happily accepted.

Legendary Stories
2025-08-07 20:00 - 21:00
I am excited to emcee a night of Legendary Stories from some of the world’s most legendary storytellers.
Details and registration here:
Legendary Stories

Reimagining Stories Workshop
2025-08-14 19:30 - 21:00
A Free Workshop led by Jessica Robinson for the Story Center at the Mid-Continental Public Library
In this interactive workshop with Jessica Robinson, participants will take stories they know well and twist them, reshaping them into something new and different. Students will learn how the terms “fractured” and “braided” apply to stories, when and why to reshape a story, and practical steps to twist a tale. This class is part of the Oral Storytelling Certificate Program as a storytelling elective. This program will be held virtually using Zoom. Registration with a valid email address is required to receive the Zoom link. All start times are Central Time.
FREE but you must register here:
www.mymcpl.org/events/109084/braided-fractured-and-re-imagined-stories-zoom

Never Had I Ever Stories
2025-08-23 19:00 - 20:30
I am excited to premiere a new story for Better Said Than Done, which is only fitting considering the theme – NEVER HAD I EVER.
Join Better Said Than Done Storytelling on August 23, at 7:00pm, at Clare and Don’s Beach Shack in Falls Church, VA, for “Never Had I Ever: stories about firsts, somedays, and nopes,” with emcee Bonnie Gardner and storytellers J.R. Denson, Ravi Pimplaskar, Jessica Robinson, Jack Scheer, Zette St. Charles, Carlos Velazquez, and Zach Wilks.
Details and $15 Tickets here:
bettersaidthandone.org/event/never-had-i-ever/

Moving Stories
2025-08-26 20:00 - 21:30
I am looking forward to emceeing – and selecting only the most awkward questions from the audience – for this online show.
Moving Stories: Across The Pond And Far From Normal August 26th
Claire Hennessy and Regina Stoops are bringing the Fringe show they performed at the National Storytelling Network Conference to the Six Feet Apart virtual stage. Each will tell how they decided to make California their home and build a family. Both paths are sometimes difficult, fraught with chaos and challenges, but also funny and heartwarming.
Their favorite producer and storyteller from the East Coast, the fabulous Jessica Robinson, will emcee and host a Q&A afterward.
Register here.

Better Said Than Done Online Storytelling Show
2025-09-18 20:00 - 21:00
Just saving the date for my favorite storytelling show.
Join Better Said Than Done storytelling on September 18, 2025, for Lesson Learned: Stories of Teachable Moments, with emcee Chetter Galloway and storytellers Clint Atwater, Roopa Mohan, Elisa Pearman, Laura Simms, and Patti Smith.

$15 Suggested/$5 MinimumAll Proceeds Split Between Producer and Storytellers
If you miss it live on Zoom, you can watch the recording on Youtube.

Sun Day Storytelling
2025-09-21 19:00 - 23:00
Sun Day Virtual Worldwide Storytelling Concert
September 21. 2025
7:00pm-11:00pm
Live on Zoom
Free! (Donations Welcome)
To Register: https://www.simpletix.com/e/sun-day-virtual-worldwide-storytelling-con-tickets-226248
The NSN Eco-Tellers and Healing Story Alliance will be joining Third Act (Thirdact.org) and affiliated
climate groups from all over the U.S., and beyond in celebrating Sun Day, a day of action to celebrate
solar and wind power and the movement to leave fossil fuels behind.
I’ll be sharing my story in the first hour because I am a morning person and get up with the sun!
We will be hosting a virtual storytelling concert from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm EDT with tellers from around the country and the world. Please put this date in your calendar and consider joining us. We will have stories from Fran Stallings, Judith Black, Diane Edgecomb, Linda Yemoto, and Jackson Gillman, Jessica Robinson, and we hope, many of you! We are also expecting four tellers from India to join in!
Sun Day is a day of action on September 21, 2025, celebrating solar and wind power, and the movement to leave fossil fuels behind. Solar energy is now the cheapest source of power on the planet – and gives us a chance to actually do something about the climate crisis. But fossil fuel billionaires are doing everything they can to shut it down. We will build, rally, sing, and come together in the communities that we need to get laws changed and work done.

