Unravel Storytelling

Things didn’t exactly go according to Carms Malvone’s plans, but plans change and now Carms would have to change too. At 79, she is one of our sagest storytellers to date, hitting the Unravel stage with a splash when she shared her story at our August 2019 ‘Natural’ show. Carms shared an inspirational tale of loss, redemption, and reinvention - of discovering the ‘real’ her after all these years. We hope you enjoy the wit and wise words of our final storyteller on our season finale.

Nina and Darren are in love and happily married, but they tell their love story differently. We were so excited by this Unravel first, when these two both told a story at our 'Like in the Movies' live show in 2018. Darren reflected on the road he took from the end of his first marriage to meeting Nina, and Nina told a story about seeing her love and fears reflected back at her through her husband’s parents. We have both Nina and Darren in the studio for this episode, we hope you enjoy how open and downright adorable they are. 

It's Golden Week, a national holiday here in China, so we are releasing a bonus episode featuring two storytellers 'going for the gold,' from shows past. Enjoy Maya Sebestyen's account of her time training to become a world whistling champion, then follow Greg Nance as he summits Mount Blanc, one of the world's most dangerous climbs. We're back to our regular programming next week, and we hope you enjoy these golden stories! 

Clemon Courtney III is no longer accepting applications for white friends.  He first made this declaration in a piece he wrote for Medium, then he reworked it to share on the Unravel stage for our ‘Lost in Translation’ live show in the spring of 2018.  Step into our candid conversation with Clem, where he reflects on what he has compromised in the past and what he will not stand for in the future. Fair warning: this episode includes explicit language and racial slurs, and may not be suitable for younger listeners. 

Lauren Tininenko is a competitive swimmer who loves a challenge. Lauren first told her story at our ‘Waves’ live show in February, recounting one of the most intense swims she has taken on. Follow her as she navigates China’s open water, to be the first foreigner to swim the Qiongzhou Strait, a 25 kilometers swim from China’s mainland to Hainan Island. Lauren’s story is a rollercoaster, filled with tension, hilarity, and the memorable characters she met along the way.

Here’s a bonus episode, featuring one of our absolute favorite stories from our ‘This is Me’ show in 2018.  Yan is a father who has been active in PFLAG China since his son, Being, came out to his family.  This was the first story we have ever live-translated at a show, so you’ll hear Yan’s story translated by his son Being.  Something you can’t see in the recording are the signs Being brought along to provide some commentary while he translated his father's tale. Even without the visuals, these two are a hilarious and heartwarming duo and a testament to the power of love and acceptance. For more information on PFLAG China and the work they do across China, check out this episode's show notes on our website. 

Justine Hsu (who we affectionately call “J”) found ShanghaiPRIDE when she was in high school.  She joined as an activist to fight for LGBTQ+ rights, and although she was out to her friends she still hadn’t come out to one of the most important people in her life: her mom.  Inspired by the theme 'This is Me,' Justine’s story chronicles her journey from accepting her identity to embracing it.  In this episode we are also joined by Justine’s mentor Charlene Liu, one of the founders of ShanghaiPRIDE, to talk about the movement in Shanghai and wider China, and their hopes for the future.

Tendayi Chivero is a bit tired of explaining his origin story. Luckily, we now have it all recorded. He is the product of a Northern Irish mother and a father from Zimbabwe. Inspired by the theme 'Stand By Me,' Tendayi’s story unravels a family secret that spanned continents and decades. We follow Tendayi through all of the twists and turns, to end up somewhere no one saw coming. Tendayi’s story is an Unravel favorite, so we hope you enjoy it along with his quick wit and contagious laugh.

Norah Yang is a Shanghainese comedian who felt crushed by pressure to find a husband before the age of thirty and so decided to escape on one last adventure.  First stop on her bucket list: Burning Man. Her mission was to perform stand-up in the desert and experience as many new things as possible before the big 3-0 deadline.  She made it out alive, and is here to tell the tale, and to catch us up on the stand-up comedy scene in Shanghai.  We hope you enjoy the girl on fire, first of her name, the always marvelous Ms. Yang…

Savita Iyer has been an immigrant most of her life. She relocated from Bombay to Baton Rouge as a child, where her family settled permanently. Inspired by the theme Lost in Translation, Savita’s story explores how dehumanizing it can be to be misunderstood entering a new country with a new set of rules. She shared her story of acceptance and belonging when she was eight months pregnant, and joined us in the studio to share wisdom and insights on her biggest adventure yet.