Join The Story Collider and Hudson River Park at Pier 57 for an evening of true, personal stories about finding the grit to push through life’s toughest moments. From scientific roadblocks to personal turning points, our storytellers will take you inside the struggles they faced—and the breakthroughs that followed.
Hosted by Grant Bowen and Christine Williams.
Doors at 6:30 pm. Show starts at 7 pm.
TO FIND THE DISCOVERY TANK: Enter Pier 57 from the main entrance on 15th Street. Walk through Market 57 and all the way down the main hall. The Discovery Tank will be the last space on your right, across from El Bar and Ofcorsica.
Stories by:
Sumitra Mattai is a writer, storyteller and textile designer. She holds a BFA in Textile Design from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School. Her essays have been published in Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, and Lit Magazine, among others. She lives in Harlem with her family.
Michael McFadden grew up a child sports star from western New York. He became a musician, an alt theatre producer and now works in the film industry in NYC. He loves the raw humorous storytelling format as a way to shed light on the darker corners of several "stages" in entertainment and of life.
Adam Ruben is a writer, comedian, and molecular biologist in Washington, DC. He writes the monthly humor column “Experimental Error” in the AAAS journal Science Careers and is the author of two books: Surviving Your Stupid, Stupid Decision to Go to Grad School, and Pinball Wizards: Jackpots, Drains, and the Cult of the Silver Ball. He has appeared on the Science Channel, the Food Network, the History Channel, the Travel Channel, the Weather Channel, Discovery, Netflix, and NPR and is a writer for the preschool cartoon “Elinor Wonders Why” on PBS Kids.
Adam has performed on stage in 34 states and six countries, including two solo shows. He has told stories onstage with Story Collider, Story District, and Story League, and is a three-time Moth Story Slam Champion and a Lead Producer for the DC/Baltimore chapter of Mortified. He has three kids, two cats, and a day job as a molecular biologist for the US federal government that feels less secure every day.
Mikayla Sherfy is a NYC-based actor, writer, and artist who has been performing in independent theatre and film for over a decade. She currently writes and performs in The Second City house company and is a published children's book author. Mikayla produces and co-stars in the monthly show 'Broads in the Attic', which made its international debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.
Shino Tanikawa is the Executive Director of the New York City Soil & Water Conservation District, a small natural resources conservation organization. She has a Master of Science degree in Marine Environmental Sciences from Stony Brook University. Shino is also a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, developing and facilitating workshops on DEI and anti-racism for non-profit clients.