#US - Unique & Shared Experiences

Marvin Rocha is a Nicaraguan-American who lives in South Philly and works at the University of Pennsylvania. He works to support black members of the UPenn community after the police-involved homicides over the summer. He also seeks to help his own community of Nicaraguan-Americans and Latinx redefine masculinity and identity in the queer comunity. "You never know what someone else is going throug...

Eric Marsh is an African-American father. He shares his choice of self-care in the beginning of the pandemic and how rituals sustain him. Eric is a father honoring the male role as nurturer and protector. #US - Five People. One Moment: - "Love in the Heart of the City" provides a window into the hearts and minds of men of color living in several of Philadelphia's "arterial" corridors and neighborh...

"Alone you go faster, together you go farther." Rob has this quote in mind as a mixed-race Japanese-American artist and activist. He discusses finding parallels to the Black Lives Matter movement amid a call for immigration reform and the way losing his job at the beginning of the pandemic allowed him to go deeper into activism.  #US - Five People. One Moment: - "Love in the Heart of the City" pro...

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we're celebrating all the ways a date can go wrong. Whether it's someone with a love of clowns or going on a blind date to Atlantic City, some dates are so bad the only words that can save them are "Take me to McDonald's, and take me home!" Join #Us for five bad dates, so you don't have to go on any.    Ashley Grace Alyssa Candice Eric   Thank you to ou...

For 11 years, First Person Arts has done Valentine's Day our own way with the Ex-Files StorySlam.  #US will be no different.  In this episode, we are going to look at the seedy underbelly of love. Jamie J. will be joined by our StorySlam host, Chris Lundy. Join #US as we hear what's in a cheating heart.   Lauren Kevin Steve Jill Jamie Thank you to our media sponsor: Metro Newspaper   Subscribe to...

It's 2021, and after the past year we've all had, it's time for some new goals. Join #US for five stories about new beginnings, working through anxiety, and just staying alive. Progress doesn't happen overnight.  Be inspired or commiserate as storytellers share their goals in  #US - "And you realize you're getting better".   Tim - Going For It Megan - Secrets Robin  Lisa- Starting Out. Mike - Stra...

Food and family. Separately or combined these can be absolutely great or they can be fodder for the therapist. In "Everyone at the Table…" we hear the stories about a boy who loves Christmas and has to hide it, a young woman who learns a new recipe in her grandmother's memory, and in a man who is afraid to have dinner with his nieces.  Listen as storytellers share their tales of food and family in...

Hindsight is 2020 especially IN 2020. The episode of #US - "Look How Far We've Come" highlights how the challenging moments of our lives can be viewed through a different lens. Whether it's a 4-year-old girl learning the power of her voice, a young man's diminishing inheritance transforming into familial pride, or a series of increasingly unfortunate events leading to a zen moment, it's all how yo...

Ever had a near-death experience?  They say your whole life flashes before your eyes.  Some say, instead, that we see a few key memories that are etched in your brain. The defining moments that made you who you are, speak for us! Listen as storytellers share their defining moments in  #US - Defining Moments.   Bill Mettler - 2012 Fall GrandSlam Dave Hillis - Going for it GrandSlam Diane Ivey - 201...

Emily Epstein White is a news copy editor, parent of young children, and stand-up comedian who discovers what "being ok" looks like during COVID-19. She's had to rethink how to do comedy gigs and what it means to be a performer in our current pandemic era. Emily shares with us how she is adapting and trying to regain some aspects of her former life that she misses.     Subscribe to First Person Ar...

Eugene Haynes is a college professor and filmmaker. He shares how the pandemic has forced him to pivot as an educator. Eugene contemplates how COVID-19 has caused him to reflect on who he is and talks about how he sees this moment as a stepping stone to social change.      Subscribe to First Person Arts YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/SubscribetoFPA Share your COVID Story: https://www.firstpersonarts...

Tanesha Ford is an arts administrator, writer, and improvisational actress who is "yes, and"ing her way through COVID. Listen as Tanesha discovers how to manage the many responsibilities of caregiving for a loved one during a pandemic. Learn how she is able to still laugh despite life's many bumps along the COVID road.     Subscribe to First Person Arts YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/SubscribetoFPA...

  Che Guerrero is a humorist and parent of two special needs children. Once the pandemic hit, he decided to return to his former career as a nurse's aide, and has since taken on the risk of working in long-term care facilities that have been hit hard by COVID. Che shares with us how the pandemic caused him unexpectedly to embark on a journey of self-discovery.    Subscribe to First Person Arts You...

Marcus Henderson is a psychiatric mental health nurse for kids and teens. He contracted COVID-19 early in the pandemic and unpacks for us the emotional toll that the virus took on him. As a mental health practitioner, he also discusses the pandemic's social and emotional impact on America at large and believes more empathy is needed at this time.  Subscribe to First Person Arts YouTube: https://ti...

Identity is a tricky thing. It can't be summed up in a few words and is often more than the sum of its parts. Especially a big word like US.  So we decided to let some of our favorite storytellers speak for us! Listen to the story of First Person Arts through #US - Who is Us?   Show Notes    Martha Cooney - Where I Come From Gabby Shay - White Lies Nimisha Ladva - Heroes Frank Chism - Lesson Learn...

A ghostly roommate, a basement straight out of Poltergeist, and two tweens slay a monster in Ep2 of #US - Unique and Shared Experiences.  Things go bump in the night that will have you scurrying!  Join #US, we will keep you company this Halloween.   Storytellers - You can watch their stories on our Youtube channel. Sara Ray - News to Me Brian Kim - Covid Stories Andrew Panebianco - 2014 First Pers...

The first edition of Five People. One Moment releases on November 16.  Every November, February, May, and August, we will dive deeper into how Five People are affected by One Moment in America.    Every day for five consecutive days, a new perspective will be shared on how Che Guerrero,  Emily Epstein White, Tanesha M. Ford, Marcus Henderson, and Eugene Haynes are navigating their way through COVI...

Why #US? Because Unique and Shared Experiences bring us closer.  The introvert on Bourbon Street, the nauseous teen on a carnival date, the young girl finding strength in unexpected places, we are right there with you.   Storytellers - You can watch their stories on our Youtube channel. Randie Welles - StorySlam: Surprise! Amrita Subramanian - StorySlam: Small but Mighty Shawn Theadore - StorySlam...

Coming October 2020, First Person Arts returns with #US a new storytelling podcast that broadcasts Unique and Shared experiences that connect us with each other and the world.  An entertaining podcast that is a great companion to everything from your morning commute to mowing the lawn. #US will release a new episode every two weeks and in November, February, May and August, we will dive deeper int...