Story District will bring it’s hilarious, heartfelt stories to the virtual stage on May 12. Story District’s debut show at the Kennedy Center, ​Funnier than Fiction, ​took place in February to two full houses. If you missed it the first time, or are new to the live storytelling world, now is your chance to listen and laugh along with these exceptional storytellers.

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Cast: Shawn Banks, Yasmin Elhady, Carol Moore, Ijeoma Njaka, Cody Pomeranz, Sherwet Witherington

Story District has been dedicated to fine-tuning a reflective and disciplined process that’s led us to nights like ​Funnier than Fiction — ​where people share intimate and thought provoking stories with a virtual room full of strangers, reminding us that we are not alone. In this unique, uncertain time, we hope to bring some levity, humor, and a chance to escape.

Showcasing a diverse cast of newcomers and seasoned storytellers, each performance delights with situations that range from relatable to ridiculous.

Story Teasers:

•  Sherwet Witherington​ goes to great lengths to rescue a stuffed animal to prove to her

children, her wife, and herself that she’s a good parent.

•  Muslim-American​ Yasmin Elhady​ makes a bold run for class president soon after 9/11

at her Southern high school.

•  Cody Pomeranz ​meets his basketball hero and gets a taste of the difference between

the person and the myth.

•  Ijeoma Njaka ​spends time with her grandmother despite the language barrier to make a

connection and assure herself that her grandmother definitely, for sure, knows her name.

•  Carol Moore​ learns to manage her anger towards her neighbors due to very thin walls.
•  Shawn Banks ​survives an attack by an aggressive horse.

“All I hope is that this performance acts as a way for people to see there are so many types of voices that are out there, and underneath everything, despite our ethnic backgrounds and

sexual identities and etc, we’re all the same and have faced similar experiences,” says comedian Shawn Banks, another first-timer to the Story District stage.

“​My story features my late grandmother and my late father. When I started working on this story over the summer, my dad had been dead for about a year. I was pleasantly surprised to see him appear in this story with levity. My grandma and my dad remain some of my favorite people, so I’m glad I get to keep talking about them with other people,” says first-time storyteller, artist, and writer, Ijeoma Njaka.

“​My mission is to bring as many people into the world of storytelling as possible. To work alongside Amy in helping storytellers, many of them first-timers, perfect their craft and become ambassadors for the art form brings me joy,” says co-director Shawna Renee, a long-time storyteller and music reporter.

About Story District:​ ​Story District has been entertaining audiences in Washington, DC since 1997. In that span of time, Story District has mastered the art of turning good, true stories into great performances at the Washington area’s finest concert venues including a monthly show at the Black Cat, Lincoln Theatre, 9:30 Club, Atlas Performing Arts Center, Sixth & I, DC Improv, Union Stage and more. Learn more at ​storydistrict.org​.