I Am Here

Anushka Srivastava

Co-producer/stage manager
Anushka Srivastava (she/they) is currently pursuing a BA in Stage Management at Pace University. Some of her favorite previous credits include The Dining Room, Big Fish, and Rent and they've loved getting to add I Am Here to that list! She loves important, poignant theatre and these stories are nothing but that. Thank you and congrats to everyone involved! They are also stage managing Fringe show Make America Gray Again! and you should see that one too!

Bruce Manning

Co-producer
Bruce Manning (he/him) is happy that the memory of his first Fringe-winning lottery ball from the ill-fated year of 2020 has been replaced by the joy of this year's winning lottery ball. This is the sixth storytelling show he's produced. He's also told stories at the Moth, the Moth Grand Slam, Huge, Strike and the JCC.

Dana Bartocci

Performer
Dana Bartocci's mission in the world is to move people and her stories will do just that. She shares her personal tragedies and joy in stories that are heartwarming and humorous. She is a lawyer by education, and has transformed her education and people skills into a career as a Human Resources executive.

Rachel Lipkin

Performer
Rachel Lipkin (she/her) is a local Jewish Lesbian singer, composer, and musician who enjoys all types of music. She began composing Jewish liturgical music in 2010. Rachel’s first album, With Every Heartbeat, was released in 2017 and her second album is in the works. This is Rachel’s first storytelling experience on a stage and she is grateful to be able to be out about being out.

Alice Bauer

Performer
Alice Bauer is a recovering lawyer, and a published children’s book author. She has been telling tales since childhood — some of which, she tells me, got her in real trouble. She's come all the way from Connecticut for this, her second on-stage storytelling experience.

Sara Greenhalgh

Performer
Sara Greenhalgh (she/they/theirs) was born in Wonju, South Korea and raised in Minneapolis. They enjoy spending time with their dogs, hiking & camping, reading, and cooking. She grew up performing, story-telling, and playing music.

Howard Lieberman

Performer
Nationally known storyteller, poet, performance artist and political activist Howard Lieberman moved from Brooklyn New York to bucolic but shockingly Republican Stillwater MN in 1990. His jaded yet surprisingly tender style has made him a favorite on the national and, thanks to Zoom, global performance scene. Howard is a former member of the Board of Directors of the National Storytelling Network and a current board member of Story Arts of Minnesota.

Karl Nastrom

Performer
Karl Nastrom (he/him) grew up in Minnesota and began writing in 1996, while stationed in Germany as a USAF intelligence officer. When not writing, Karl has represented clients as an attorney in federal, state, and tribal courts in Alabama, California, and Minnesota. He has also taught math at public high schools in Maryland and Mississippi. He currently lives in Minneapolis, where he works at the Indian Child Welfare Law Center, serving Native families involved in child protection. His short story, “The Willows,” published in Collateral in November 2024, was nominated for a 2025 Puschcart Prize. His website is: www.karlnastrom.com

Laura Packer

Performer
Laura Packer has been performing, coaching, writing, consulting, giving keynotes, and leading the storytelling field for more than 30 years. She knows the best way to the truth is through a good story and that this universally accessible artform creates empathy, builds bridges, and has the power to change the world. As the author of the award-winning From Audience to Zeal: The ABCs of Finding, Crafting, and Telling a Great Story and the accompanying workbook, she is committed to helping others find their voice. As the creator of #storyseeds she is dedicated to helping others deepen thrive creativity. Laura has received many awards. In 2020 she was inducted into the National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence in recognition of her mastery, excellence, and dedication to the art of storytelling. Other awards include the 2020 Storytelling World Award for her Audience to Zeal books; 2018 Minnesota GrandSlam; best in Fringe in Kansas City in 2016 and 2018; the J. J. Reneaux Mentoring Grant from the National Storytelling Network in 2016; 2012 League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling Brother Blue Award; finalist in the 2009 and 2010 Boston Story Slam series; recipient of the 2010 National Storytelling Network Oracle Award and others. laurapacker.com

Gregory Pickett

Performer
Originally from Chicago, IL, Gregory Pickett is a Minneapolis-based poet, storyteller, writer and educator known for turning the difficult events of his adolescence and early adulthood - homelessness and substance abuse- into engaging, accessible narrative that bridges the gaps between us. He was the first-place finalist in the 2019 National Storytelling Festival Story Slam as well as winning the Twin Cities: Moth Grand Slam Storytelling championship that same year. He believes gaming and art are tools for healing. Also, seafood is his favorite food and is not above being paid in Fried Shrimp and Sushi.

