LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER TWIN CITIES SUMMER ALUMNI SHOW 2022
BACK TO SCHOOL
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT -- GRATEFULLY -- TO ANN MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY
LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER TWIN CITIES SUMMER ALUMNI SHOW 2022
LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER TWIN CITIES
2022 SUMMER ALUMNI BACK TO SCHOOL SHOW CAST
ROBYN AWEND
2018 CAST ALUMNI
2021 SUMMER PANDEMIC SHOW CAST ALUMNI
Robyn Awend is an art director, visual artist, and activist. Her background in fine arts and art curation has led her work in the local non-profit arts community for the past fifteen years. Robyn’s personal artwork uses words and word fragments to inspire her prints and mixed-media installations, exploring identity through cultural and societal influences. Awend’s recent work, handmade paper from discarded clothing, features the quote, “It Takes Courage To Be Who You Really Are.” Robyn lives in the burbs with her witty husband and three perfectly behaved children.
STACEY DINNER-LEVIN
2022 CAST ALUMNI
Stacey Dinner-Levin is the mother of four boys — now adults — the eldest of whom has autism. For over 25 years she’s worked with children with disabilities including PACER Center’s “Count Me In” program where she wrote several scripts. Her play Autistic License was named one of 2007’s Ten Best Plays by St. Paul Pioneer Press and was featured in American Theater Magazine. Autistic License was remounted for film and won “Best Educational” at the IFFF in 2010. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband Michael, her son Geordy, and the world’s strangest dog, her Chinese Crested, Birdie.
KATE A. GJERDE
2016 CAST ALUMNI
2018 HOLIDAY SHOW CAST ALUMNI
Kate Gjerde, the author of the award-winning memoir, Given Away, was written under her pen name, Kate Anne Kang. When Kate is not writing she can be found on the pickleball courts; playing Chinese mahjong (for the last twenty years); or tending to her numerous and much beloved houseplants. By day she teaches English to language learners at both the high school and elementary level. She is blessed with two lovely twenty-something children. She lives in the Twin Cities with her husband, her best friend. Connect with Kate at: www.kimchivoodoo.com.
KATIE HOLMAN
2022 CAST ALUMNI
Katie Holman is the lucky mother of four amazing, mortifying, glorious, half-adult/half-teen humans who she shares with her husband, Steve … please pray for her. She enjoys anything that includes them, her dog, Abe, the game closet, the boat, the camper, or the open road. Along with her friends and family, Katie is a co-author of some of the greatest text threads in existence. She is fueled by Diet Coke fountain pop and carbs, and her love for writing is only outmatched by her hatred for public speaking.
MELISSA NIELSEN
2013 CAST ALUMNI
2021 SUMMER PANDEMIC SHOW CAST ALUMNI
Melissa Nielsen is happily living life with teenagers and tweenagers and is perfectly okay not having toddlers anymore. She is a music teacher and directs the Lakeville Color Guard program. When she isn’t singing or spinning with her students, she is probably sleeping because wow, life doesn’t slow down when your kids get to high school and she is TIRED. Melissa does find some time to enjoy quilting, embroidery, reading, and grumbling about politics.
SARAH PELINKA
2015 CAST ALUMNI
2019 HOLIDAY SHOW CAST ALUMNI
2021 SUMMER PANDEMIC SHOW CAST ALUMNI
Sarah Pelinka is a collector of stories + wayward junk and mother of two spirited kids, Poppy and Holiday - they are her heart. Married to her high school sweetheart, she and Travis remain as tight as the Girbaud jeans that first caught his attention. Each day is a gift and Sarah surely lives by this. So much so, it remains the only gift she hasn’t yet tried to return without a receipt. While Sarah finds great joy in teaching science to middle schoolers, her passion for the arts is immense. She seeks and appreciates the meaning, beauty, and laughter within every situation.
AMANDA ROSAS
2018 CAST ALUMNI
2021 SUMMER PANDEMIC SHOW CAST ALUMNI
Amanda Rosas is a mother, runner, teacher, and poet. She draws beauty, strength, and creativity from the Mexican American women in her family and from her husband and three young daughters. Her poetry and essays have been published by The Latino Book Review, The Front Porch Review, and Minnesota Women’s Press. She teaches Spanish and Women’s Studies at Visitation School in Mendota Heights where she infuses social justice, youth empowerment, and centers BIPOC voices and experiences in her lessons. Though she is a passionate educator, her ultimate dream is to one day become a full time writer and storyteller.
MELANIE SCHULTZ
2022 CAST ALUMNI
Melanie Schultz is a full time medical professional and a full time mom, who cares for her mental health full time. She is fully aware that life is tricky – and there is no decent handbook for surviving it. Her desire is to offer transparency and genuine connection to everyone she meets. When she isn't working her job in orthotics and prosthetics, investing in her family, or advocating for kids in foster care, she is busy co-hosting a podcast called Mangled Spaces, where she speaks publicly about living in the messy and confusing areas of modern life.
Korey Stoelzing
2019 CAST ALUMNI
Korey Stoelzing lives in South Minneapolis with her husband of 31 years and is just about to become a true empty nester. In 2019, she decided to do "one scary/challenging thing a year" starting with auditioning for LTYM. Since then, she has jumped off a cliff into a river, done a high ropes adventure course, and opened a small flower business. Upon driving home from her very her first LTYM rehearsal she realized that reading at LTYM has helped her accomplish a secret lifelong dream … having people actually pay money to see her do something and clap afterwards!
Heather Strommen
2016 CAST ALUMNI
2019 HOLIDAY SHOW CAST ALUMNI
Heather Strommen is a passionate, straight-from-the-heart storyteller. Her debut novel, VELVET, is out now (insert her jumping up and down with excitement here)! In addition to writing a whole freaking novel, Heather is an interior designer who loves making a house a home, always designing and refining the world around her. Founder of the popular Instagram, @sweetshadylane, Heather is married to her high school sweetheart. They call their four adult children "their very best friends." Heather has a simple mantra that keeps her happy: Write. Decorate. Repeat. She's thrilled to share the LTYM stage once again.
Laura Taple
2018 CAST ALUMNI
2018 HOLIDAY SHOW CAST ALUMNI
Laura Taple is the small business owner of Katzman Monument Co. where she has the privilege of working with families to create beautiful headstones. She loves the artistic process and connecting with families through the stories of their loved ones. Laura is passionate about Blue Pearl granite, red lipstick, storytelling, coffee, and travel. When she’s not wandering lost through cemeteries you will find her at home in South Minneapolis binge watching Netflix with her magical husband and spirited daughter.
Tzitel Voss
2017 CAST ALUMNI
2018 HOLIDAY SHOW CAST ALUMNI
Tzitel Voss is a communications teacher and consultant with over 20 years of experience in helping others speak in the classroom, on the stage, and in the courtroom. The greater part of her career has been spent within the field of education where she leads the Mentor Program while teaching professional communication skills. She also coaches nationally-ranked competitive speakers. Tzitel has made a career out of listening to stories: stories of her students, stories of performers, stories of professionals. She is a teacher at heart who loves to help others find the courage to speak and make their “mess become their message.”
Kris Woll
2015 CAST ALUMNI
2018 HOLIDAY SHOW CAST ALUMNI
Kris Woll began her writing career at age seven as founder, editor, and writer of a family newspaper, The Woll Street Journal. In the years since, she has written essays and stories on food, home, and personal histories for a variety of publications. She leads occasional workshops on building a creative writing and journaling practice and was a Loft Literary Center Excellence in Teaching Fellowship award winner in 2019. Kris works in higher education and lives with her family in Minneapolis.