Storytelling Workshop at the Library
2025-09-22 19:00 - 20:30 | Kings Park Library, 9000 Burke Lake Rd, Burke, VA
Stories can enrich the lives of the living, and immortalize those who have died. Learn the basics of crafting a personal narrative inspired by an event or person in your life. In this 90-minute class, presented by Better Said Than Done Executive Director Jessica Robinson, you will learn about character development, story structure, and how to edit the entirety of a life into one cohesive story. Participants will be given a writing prompt to work on and discuss in class.
Free. Registering in advance is recommended.
Register here: https://librarycalendar.fairfaxcounty.gov/event/15022503

Apple Pie Stories in Falls Church
2025-10-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Clare & Don’s Beach Shack, 130 N Washington Street, Falls Church, VA, 22046, United States
I’ll be sharing one or two stories on stage in Falls Church, VA. Join Better Said Than Done Storytelling on October 4th, at 6:00pm, at Clare and Don’s Beach Shack in Falls Church, VA, for “Apple Pie Stories,” with emcee Jack Scheer and storytellers Nick Baskerville, Catherine Calvin, Jennifer Hine, Jenn Kamara, Rishi Nixon, and Jessica Robinson.
As part of ArtsFairfax’s month of art, we are offering a BOGO ticket discount. Buy one ticket at the regular price, and get $5 off the second ticket.
Clare and Don’s Beach Shack is located at 130 N Washington St, Falls Church, VA 22046. A full dinner and bar menu is available for purchase before and during the show. There is plenty of free parking nearby, including a parking garage behind Clare and Don’s.

Healing Stories Alliance
2025-10-05 19:00 - 20:30
Kind Stories in Concert. Our theme for Oct. 5th is “The Power of Community”

Date: October 5, 2025
Time: 7:00pm-8:30pm EDT
(Open Mic Story Share and Reflection: last half hour)
Format: The story session opens with a concert of seasoned tellers Jim Brule, Rishi Nixon, Elisa Pearmain, and Jessica Robinson, sharing stories with themes of kindness and the Power of Community. During the second half of the gathering, audience members are invited to share a story, moment, or reflection about kindness or community that emerged for them as listeners. With emcee Lee-Ellen Marvin.
Purpose: We all need a little more kindness and community in our lives. Perhaps a story can take us there.

Register here to Receive a FREE Zoom Link: https://www.simpletix.com/e/kind-stories-in-concert-oct-5-2025-tickets-234224
Click to Donate and help make programs like this possible: https://square.link/u/d9xbGN2I

Human beings are essentially social creatures and we need community to survive and thrive. For some, communities can be made of like-minded souls, families, co-workers, or neighbors. In these challenging times, the power of community will help us find ways to resist unacceptable changes and threats. Join us for traditional and contemporary stories about successful and kind communities shared by both professional tellers and community tellers and see what memories of community emerge for you.

Otherworldly Stories
2025-10-09 20:00 - 21:30
I am looking forward to emceeing this virtual storytelling show. Join me, and Better Said Than Done, on Zoom for some Otherworldly Stories.
October 9th, 2025, at 8:00pm Eastern / 5:00pm Pacific for Otherworldly Stories, with storytellers Norm Brecke, Karen Golden, Steve Henegar, Tobey Ishii Anderson, Andy Russell, and Hope Wilder.
Tickets, from $5, here.

