by Dot Hamelin
Thursday night the air is fragrant with coffee and the sound of enchanting lights and magical music as the guests and volunteers socialize and find their seats.
When the audience settles our charming emcees Kim Shine and Alea McHatten shock up and hype the crowd with energy and take a moment to honor Black History Month and the indigenous land.
This night’s theme was culture! Alea opens the show with an entertaining Valentine’s poem she wrote when she was 16, and hands it off to YoMo Castellano with a moving story of her family, being proud of herself while understanding her inner and outer conflict.
After our 5 minute break, Anasja Clark then takes the stage with a great written performance about the similarities of cultures of the South and Milwaukee, followed by Executive Director of Radio Milwaukee Jordan Lee and his rocky experience with the Wu Tang Clan.
After another 5 minute break we start back up with B.Wyzdom and his amazing performance of African American struggles and pride, and then are given a written performance by Aquila Robinson-Wright about a serious conversation with her partner about children. Soon after I (dot hamelin) am called up and I tell my experience of being mixed, my cultures and their history.
We then come to a close on storytellers with the last three tellers starting with LIV and her performance about her art work that she puts at a very high price of someone who is close to her heart, and rolls to Danijah Copening telling her written performance about where she grew up and its history. We then close off the audience story tellers with Loretta Barnes singing in honor of Black History Month earning a standing ovation.
As the show begins to close we have Shelly Conley, the 2025-2026 Milwaukee Poet Laureate, interact and perform about the Black experience, creations and her experience, giving the show an amazing gracious close.
This enchanting night was a lovely experience and a wonderful way to share experiences and emotions along with history that fell all over the spectrum. This event also allows the community to bond and find others with similar experiences, after this I will certainly be attending more shows as much as I can and hope others will as well.
Upcoming HYFIN x Ex Fabula events:
StoryStarter Workshop: For The Culture
Discover and explore the power of storytelling!
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
Time: Doors open at 5:30pm, workshop begins at 5:45pm
Location: Radio Milwaukee, 220 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Cost: This Brave Space workshop is an affinity space offered at no cost to Black and Brown community members.
Tickets: https://www.exfabula.org/product/storystarter-for-the-culture-4-9/
AfterDark: For The Culture
A Night Celebrating Black and Brown Voices
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
Time: Doors open at 6pm, stories begin at 7pm
Location: Radio Milwaukee, 220 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Cost: $12 advance / $15 at the door / Limited pay-it-forward tickets available
Tickets: https://www.exfabula.org/product/afterdark-for-the-culture-4-9/
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