Presented by the TMI Project and Engaged Pluralism at Vassar.

One story at a time, we change the world. Join us on Wednesday, November 18, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Bardavon Opera House for Exploding Definitions, a live storytelling event presented by Engaged Pluralism in partnership with the TMI Project. Campus shuttle transportation will be provided.

Hosted by Shona Tucker, distinguished professor of Drama at Vassar, this Moth-style live storytelling event features Vassar faculty, staff, administrators, and students sharing deeply personal, true stories that weave through complex family dynamics, mental health, and journeys ranging from local backyards to Utah and Uganda.

The Stories

SHONA

A DNA test unravels Shona’s understanding of her identity, revealing a family secret her mother kept for decades. A story of ancestry, silence, and the search for belonging.

NATHANIEL

Throughout his life, Nathaniel has felt alienated by expectations surrounding his race, class, and masculinity. Unable to find a place where he can authentically be himself, Nathaniel’s alienation develops into a deep crisis that requires intervention. 

Nathaniel returns from a sojourn in a residential treatment facility determined to engage his own discomfort in constructive ways that create a foundation for belonging.

SELENA

Holding on to a childhood memory of her father’s playful imagination, Selena explores the tension between growing up too soon, confronting reality, and finding her way back to wonder.

JOANNA

Growing up privileged but questioning the rules of womanhood, Joanna navigates marriage, motherhood, and the quiet rebellions that challenge expectations of what women should be.

GRETCHEN

At the age of 8, Gretchen’s mother teaches her to crochet granny squares to combat her boredom while recovering from pneumonia.

Gretchen’s relationship with knitting (and eventually spinning) evolves from an early fascination into a lifelong creative practice that becomes a guiding force in her life and the source of many deep friendships.

CYRENIUS

Cyrenius’ parents flee Liberia during the civil wars of the 1980s and 1990s, carrying the experience of displacement and upheaval into their family’s new life. Growing up, Cyrenius does not want to be an additional burden so he learns to hide his own feelings but the weight of this silence takes its toll on his mental health. In his early twenties, an encounter with a stranger who listens deeply to his story and recognizes his humanity and potential becomes a powerful turning point in Cyrenius’ life.

CHARLOTTE

Confronting her complicated relationship with her father, Charlotte explores the tenderness, anger, and forgiveness that make room for healing across generations.

ACHIRO

A reflection on exile, memory, and belonging, exploring how we carry home into unfamiliar rooms, how culture changes us, and how the people we leave behind remain with us through love, language, and memory.

Achiro misses the blunt unedited communication of her beloved aunties back home—replaced by the careful politeness of American culture. But, as a teacher, she comes to know a different kind of deep connection through the stories her students share—the kind of sharing that also does not ask permission. In those classrooms where teacher and students argue, write and learn to listen to each other, Achiro is learning a new kind of belonging.

The Event

This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required in advance; general admission tickets will be handed out at the theater doors upon entry on the evening of the show.

Doors will open to the lobby one hour before the show, and doors to the theatre 30 minutes before the show.

Transportation

Free campus shuttle transportation to the Bardavon Opera House is provided. To reserve a seat on the shuttle, please RSVP by email to ep@vassar.edu. The van will pick up in front of Main building at 6 p.m., and return trips will start when the event ends.

The Bardavon

The Bardavon Opera House is located at 35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. For more information, visit the Bardavon Opera House website. You can reach the Box Office Tuesday through Friday between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at 845-473-2072 or 845-339-6088.

Accessibility note: The Bardavon Opera House does not have an elevator. To arrange ADA-accessible seating or other special accommodations, please call or email the Box Office ahead of time, or contact the Campus Activities Office at (845) 437-5370.

Parking: For guests who are not taking the shuttle, there are a couple of public parking lots on Cannon St. behind the theater that are available to patrons.