Reading at 804 Lit
2025-10-11 19:00 - 20:30
I’ll be reading from my one year old memoir Stages: My Life in Stories at 804 Lit.
October 11, 2025
7:00pm Open / 7:30pm Readings
804 Lit is located at 804 Quintana Place NW in Washington, DC
As a reminder, we ask that people do not park on Quintana Place because it’s a narrow street with people who are very attached to their spots. The surrounding streets, 8th, 9th, Quackenbos, all have parking.
FREE, but you must register in advance here.
The readings start at 7:30p after a half hour of conversation and wine, and we’ll have an intermission after the first three readers.
As usual, the series will include some readings and question and answer sessions to follow alongside snacks and drinks. We provide some wine and snacks but people are encouraged to contribute as well. It’s also encouraged to just support us via Venmo or newly released books as well!
Please note, I only have a handful of copies of the book left. (I’ll order more soon but they won’t be in in time.) If you still haven’t gotten your copy, I’ll have some books for sale and will be signing books, if you want that.

Ghost Stories at the DC Public Library
2025-10-22 19:00 - 20:30
On October 22, join storytellers Silvana Clark, J.R. Denson, Jessica Robinson, and Zach Wilks, for a night of terrifying tales at the Haunted Library.
Bring snacks and hot beverages and join us on the First Floor of the MLK DC Public Library.
Details here.
This concert is FREE and open to the public, but intended for a mature audience.

Family Friendly Frightening Stories
2025-10-24 18:00 - 20:00 | Franklin Park, 36441 Blueridge View Ln., Purcelville, VA, 20132-3565, United States
Join me and some other wonderful entertainers at Franklin Park, in Loudoun County, VA, for Halloween in the Park. I’ll be telling stories along the Trick-or-Treat Trail.

Join Better Said Than Done storytellers Jennifer Hine and Jessica Robinson for stories along the Trick or Treat Trail, at Halloween in the Park, at Franklin Park, in Loudoun County, VA.

In addition to storytelling, there will be pumpkin decorating, trick-or-treating, games, face painting, live animals, inflatables, vendors and more! All for free.

Scary Storytelling Workshop
2025-10-30 18:00 - 20:00 | Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcelville, VA
We’re gonna get a little scary at this next storytelling workshop at Franklin Park Arts Center. I mean, it’s October 30th. We can’t just ignore the ghost in the room.
Whether you want to work on crafting a personal story, or a scary story, this workshop will work for you.
Bring ideas for a 5-7 minute “scary” story to work on in this 90-minute class. Learn about character development, story structure, and how to build fear and dramatic tension into stories, and then spend some time writing. A few participants will be able to share their stories with the class and help prepare you for our Storytelling Open Mic nights beginning in November. Instructor: Jessica Robinson, Better Said Than Done storytellers.
Details and Registration Here

Soap Box Storytelling in Falls Church VA
2025-11-08 18:00 - 20:00
On November 8, 2025, join Better Said Than Done storytelling at Clare and Don’s Beach Shack for Soap Box Stories, with emcee Jessica Robinson and storytellers Catherine Calvin, Bonnie Gardner, John Kreul, Joe Morice, Ravi Pimplaskar, Zette St. Charles, and Cyndi Wish. Ya’ll can listen while we get up on our Soap Box and tell you some stories!

Reading at The Inner Loop
2025-11-10 19:00 - 22:00 | Shaw’s Tavern, 520 Florida Ave. NW, District of Columbia, 20001, United States
I’m excited to be reading from my story in the new anthology, America’s Future, from Washington Writers Publishing House, at The Inner Loop!

WHEN: Monday, November 10th from 7-10 pm
WHERE: Shaw’s Tavern, 520 Florida Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20001

The Inner Loop is known for their lively, inclusive, monthly reading series. Several contributors to America’s Future will be reading from the book, and the book will be available for purchase!

This event is FREE AND OPEN TO ALL (RSVPS are requested).

