creating community through the art of storytelling.

our story

Spark Off Rose was launched in 2001 by Jessica Tuck and Julie Pearl at the Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica. Events are currently held at Theatre Palisades.

Each month the Spark producing team chooses seven storytellers to write and read true stories from their lives inspired by the current Spark theme.

Over the years Spark has cultivated an intimate, authentic space that attracts storytellers who reveal their most intimate selves - candidly, humorously, and with heart.

Spark's storytellers come from all walks of life - many have never been on stage before and most are not professional writers. For Spark it's about great stories and its dedicated team of producers work with participants to help them find their most authentic voice and craft their stories.

jessica tuck bio

Jessica Tuck (Founder, Executive Producer) loves a good story and connecting with people who share them. Actress, story and presentation skills coach, proud mom, grateful partner . . .dreamer.

alicia sedwick bio

Alicia Sedwick (Producer) wears many hats these days as: a professor, freelance live event and radio show/podcast producer, and strategic researcher. She also works as a story and speech content editor and presentation skills coach. You can read about her business, Make Your Mark at aliciasedwick.com. Alicia received her MFA from American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, and was a NYC-based actor for 15 years, before moving to LA.

debbon ayer bio

Debbon Ayer (Producer) is an actress and writer from New York, a mother, and owner of a small knitting venture: Debbon Ayer Wear and creator of the Google Play app, Voting Follies. She is very excited and grateful to be the newest member of the Spark team.

julie chazotte bio

Julie Chazotte (Associate Producer) is at her happiest when engaged in art and community. She is an in person and online Instructional Design Consultant and is currently leading workshops on the Ecology of Technology and retreats on Radical Self-Care.

jessica stephens bio

Jessica Stephens (Social Media/Photographer) loves exploring what it means to be human on this crazy planet through photography, visual art, and music. She is constantly inspired by the honest and colorful stories presented at Spark. She is also passionate about the outdoors and sustainability. You can usually find her hiking or walking on the beach. To get in touch, check out @_jmstephens_ on instagram.

katie schwartz bio

Katie Schwartz (Sound). Stay tuned for more about Katie!

robbie koseff bio

Robbie Koseff (Box office, Accountant) brings a much appreciated linear brain to the Spark team. He is the CFO at Carole Inc. He is also a cricket, rugby and soccer enthusiast-go Liverpool- and a devoted father and husband.

samara koseff bio

Samara Koseff (Facility "vibe master") has been a part of the Spark team since her inception. As a small baby she cheered storytellers on from her mom's (Jessica Tuck) hip, moved on to help her dad in the box office, and has now graduated to her solo position at the door. She is a budding ballerina, social justice advocate and a passionate thrift shopper.

darryl vance bio

Darryl Vance (Graphic Designer) kindly donates his time and talent every month and designs our programs and posters. He is a California-based artist who has been creating subtly provocative works for over thirty years. He is also an award-winning art director and designer whose work appears on television, in films, the webnets and various corporate medias. darrylvance.com

joseph harvey bio

Joseph Harvey (website caretaker) is a cellist who began playing 'cello in the 5th grade because he was too small for the double bass, which is what he really wanted to play. Joseph is the co-founder of String Theory, a Los Angeles-based performance ensemble that has been described as "a form of new music that's definitely in a class all its own" (LA Weekly) and "absolutely incredible" (BBC). Learn more at: String Theory

our mission

The goal of Spark Off Rose is to create community through the art of storytelling. It is as much about the gathering as the stories. In this spirit, after each show, the audience and storytellers are invited to gather for a complimentary reception to continue the conversation started on stage.

Spark believes in supporting its larger community. It produces benefits for organizations promoting positive change in the world. Past organizations include TreePeople, The Painted Turtle, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Peace4Kids, and The Catherine H. Tuck Foundation.

In addition, Spark Off Rose has offered workshops, classes, and seminars with the purpose of teaching storytelling techniques. Spark has conducted a workshop in association with PEN in the Classroom for seniors at Venice High School and recently co-produced, “Turning Points,” with residents of EngAGE, a vibrant not for profit for Seniors dedicated to transforming the way people think about aging.

