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BREAKING OUR
SILENCE

STORYTELLING FOR MENTAL HEALTH
APRIL - MAY 2022

“Breaking Our Silence” was a month-long series of events in Spring 2022 that looked to the power of film, theater, dance, literature, music, poetry, and other forms of creative expression to help lift the shroud of secrecy around mental illness. 
 
Timed to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month, the series was organized by Story House Ithaca and sponsored by The Sophie Fund, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Finger Lakes, and the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County.

Screenings, workshops, performances, and more!

“Breaking Our Silence” included a May 15, 2022 screening at Cinemapolis of the award-winning documentary Bedlam, movement workshops on managing anxiety and grief, an open-mic storytelling event featuring master storyteller Regi Carpenter, a virtual panel at the Spring Writes Literary Festival on writing about mental illness, a presentation and volunteer opportunity with the Prisoner Express program, Civic Ensemble ReEntry Theatre Program's production of Delia Divided, and more. The series culminated on Saturday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m. in a community celebration at Ithaca High School’s Kulp Auditorium. 

Featured events

  • From Memory to Memoir with Regi Carpenter
    From Memory to Memoir with Regi Carpenter
    Sat, Mar 14
    Tompkins County Public Library
    Mar 14, 2026, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
    Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Join master storyteller Regi Carpenter for a two-hour session on turning your memories into memorable stories!
  • The Readers' Room
    The Readers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Sun, Mar 15
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor
    Mar 15, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor, 312 E Seneca St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Come read with us!
  • Presentation Night
    Presentation Night
    Multiple Dates
    Tue, Mar 17
    Liquid State Brewery
    Mar 17, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    Liquid State Brewery, 620 W Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Celebrate the joy of learning at this evening of short talks by non-experts (and there's beer!)
  • Story House Mending Circle
    Story House Mending Circle
    Multiple Dates
    Thu, Mar 19
    Mar 19, 2026, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
    SewGreen, 112 W Green St, #2, Ithaca, NY 14850
    Stitch, patch, share tips, and swap stories at our monthly mending circle led by Margaret Ball-Lumumba
  • The Readers' Room
    The Readers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Sun, Apr 05
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor
    Apr 05, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor, 312 E Seneca St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Come read with us!
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Apr 12
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Apr 12, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Lively readings of theatrical works in progress. Join as a playwright, actor, audience member, or all three!
  • The Readers' Room
    The Readers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Sun, Apr 19
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor
    Apr 19, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor, 312 E Seneca St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Come read with us!
  • Playwrights Jam - Old Greeny Edition
    Playwrights Jam - Old Greeny Edition
    Wed, Apr 29
    Hammerstone School: Carpentry for Women
    Apr 29, 2026, 7:00 PM – 8:15 PM
    Hammerstone School: Carpentry for Women, 720 W Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    New plays about monsters!
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, May 10
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    May 10, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Lively readings of theatrical works in progress. Join as a playwright, actor, audience member, or all three!
  • Stuck in Our Own Minds
    Stuck in Our Own Minds
    Mon, May 11
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    May 11, 2026, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Barbara Lang, Yusuf Uğurer, and Yvonne Fisher present a cabaret with stories, poems, rants, and singing
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Mar 01
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Mar 01, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Lively readings of theatrical works in progress. Join as a playwright, actor, audience member, or all three!
  • The Writers' Room
    The Writers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Wed, Feb 18
    Tompkins County Public Library
    Feb 18, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
    Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Work on your project in the company of fellow writers
  • The Readers' Room
    The Readers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Sun, Feb 15
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor
    Feb 15, 2026, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor, 312 E Seneca St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Come read with us!
  • It’s All Goin’ to the Dogs
    It’s All Goin’ to the Dogs
    Fri, Feb 13
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Feb 13, 2026, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    A musical storytelling event with Regi Carpenter
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Feb 01
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Feb 01, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Lively readings of theatrical works in progress. Join as a playwright, actor, audience member, or all three!
  • The Readers' Room
    The Readers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Sun, Feb 01
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor
    Feb 01, 2026, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
    Rosie’s Cafe & Parlor, 312 E Seneca St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Come read with us!
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Jan 11
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Jan 11, 2026, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Lively readings of theatrical works in progress. Join as a playwright, actor, audience member, or all three!
  • My Multimedia Adventure: An Afternoon with Jonathan Miller
    My Multimedia Adventure: An Afternoon with Jonathan Miller
    Jan 11, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
    MACRE, 415 N Tioga St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Join Story House Ithaca's founder and co-director as he shares the story of his winding, purposeful career
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About The Sophie Fund

The Sophie Fund, Inc., principal sponsor of "Breaking Our Silence," is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable corporation established to support mental health initiatives aiding young people in greater Ithaca and Tompkins County. It supports programs and projects; raises awareness and fights the stigma around mental illness and treatment; advances a “zero suicide” ethos in the community; and serves as a community advocate for young people struggling with mental illness.

Story House Ithaca Line
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