Read the full article by Chris Woodard at RAM’s New Times Magazine
Storyteller JP Frary took the stage at The Sofia to recount the discovery of a well inside his childhood home with his father. A mysterious redwood box sat at the bottom of the well. While on stage decades later, Frary relayed his personal journey to discover the box’s contents — maintaining its mysteriousness throughout.
Frary’s story was a part of the sixth installment of Sacramento-based live storytelling series “In a Nutshell” held on Monday, June 30, which drew a crowd despite last-minute changes to the lineup. The four featured storytellers ended up including Frary, Claire Hennessy, Anne Rutherford and Becky Lynn. “In a Nutshell” co-creator Keith Lowell Jensen hosted the event, with the night’s theme being “Eureka!,” which Jensen described simply as “finding treasure.”
Attendee Maryam Moosavi, a Sacramento resident who is also a past storyteller, praised Frary’s performance in particular. “JP’s story was just so well written,” Moosavi said, adding, “It was so impactful to me. It was beautiful.”
For Moosavi, “In A Nutshell” is about more than the stories shared on stage. “It’s just more of a reason to connect with people. It encourages community,” she said. “Even being back here, I’m seeing people that I saw at previous shows. It makes us feel like a little bit of a community.”