Stories From The Stage

Storytellers share how dealing with challenges showed them strengths they never knew they had. Brandon Kazen-Maddox bridges the gap between their deaf grandma and a police officer using American sign language; a miniature marshmallow and a severe allergic reaction turn Sara Kaminski’s family vacation upside down; and Jeff Belanger takes on Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for cancer research and catch a glimpse of himself. Three storytellers, three interpretations of ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, hosted by Theresa Okokon. In this milestone 100th broadcast episode,Stories from the Stage from WORLD Channel is an example of the best of public media made possible by listeners, like you. Help us bring you more great stories by making a donation today at worldchannel.org/stories.

Twenty years ago, the events of 9/11 changed the world. People everywhere struggled to make sense of the terrible act and to rebuild their lives in its aftermath. After the death of his father on 9/11, David Filipov goes to Afghanistan, where a simple Pop-Tart takes on a whole new meaning. Sociology professor Michael Sargent confronts his biases on an airplane. And Jude Treder-Wolff finds seeds of hope to fuel her work as a Clinical Social Worker and Creative Arts Therapist.

Tonight’s tellers share those moments when they stood up, spoke out, and changed everything. Andy Vargas takes his political activism door-to-door. Katie Liesener discovers how compassion can cross the language barrier. And Yvette Modestin battles exclusion by creatively redefining her Blackness. Hosted by Theresa Okokon.

The late John Lewis took pride in creating "good trouble" and standing up against unfairness. Maulian Dana fights to ban "Indian" mascots in Maine schools; Ronald Smith stands up for his integrated marriage; Dr. Wanda Castro-Borrero's boss pushes back against patients who don't want to see her because of her name.

There's nothing worse than the moment when we lose something precious. And there's nothing more satisfying than finding something that we thought was lost. James Griffin tries to connect with his brother, who was killed in the Vietnam War.

Growing up Black in America means forging cultural bonds, struggling for visibility, and all too often, receiving unearned judgment. Valerie Tutson teaches her students about Africa's greatest explorer; Angie Chatman learns about how far we have come and how far we have to go in a chance encounter she will never forget.

Comedic storyteller Susanne Schmidt shares two of her favorite childhood adventures: an "extreme camping" trip with her family, and her Janis Joplin lookalike nanny, who invented an new Olympic competition riding pillows down the staircase.

A missed connection doesn't necessarily mean loss; it could be a chance for redemption. While dating after having a mastectomy, Musu-Kulla Massaquoi finds a friend who likes her the way she is.

You can’t win if you don’t play. And playing can make all the difference. Nora Meiners fills in the blanks as the missing pieces person at a jigsaw puzzle company; Olympian ski jumper Nick Fairall tells how one leap changed his life forever; and on his first hunting trip, John Stewart fears disappointing his dad, an avid hunter. Three storytellers, three interpretations of GAME ON!, hosted by Wes Hazard.

Day by day, meal by meal, food becomes a part of who we are. Javed Rezayee tests his meager cooking skills against those of his father, a talented professional chef; Jo Radner's mother astonishes her family by baking a pie for dinner; Juan Pedrosa conjures a memorable meal despite a multitude of challenges.