Storytelling Open Mic
2025-11-20 18:00 - 20:00 | Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcelville, VA
(Ages 12+) The mic is yours! Bring a prepared story that is 5-7 minutes in length in any format and step up to the mic to share it the others in this community series. Each month, we will host an open mic evening followed by a 30-minute performance from a professional storyteller. With special guest storyteller Jessica Robinson, Better Said Than Done’s Executive Director.
Listeners and storytellers are welcome — everyone needs a ticket.
November theme: Family & Food For Thought
Storytellers will sign up when arriving and if there are more tellers that time, we’ll draw names at random for a turn at the mic.

Joyful Storytelling Show
2025-12-04 19:00 - 21:00
I’m excited to emcee and give a heartfelt toast at Better Said Than Done’s Year-End Celebration and Storytelling show. Join us on December 4th for “Joy to the World,” a storytelling show with recipes! With emcee Jessica Robinson and storytellers Alton Chung, Jane Dorfman, Lyn Ford, Claire Hennessy, Eric Johnson, Anne Rutherford, Ria Spencer, Lisa Trank, and Carlos Velazquez! With our Year-in-Review Video, and a time for toasting!
Tickets, starting at $2, here:
2025 Joyful Stories Show

Stories of Joy
2025-12-14 14:00 - 16:30
Stories of Joy and Connection: A hopeful storytelling concert with Laura Packer and friends
Join storyteller Laura Packer for stories that remind us that hope, joy, and connection still abound, that darkness will pass, and we have each other. Laura and her guests will share stories that remind us that we are stronger when we act together, that empathy is a virtue, and that your light matters. Guest tellers include Andrea Kamens, Cooper Braun-Enos, Elizabeth Ellis, Jessica Piscitelli Robinson, and Laura Simms.
A portion of the proceeds of this event will support Roots of Empathy, a four-star charity.
This program will be live on zoom at 1pm Central Time on Sunday, December 14. It will be recorded for those who cannot attend the live show.
Register here

Yuletide Folly with SFAP
2025-12-16 20:00 - 21:00
After much coaxing and a little begging, I finally relented and agreed to tell a story on the end of year special produced by my best frenemy Claire Hennessy and her better half Regina Stoops, the duo at the helm of the West Coast’s answer to Better Said Than Done – Six Feet Apart productions (SFAP).
I joke, as that is our way (Claire and I publicly roast each other daily) but the show will be fantastic – not only because I’m proud of the story I shared. The show is pre-recorded, but the video premieres on Youtube on December 16th.
Watch Party
Tuesday Dec 16th at 5pm PT/ 8pm ET

Link to register for free Watch Party
https://holidayhijinksdec16.eventbrite.com

Storytelling Open Mic Holiday Theme
2025-12-19 18:00 - 20:30 | Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcelville, VA
The theme is Holidays and you can tell any kind of story you want, or just come and listen. In addition to the open mic, Better Said Than Done Executive Director Jessica Robinson will also be telling some holiday stories.
The mic is yours! Bring a prepared story that is 5-7 minutes in length in any format and step up to the mic to share it with others in this community series. Listeners and storytellers are welcome!
What stories do you have of holiday celebrations — the best of times, the celebrations gone wrong, the people involved, the traditions that make your holidays memorable? We can’t wait to hear all about it.
Both storytellers and listeners need a ticket. Storytellers will be assigned a time upon arrival.
Details and Tickets Here

ASST NYE Story Blowout
2025-12-31 13:00 - 2026-01-01 01:00
I’m thrilled to be telling a story with the Good Liars Club’s hour of storytelling during Artists Standing Strong Together’s New Year’s Eve Story Blowout. The storytelling programming starts at 1:00pm Eastern on December 31st and runs until 1:00am Eastern on January 1, 2026. I’ll be telling my story in the 10pm hour, East Coast time.
This online storytelling program has become a beloved annual tradition for the ASST community, always free and open to the public.
Register here.
To donate to this annual fundraiser, click here: https://bit.ly/blowoutdonate

Stories of Birth through Death
2026-01-08 20:00 - 21:30
Join Better Said Than Done online on January 8, 2026 for Birth, School, Work, Death: Stories About Life, with emcee Jessica Robinson and storytellers Heather Forest, Chetter Galloway, Amanda Lawrence, Roopa Mohan, Jo Radner, and Linda Yemoto.
Details and Tickets Here

$15 Suggested/$5 MinimumAll Proceeds Split Between Producer and Storytellers
If you miss it live on Zoom, you can watch the recording on Youtube.

