Stories from the Hearth

Evren Odcikin (he/him) is a Turkish-American director, writer, and arts leader based in New York City and San Francisco. This story was shared in 2020 at the start of his time as Associate Artistic Director and Director of Artistic Programming at Oregon Shakespeare Festival (2019-2023) where he also served as Interim Artistic Director in 2023.

During his time at OSF, Evren was: instrumental in "saving" the 2023 Season; programmed the 2024 Season; helped manage the company through the COVID pandemic and the Almeda Fire; and oversaw five repertory seasons, including more than 30 productions.

Evren's directing credits at OSF include Macbeth (2024), the West Coast premiere of Mona Mansour's Unseen (2022) and the world premiere of Amir Nizar Zuabi's This is Who I Am (2020).

The art of storytelling is a favorite of Helen Jucevic (JOO SA VIK), an English mother of three.

In Stories From the Hearth, she tells a humorous tale of Dan the Rattlesnake Catcher (her husband) and the adventures they shared with the ringtail catchers, bears, scorpions, a skunk, and their children at the sun lodge, where they engaged in an all-night fire circle.

Each month we partner with the Hearth, a regional program where people gather to share true, personal stories. The aim is to connect to one another, strengthen common values, cultivate compassion, and uncover the ties that bind us to one another. Today’s story is from Tom Pike, in 2017.

Tom is a licensed mental health counselor who tells of his life as a high-risk adventurer, his journey of self discovery, and the pleasure of everyday living."

Some people have their minds expanded by spending four years in college. In Kristy Laschober's case, some of the greatest growth in life came from the four years she spent in a federal prison. It helped her get a grip on her drug addiction and directed her attention to the fact that she needed to make some changes in her life. She made those and then turned around to help other people find purpose in their lives.

Laschober tells the story in another edition of Stories from the Hearth, our joint project with The Hearth in Ashland.

Laschober is also the author of Perfectly Flawed: Uncovering Your Greatest Purpose.

Fumiaki Tosu is the founder of an intentional community, Dandelion House, aimed at helping people in need and responding to social and climate issues that challenge us all. Before that, he was a bright, privileged young man wondering if he'd find his place in the world and work he was passionate about. He found all that and more through his work with young people in crisis.

Tosu shared his story during a Hearth Community Storytelling event in March 2019. The theme was Working for a Living. Hear his share in the latest edition of Stories from The Hearth.

Registration is open for The Hearth's online Certificate in Community Storytelling Training, early bird registration discounts are available until July 15th.

In 2016, while on a sabbatical, longtime Ashland elementary school teacher, Molly McKissick traveled to Bangladesh to teach the small children of Rohingya refugees games to help them heal from the trauma in their lives. McKissick shares her experiences and the valuable lessons she learned along the way in JPR's, Stories from the Hearth. The Hearth Story archives feature recordings of true, personal stories from people in our region, all with the intention of connecting and enriching communities.

When you grow up fiercely independent, it's not an easy thing to ask for help. But Wendy Werthaiser was forced to start asking for help when she began losing her eyesight. Blindness did slow her down, but barely. She still teaches school in Ashland and continues her athletic pursuits, including some really fast bicycling, aboard a tandem with a partner.

Wendy tells her own story in the latest edition of Stories from the Hearth, our joint project with The Hearth, an Ashland-based storytelling nonprofit. Wendy talks of her special blend of fearlessness and vulnerability.

We're not going to do much about the great divide in America if we just cling to our own ideas and scream at our perceived opponents. What seems to help is to take time to get to know people, to hear the stories they have to tell.

The Hearth, an Ashland-based nonprofit, has been encouraging such storytelling for years, and training people to do it better and help other people share stories. We begin a new podcast in collaboration with the group, Stories From The Hearth. Alma Rosa Alvarez is the first person we hear from, telling the story of generosity from a friend who is an undocumented immigrant.