The Frunchroom

The next reader for this Thursday’s Frunchroom show is Lisa Colleen.

Lisa is a lover of stories. As a mom, grandma, teacher and coach, she has an endless supply of material and seldom makes it through one story without interrupting herself with another.

She produces Inspired Live Lit in Lockport on the first Tuesday of the month. Lisa is grateful to witness and experience the magical way each story connects, heals and inspires.

The head of the women’s cross country and track coach at Saint Xavier University, Lisa lives in the South Loop and will read a story about what it’s like for a coach to feel like the one who’s getting coached.

See Lisa and all our readers at The Frunchroom this Thursday, January 16th.

RSVP on Facebook here

Next up for this month’s Frunchroom show is Jessica Scheller.

Jessica Scheller is the proud mother of 8-year-old twins Charlotte & Grayson, the dedicated wife of Adam Wiers, and the reluctant owner of a golden retriever named Dave. She and her family have been squatting in a house on South Seeley Avenue for the past 11 years that will forever be known by the name of its previous owners – the Mittendorfs.

Jessica is the newly elected Vice President of Action & Policy on the Executive Board of Illinois NOW. She focuses her volunteer time and energy on galvanizing citizens to action.

She was among the leadership of the ERA Coalition organized to pass the ERA in Illinois in 2018. Jessica also served as an advocate in the Reproductive Health Coalitions which were responsible for passing HB40 in 2018 and the Reproductive Health Act in 2019.

She recently formed and Co-Chairs a committee with advocates in the gun violence prevention community to organize around legislation restricting the possession of semi-automatic assault rifles, large-capacity magazines and the associated accessories in Illinois.

Jessica believes in the extraordinary power of the citizen who is engaged and is convinced that the identity of the spokesperson of any grassroots effort is far less important than that of the keeper of the spreadsheet.

She is the Co-Founder of Women’s March Chicago, NFP, a 501(c)(4) advocacy organization and served as the President of the Board of Directors for two years while overseeing three demonstrations in Grant Park in Chicago and one in Springfield. Jessica also Co-Founded MarchOn, NFP, a National 501(c)(4) advocacy organization comprised of leaders of the various women’s marches held around the country in January of 2017 which focuses on coordinating mass-feminist demonstrations.

Jessica serves on the Board of Directors for Chicago NOW as its Vice President. Through CNOW, she focuses her advocacy efforts on promoting economic equity for women in the workplace, boosting women to positions of political power, increasing reproductive justice, ending domestic abuse and increasing public safety.

In her professional life, Jessica is the Chief of a major Civil Litigation Division in a public office. During her legal career in public service, she has successfully defended against challenges to Illinois’ Campaign Finance Reform Statute and the Cook County Blair Holt Assault Weapons Ban.

For this month’s show, Jessica will talk about her work in activism. See her and the rest of our readers this Thursday, January 16th at Beverly Arts Center.

RSVP on Facebook here

It’s time to get to know the readers for our next show this Thursday at Beverly Arts Center. First up is Ada Cheng.

Ada is a professor-turned-storyteller, solo performer, and storytelling show producer. She has been featured at storytelling shows and done her two solo performances all over the country. She is the producer and the host of four storytelling shows, including Pour One Out, Am I Man Enough?, Talk Stories: An Asian American/Asian Diaspora Storytelling Show, and Speaking Truths Series. She creates platforms for people to tell difficult and vulnerable stories as well as spaces for people and communities who may not have opportunities otherwise. Her motto: Make your life the best story you tell.

A professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Ada lives in Avondale and will be reading a piece about immigration. See Ada and the rest of our readers this Thursday night.

RSVP on Facebook here

Did the organizers of The Frunchroom intend to start 2020 with its 20th show? Nope. But as luck and the calendar would have it, that’s exactly what happened with five new storytellers to warm up your winter.

The Beverly Area Arts Alliance presents:

The Frunchroom, Volume XX

Sponsored by: Beverly Arts Center

Thursday, January 16th
730pm
Beverly Arts Center,  2407 W. 111th St.

$5 donation requested

Our storytellers:

Ada Cheng
Recovering academic turned hopeful artist

Lisa Colleen
Lover of stories 

Tonika Johnson
Creator, Folded Map Project

Madeline O’Malley
Southside transplant, comedian, #BeverlyFamous mom 

Jessica Scheller
Mom, wife, neighbor, undercover revolutionary  

Hosted by: Scott Smith

Visit BeverlyArts.org for more information on the Beverly Area Arts Alliance.