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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

  • MARCELLA documentary and Q&A
    MARCELLA documentary and Q&A
    Mon, Jun 16
    Jun 16, 2025, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
    Cinemapolis, 120 E Green St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Catch a screening of the delicious new documentary MARCELLA about the disabled immigrant woman who introduced America to genuine Italian Food.
  • Story Night
    Story Night
    Tue, Jun 17
    The Nocturnal Café
    Jun 17, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    The Nocturnal Café, 103 S Geneva St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Bring your own story (8 minutes max) or just come to listen! The theme is "Discomfort Zones." No competition, just an evening of swapping stories with friends and strangers.
  • The Writers' Room
    The Writers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Wed, Jun 18
    Tompkins County Public Library
    Jun 18, 2025, 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
  • Mending Circle
    Mending Circle
    Multiple Dates
    Thu, Jun 19
    SewGreen
    Jun 19, 2025, 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
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Jun 29
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Jun 29, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 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!
  • Presentation Night
    Presentation Night
    Tue, Jul 08
    Liquid State Brewery
    Jul 08, 2025, 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!)
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Jul 20
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Jul 20, 2025, 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!
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Aug 24
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Aug 24, 2025, 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 Roast of Ithaca
    The Roast of Ithaca
    Fri, May 23
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    May 23, 2025, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    A no-holds-barred roast of the city we love (and sometimes love to complain about)
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, May 18
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    May 18, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 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!
  • SingTrece: Changing Hearts One Positive Note at a Time
    SingTrece: Changing Hearts One Positive Note at a Time
    Apr 25, 2025, 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM
    Kitchen Theatre Company, 417 W State St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, actress, and playwright SingTrece performs!
  • Presentation Night
    Presentation Night
    Tue, Apr 22
    Liquid State Brewery
    Apr 22, 2025, 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!)
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Apr 20
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Apr 20, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 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!
  • Postcards to the Planet
    Postcards to the Planet
    Sat, Apr 19
    Ithaca Commons
    Apr 19, 2025, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
    Ithaca Commons, 120 S Aurora St, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    For Earth Day, drop by our table on the Ithaca Commons and give the planet a piece of your mind
  • The Writers' Room
    The Writers' Room
    Multiple Dates
    Wed, Apr 16
    Tompkins County Public Library
    Apr 16, 2025, 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
  • "Mine" film screening and Q&A
    "Mine" film screening and Q&A
    Tue, Apr 08
    The Soil Factory
    Apr 08, 2025, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    The Soil Factory, 142 Ithaca Beer Dr, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    See a filmed version of an "existential play" by Anna Evtushenko, who recently received her PhD at Cornell
  • Playwrights Jam
    Playwrights Jam
    Sun, Mar 30
    Kitchen Theatre Company
    Mar 30, 2025, 5:00 PM – 7:30 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!
  • Refugee Voices
    Refugee Voices
    Sun, Mar 16
    Anabel Taylor Hall
    Mar 16, 2025, 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
    Anabel Taylor Hall, 548 College Ave, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
    Honor the displaced people among us at an afternoon of stories, music, dance, skits, snacks, and fellowship.
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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.

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