ODYSSEY STORYTELLING PHOTOS and BIOS

MARCH 4, 2010 - "New Shoes -
The Fashion Show"

Jayshiro Tashiro is a storyteller and dreamer. Born in Akron, Ohio, he grew up with West Virginia hillbillies on one side of the family and Japanese academics on the other. So, he lived within the hard tales of coal miners and eating possum as well as the in the stories of Samurai, tea ceremonies, and the Japanese version of the Peach Boy. Not quite fitting in anywhere, Tashiro preferred dreaming to working, which made it difficult to get through school and find meaningful employment. After all, who hires dreamers at a liveable wage? His most recent works include a series of linked short stories within the hustle and flow of Hong Kong. Jayshiro is able to dream, tell stories, as well as buy food and feed the cats, by working as a Professor of Health Sciences at a Canadian University and running his two healthcare software companies, one in Tucson and the other in Hong Kong. His life partner, Ellen Sullins is a poet.

The stage is set
Sarah K. Smith, guest curator,
backstage during one of her 8 costume changes throughout the show

Nanalee Raphael, an instructor in Fashion Design at The Art Institute of Tucson, has spent all of her life around rags of some kind, but mostly in, around, designing or making costumes for theatre, opera and dance. And she's run her thumb through a sewing machine only twice.

Adria Elliott has lived in various decidedly wondrous places throughout her life however the melting pot of the Southwest is her home base. Spending most of her early childhood either writing, reading or performing, she had a natural knack for rhyme and verse. After a very short enlistment, she returned to the Southwest to attain a higher education. Of course life, had other plans... She became a wife and mother, as well as self employed, divorced, a student once again... and all of the ironic self schadenfreude, contained therein! Along the way, she has written a few things, won a couple awards, sung some songs, performed some theater, comedy, tragedy and learned a few things about life. She has even been in a band or two... Throughout all of it, she has managed to retain a certain amount of levity and wit. Just as the colors of the humanity color her multi-ethnic background, it also allows her to paint a visual portrait, with words and candor, that allow you think and not mind spending the moment. She can often be found performing in CA, in such venues as The Ice House, The Comedy Store, or any fine coffee house offering an open mike night!
Mari Herreras is one of those rare fifth-generation-Tucsonan varieties, who finally returned home almost three years ago after being driven crazy by Northwest snow, rain and unnaturally-tanned people who take themselves way too seriously. When she isn't writing, she spends most of her free time thinking about writing, looking for good stories, and talking to as many oddballs and wanderers she can meet. She also loves celebrating everything about Tucson, which means hunting down fun and weird things to do with her husband and 8-year-old son. Luckily there are plenty of weird things and people in Tucson, and many of them are fun. Weekends are also spent patching up an old house, tricking her family into letting her sleep in, making sure family pets get fed at least once a week (two cats, two dogs, a hermit crab and a leopard-spotted gecko), and paying her son to practice piano. Mari is also a proud member of Sowing the Seeds, a women's writing collective right here in the M'Oldy Pueblo. www.TucsonWeekly.com

Cynthia Ray Comé is from Calgary, Alberta and has lived in Tucson for over 30 years e ver since her friend's truck broke down here. She lives east of town, in a little adobe house on the desert, with her husband. Two kids have come and gone. The lines on her face have many stories to tell.

Alex Alejandro: My name is Rafael Alejandro but everyone calls me Alex. Living in downtown Tucson, I enjoy a little of the night life and checking out the local talent. I have played in a number of bands and I look forward to some new shows with my new one. I support the local art scene and believe that everyone has a great story. I also think that art comes from within, you just have to go out and look for it.