“When Love Walks In”

Welcome to the first of our storytelling series, Crash! Stories From The rek. Our topic tonight is “When Love Walks In.” Love at first sight. Truly awful first dates. Love that was never meant to be. So many good, bad and awkward love stories. We thank you for supporting the rek Gallery. If you enjoy the stories, please support the story tellers with a donation. All donations will be split equally among the performers. We hope you have fun!

Tonight’s Stories

“The Year of Dating”

“Happiness Is… Indulging Into My Secret Passion…”

“I Am Superman: A Relationship Arc in Seven Voicemails”

“The Waycross Wench Guy”

“Love on the Playground”

“1000 Roads to Here”

“Uncle Boris, A Bathhouse and A Lot of Vodka”

 

• Intermission •

 

“Searching For Jesus”

“A Love Confession’s Unexpected Consequences”

“An Altercation with Spud Webb” or “How Dennis Rodman Saved My Life”

“Love in the Classified Section”

“Homemade Chicken Pot Pie”

“Blue Glow”

“Camp Crush”

Tonight’s Storytellers

​Rick Baldwin

“The Year of Dating”

“Searching for Jesus”

“Blue Glow”

Rick Baldwin is your M.C. for the evening.
He is a former actor, stand-up comic and is an award-winning cartoonist. He is, with his wife Maria, owner of The rek Gallery as well as an artist and illustrator. He frequently writes humorous and spiritual essays and is host of the podcast Apocaleptic.

Arma Benoit

“1000 Roads to Here”

Arma Benoit is an award-winning film director, writer and producer with over 2 decades of experience in storytelling through film. She is also making a name for herself in the live performance arenas of stand-up and live storytelling. Currently she is working on the Francis Ford Coppola movie, Megalopolis.

Randy Dickerson

“An Altercation with Spud Webb” or “How Dennis Rodman Saved My Life”

“The Waycross Wench Guy”

Randy Dickerson is an Emmy Award-winning creative director and painter. Born and raised in rural Alabama, he received a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Alabama in 1995. Over the past 20 years, he has worked as a designer in broadcast, digital, and print design. Randy’s design awards also include the Cable Ace Award and the Communication Arts Award of Excellence. While working full-time in design he continues to pursue his passion for painting and drawing.

Maria Fernandez

“A Love Confession’s Unexpected Consequences”

“I Am Superman: A Relationship Arc in Seven Voicemails”

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Lasha Lalana

“Love On The Playground”

Lasha Lalana is the owner and operator of The Math Depot, in Tucker, GA.  She graduated from the University of Georgia and previously taught elementary and middle school students in the public school system.  She loves nature and enjoys taking her students on outdoor adventures.  Lasha is a member of the Gwinnett-Tucker Toastmasters.  She recently won her local club’s International Speech Competition telling a story.

Aleks Midnight

“Uncle Boris, A Bath House, and a Lot of Vodka”

Stand up comic. Storyteller. Singer-songwriter.
Ukrainian-Russian-American weirdo and Cat Parent Extraordinaire.
For more info, to hear comedy or music, or for simple stalking pleasures, find Aleks on instagram @SashaMidnightComedy.

Cat Nguyen

“Homemade Chicken Pot Pie”

Cat Nguyen (they/she) is a storyteller based in Atlanta, GA. They grew up in northern Virginia, a suburb of Washington DC, and moved to Atlanta in 2014 to study public health. Cat works as a public health advisor. Cat fell in love with storytelling during their senior year of college, when a friend told them about a cool new thing called podcasts. They spent hours listening to the Moth podcast on their iPod Touch, while working in a botany lab. Cat co-produces Stories Worth Sharing, a free, monthly storytelling event at Red Light Cafe, along with Jessie Miller. Facebook: Stories Worth Sharing Atlanta  IG: @storiesworthsharingatl

Dana Plazyk

“Happiness Is…Indulging Into My Secret Passion…”

Dana has lived in Tucker for almost 10 years.  She and her husband Bruce and furbaby Niqqi moved from Chicago to be close to their son and family. Dana (Dahna) has been active in our community and has been a member of our local Toastmasters Club for the last 5 years.  By the way (shameless plug), the Gwinnett-Tucker Toastmasters Club 833 meets every Friday morning from 7:30 until 8:45 at Matthews Cafeteria.

Carly Sharec

“Love in the Classified Section”

Carly Sharec is an Atlanta-based stand up comedian and actress. She’s performed locally with Tucker’s Main Street Theatre, notably as Meg in Little Women and Mrs. Armstrong in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. She was also the writer of Main Street’s most recent murder mystery dinner, Murder in Transylvania. She appears regularly on comedy shows across Atlanta, including in Kenan Thompson’s Ultimate Comedy Experience. In real life, Carly works in marketing and lives in Flowery Branch with her two fur sons, Bowser and Louis.

Shannon M. Turner

“Camp Crush”

Shannon M. Turner is a professional storyteller and story coach, as well as a writer, dreamer, and nerd. She is the Founder/Creative Director of StoryMuse, which offers storytelling techniques as a tool for personal discernment, team building, and community development in effort to cultivate a world where all stories are heard and honored. She is currently working on her first book. Read more at StoryMuse.net.