Stories of Change
2026-01-31 18:00 - 20:00 | Clare & Don’s Beach Shack, 130 N Washington Street, Falls Church, VA, 22046, United States
On January 31, join me at Clare and Don’s Beach Shack for Better Said Than Done’s “A New Leaf: Stories about change,” with emcee Jessica Robinson and storytellers Bill Grella, Jennifer Hine, Tim Livengood, Carol Moore, Joe Morice, and Zach Wilks.
Clare and Don’s Beach Shack is located at 130 N Washington St, Falls Church, VA 22046. A full dinner and bar menu is available for purchase before and during the show. There is plenty of free parking nearby, including a parking garage behind Clare and Don’s.
Details and Tickets Here

Winter Storytelling Workshops
2026-02-02 19:00 - 2026-02-15 21:00
Join me online this winter for a series of storytelling workshops to warm your soul. The first workshop, on February 2nd, is Personal Storytelling. Register for one or all five.
Details and Registration Here
You can register to take all five classes, or just choose the one you want to attend. The idea of the five week course is to tie each of these varied themes together into a comprehensive study and exercise in storytelling. Registering for all five costs a little less, but each week’s class is also designed to stand on it’s own.
Generally, each workshop will start with a lesson, followed by time for attendees to write and work on a story, and end with story sharing. Those who sign up for all five weeks will be given first opportunity to share stories and receive feedback. All workshops will be recorded and all registrants will receive the recording, as well as course materials, for the session they registered for.
Some of the workshops have been previously presented. They have been updated and altered for this course, but, if you’ve attended in the past, some of the lesson will be familiar.
The first workshop is on February 2, 2026 and the fifth is on March 2, 2026. Each week starts at 7:00pm Eastern and will end at approximately 9:oopm. The zoom link to attend will be sent on the morning of that day’s workshop, and the recording will be sent within 48 hours.

Braided, Fractured, and Re-Imagined Stories
2026-02-09 19:00 - 21:00
Register HERE for:
Braided, Fractured, and Re-imagined Stories
Think outside the story box. In this interactive workshop, participants will take stories they know well and twist them, reshaping them into something new and different. After defining “fractured” and “braided,” we’ll focus on when and why to reshape a story. This is a broad workshop meant to inspire writers to explore different ideas for story crafting.
The workshop will start with a lesson, followed by time for attendees to write and work on a story, and end with story sharing. This workshop will be recorded and all registrants will receive the recording to review after the workshop concludes.
This workshop is led by Better Said Than Done Executive Director Jessica Piscitelli Robinson.
Jessica will be leading a workshop on Braiding Stories on February 16th. Register here.
The Fractured Fairytales and Re-Imagined Stories Workshop will be on February 23rd. Register here.

The Grapevine 2026
2026-02-11 19:30 - 21:00 | Busboys and Poets, 235 Carroll St NW, Washington DC, DC, 20012, United States
Join The Grapevine Storytelling Series on Wednesday, February 11 at 7:30 Eastern at Busboys and Poets Takoma or via Zoom. Our featured tellers this month are Jessica Piscitelli Robinson and Chetter Galloway!

Register or learn more: https://fsgw.org/event-6452023

This event is FREE, and we ask for donations to support our tellers, suggested $20 per person. Donations can be made in person or online before, during, or after the show, at: https://fsgw2.org/grapevine.html

The Grapevine is spoken word performance for adults and teens, celebrating the timeless art of the story, hosted by storytellers Renée Brachfeld and Tim Livengood.
