Story Tellers: Zonnetta Marie, Kedgar Volta, Johnathan Ross
Musical Guest: Meredith Mason

The first episode of Untold Stories was recorded live on stage at the Florida Theater in downtown Jacksonville on November 27, 2021.

After a brief introduction by WJCT Public Media CEO, David McGowan and artistic director Barbara Colaciello, the first episode of Untold Stories starts with a performance by singer-songwriter Meredith Mason. Mason's song, "I Will Love You When You're Wrong", expresses the singer's unwavering commitment to love and support her loved one, even when they make mistakes or experience struggles. The lyrics describe the ebb and flow of life's ups and downs, and how the singer's love will remain constant throughout it all.

The first storyteller of the evening is Zonnetta Marie, who shares a deeply personal story about her adoption and the identity crisis that followed. Growing up, Zonnetta lived a privileged life as the queen of her household, known as "Miss G" and spoiled by her family.

But a phone call from her mother one day revealed the truth: she was adopted. Zonnetta was angry and felt unwanted, but ultimately decided to seek out her birth mother. As she asked questions and received vague answers, Zonnetta realized that the identity she had created for herself was not dependent on blood, but on the love of her family who raised her. In the end, Zonnetta learned to replace her anger with gratitude and realized that she was chosen by her parents, who loved and wanted her.

The second storyteller of the evening was Kedgar Volta, a Cuban-born artist who was approached by the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville to create a site-specific installation for the museum's atrium. Kedgar felt overwhelmed with emotion when he visited the atrium space, and it wasn't because he was intimidated by the size of the space. Rather, he felt grateful for the opportunities he had been given and the people who had helped him get to that point.

Kedgar spent two months creating his installation, which was made up of over 1,000 LED lights arranged in a circular pattern and distributed over seven levels. Each light was directed to point at the viewer, representing the people who had helped Kedgar in different ways throughout his life. The installation was titled "The Fragility of the Promise," and it opened to the public in November 2019 after six months of work.

The final story of the evening by Johnathan Ross is a personal reflection on his experience performing in a community theater production of the musical "The Full Monty". Johnathan shares his background as a Navy brat, frequently moving to new places every few years, which led to social anxiety and a feeling of being an outsider. He talks about how doing theater, especially a musical where he had to sing, dance, and eventually take off his clothes on stage, helped him confront his fears and insecurities.

The culmination of the experience was a moment when he was alone on stage after the final performance, hearing the sound of the broom sweeping the stage, and feeling like he had finally found a sense of stillness and belonging within himself. Johnathan encourages the audience to take risks and step out of their comfort zones to find new experiences and growth.

In the final moments of the podcast episode, we get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Untold Stories, a live storytelling series at the Florida Theater. David McGowan, CEO of WJCT Public Media, speaks with Numa Saisselin, CEO of the Florida Theater and Barbara Colaciello, the artistic director of Untold Stories, about the process of creating and shaping this unique and intimate event.

We learn how the series was inspired by other storytelling festivals and series around the country, and how Saisselin and Colaciello worked to create a localized, community-driven event that would showcase the diversity of human experience in Jacksonville, Florida. Colaciello shares her process of drawing out the stories from each performer, and how she helps them shape their narratives into compelling and emotional tales.

As the hosts reflect on the impact of Untold Stories, they highlight the unique power of live storytelling to bring people together, build empathy and celebrate the beauty of human connection. They encourage everyone to share their own stories and to listen with an open heart to the stories of others. The episode ends with an invitation to join the live series at the Florida Theater or to listen to the podcast version from anywhere in the world.