Ariel Pinkterton

Performer
Ariel Pinkerton (she/her) has had two abortions. She created this show in 2016 and plans to keep doing it as long as abortion rights are in question. She is Co-Artistic Director of Fortune's Fool Theatre, Production Banshee for Ghoulish Delights, Community Liaison for the Minnesota Fringe, Co-Owner of the Hard Times Cafe, and mother of Fiona. Next you can see her in WITCH HUNT with Ghoulish Delights and YARRRH, the Lusty, Busty Festival with Fortune’s Fool. Also, from the producer of I AM HERE, I'm suggesting you go see The Abortion Chronicles, created and produced and also starring Ariel! It is also at Rarig's Arena Stage. Check it out at: https://minnesotafringe.org/shows/2025/the-abortion-chronicles#cast

Jason Schommer

Performer
"Jason is funny, clever, smart, and on his way to the big time!" - Louie Anderson, Emmy Award Winning Comedian and Legend. "Nobody tells a better story than Jason Schommer. A long-time opener for the legendary Louie Anderson, Schommer is a multi-layered talent who combines stand-up, storytelling, acting, and improv to create a unique experience every time he is on stage. Jason is a true performer in every sense of the word, and one of the most engaging personalities in all avenues of Twin Cities comedy." - Patrick Strait, MN Comedy. Jason Schommer is a stand up comedian and storyteller who spent two years as the opening act for comedy icon Louie Anderson in Las Vegas and toured with Louie regularly. As a stand up comic, Jason has performed all over the USA as well as Canada and for the US Military in Japan. Jason's sharp wit and spur of the moment playfulness keeps the audience on the edge of their seat with crazy and absurd "is-this-really-happening" stories to jokes with unexpected twists and turns and off-the-cuff refs. The laughs come fast and furious as Jason mines everyday life, turning the seemingly mundane and routine into comedy gold. A regular performer at The Moth, Jason has won numerous Story Slam competitions and was invited to perform at the GrandSlams at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul (2016, 2023) and the Guthrie Theater (2018) and at the Pantages Theater (2022). Jason has been heard nationally on The Moth Radio Hour numerous times as well as featured on the podcast. Jason has worked in New York City for The Rosie O'Donnell Show and has worked behind the scenes in Hollywood as a stand-in for Louie Anderson on the FX television series Baskets. In 2017, Jason release his first live comedy album "Confessions of a Local Celebrity". Most recently, Jason went viral on TikTok by starring in a video with Dave Ryan from KDWB and hitting over 5.4 million views. Previous Fringe Festival productions: 2022: Shameless 2003: Beer Goggles: The Musical 2006: Wonderland 2010: KRAP-FM 2012: Starf*cker 2017: Debacle 2022: Curtain Call: Letters to My Friend Louie Anderson 2023: 1992: Mistakes Were Made! (Golden Lanyard Award Winner) 2024: A Material Boy Living in a Madonna World. Go see Jason's own show too, 50: A Totally Rad Comedy About the Gnarly Reckoning of a Gen Xer!

Anthony Sisler-Neuman

Performer
A cofounder of Graceful Monsters Educational Theatre Collective, Anthony grew up as a theater kid in the Twin Cities, working at most of the local youth companies. He went on to study theater in high school and shifted gears to playwriting at Columbia College Chicago. Anthony has been directing and educating youth since 2012, while continuing to work as a theater professional. His lifelong dream of having an educational theatre collective has finally come true, alongside his wife, which is truly the only way it could have happened. He is an avid believer that theater changes lives and continues to be inspired by the young artists he works with every day.

Haley Sisler-Neuman

Performer
A cofounder of Graceful Monsters Educational Theatre Collective, Haley is a theater educator, actor, and choreographer based in the Twin Cities, with over 15 years of performance experience and a BFA in Musical Theater from Drake University. Alongside her husband, Anthony, she co-founded GMETC to merge her love for teaching with her experience as a performer. Haley has mentored young artists of all ages and loves seeing them grow—not just as performers, but as individuals. For her, teaching is about helping young artists build confidence, creativity, and a lifelong love of the arts.

Levi Weinhagen

Performer
Levi Weinhagen is a writer, producer, performer, podcaster, educator, coach, and licensed therapist. He co-founded the all-ages theater company Comedy Suitcase and has created multiple original shows that were in the top 10 of ticket sales at the Minnesota Fringe Festival. In 2012 Levi was named an Artist of the Year by City Pages. He was the first ever Artist in Residence for the Walker Art Center’s Education and Family programs department in 2014-2015. He is a teaching artist with COMPAS. Levi produced and hosted a podcast called ‘Not About You’ that is a serious yet entertaining look at social justice issues in America. Levi also runs Routine Maintenance, a race and gender justice focused consulting firm. He's got his own show in the Fringe too: The Gentlemen's Pratfall Club. Go see it!

Laura Zimmermann

Performer
Laura Zimmermann (she/her) is a writer, a storyteller, and a connoisseur of cookies. Her debut YA novel My Eyes Are Up Here (Dutton) won a Minnesota Book Award and is available in five languages, even though she can only read one of them. Her second book, Just Do This One Thing For Me (Dutton), was "One of the most humorous, touching novels published this year," per the Pioneer Press, and a 2024 Edgar Award and 2024 Minnesota Book Award nominee. She lives in Minneapolis with her family. www.laurazimmermannbooks.com