Spark is always looking for new voices. So, if there is a theme that *sparks* a true story in you, we encourage you to attend a show and/or contact us through this website.

our storytellers

Hal Ackerman (listen)
Wendy Adamson (listen)
Leo del Aguila (listen)
Grant Albrechtomb (listen)
Ron Alcalay (listen)
Allegra (listen)
Robert Allen (listen)
Catherine Allison (listen)
Joel Alpers (listen)
Romie Angelich (listen)
Tarah Ausburn (listen)
Debbon Ayer (listen)
Barbara (listen)
Carol Barbee (listen)
Jane Barnes (listen)
Jeb Barnes (listen)
Ray Barnhart (listen)
Bristol Baughan (listen)
Kelli Bean (listen)
Jenica Bergere (listen)
Leslie Berliant (listen)
Alan Bernstein (listen)
Scott Bernstein (listen)
Teri Bernstein (listen)
Brandy Black (listen)
Oceana Black
Janet S. Blake (listen)
Tessa Blake (listen)
Dan Bornholdt (listen)
Liberty Bradford (listen)
Amy Brenneman (listen)
Chanel Brenner (listen)
Elizabeth Brissenden (listen)
Bill Brochtrup (listen)
Tamar Brott (listen)
Ranjani Brow (listen)
Angela Bullock (listen)
Tricia Rose Burt (listen)
Lakesha Burton (listen)
Ann Buxie (listen)
Nancy Neufeld Callaway (listen)
Trey Callaway (listen)
Jill Cargerman (listen)
Tim Carpenter (listen)
Mary Lea Carroll (listen)
Margie Carter (listen)
Orlagh Cassidy (listen)
Marnie Castor (listen)
Chip Chinery (listen)
Cindy Chupack
Dave Connaughton (listen)
Tim Coyne (listen)
Pete Cummin (listen)
Leigh Curran (listen)
Dennis Danziger (listen)
Lisa David Dean (listen)
Lisa Solis DeLong (listen)
Michael Dempsey (listen)
Bob Dickman
Jimmy Doyle
Chris Econn
Jessica Eby (listen)
Hope Edelman (listen)
Hardy Keith Edwards (listen)
D. James Eldon
Maya Eliahou (listen)
Suzanne Ely (listen)
Lee Rose Emery (listen)
Amanda Enayati (listen)
Jon Epstein (listen)
Amanda Estremera (listen)
Krista Eulberg (listen)
Alexis Rhone Fancher (listen)
Nicole Farmer (listen)
J. Michael Feldman (listen)
Brian Finkelstein
Annie Fitzgerald (listen)


Tami Fitzkoff (listen)
Michelle Fiordaliso (listen)
Ramey Fleischman (listen)
Lauri Fraser (listen)
Charles Freericks (listen)
D'Arcy French-Myerson (listen)
Rob Fresco (listen)
Amy Friedman (listen)
Billy Frolick (listen)
Kate Fuglei-Lazebnik (listen)
Jana Gannon (listen)
Peggy Garrity (listen)
Chuma Gault
Keith Gayhart (listen)
Deborah George (listen)
Kent George (listen)
Mike Gerle (listen)
Gary Gilbert (listen)
Mary Pat Gleason (listen)
Stephen Gold (listen)
Erin Granat (listen)
Barra Grant (listen)
Mel Green (listen)
Bob Grochau (listen)
Adam Gropman (listen)
Oded Gross (listen)
Xaque Gruber (listen)
Jill Demby Guest (listen)
Nicole Lucas Haimes
Wendy Haines (listen)
Claude Hall (listen)
Nelson Handel (listen)
Larry Dean Harris (listen)
Grace Harryman (listen)
Robin Hart (listen)
Cheyenne Haven (listen)
Lauren Haven (listen)
Susan Heeger (listen)
Jane Henry (listen)
Deby Herdrich (listen)
Kelly Hodel (listen)
Monica Holloway (listen)
Anita Holsapple
Alice Hope (listen)
DeLon Howell (listen)
Liz Hyde (listen)
Jill Iger (listen)
Tara Igoe (listen)
Susan Isaacs (listen)
Lucinda Jenney (listen)
Hillary Jordan (listen)
Nailah Jumoke (listen)
Deborah Rachel Kagan
Jenna Kanell (listen)
Michael Kass (listen)
Brian Kelly (listen)
Kevin Kendrick (listen)
Katie Massa Kennedy (listen)
Kieran Kennedy (listen)
David Kessler (listen)
Chip Keyes (listen)
Erin Khar (listen)
Tom Kiesche (listen)
Gloria Killian (listen)
Yuriana Kim (listen)
Marni Kinrys
Karey Kirkpatrick (listen)
Sandra Kobrin (listen)
Molly Jordan Koch (listen)
Annie Korzen (listen)
Robbie Koseff (listen)
Carl Koslowski (listen)
Sylvia Kotin (listen)
Carlos Kotkin (listen)
Veronica Krestow (listen)
Birgitte Kristen (listen)
Doug Lane (listen)
Leila Laoudji
Claire LaZebnik (listen)
Michael V. Leahy (listen)
Antoinette Levine (listen)
Diana Levy (listen)
Laurel Lewis (listen)


Monah Li (listen)
Jennifer Liff (listen)
Beth Littleford (listen)
Deborah A. Lott (listen)
Scott Lowell (listen)
Richard Lucas (listen)
Jennefer Ludwigsen (listen)
Laurie MacMurray (listen)
Brian McCarty
Heather McGonigal (listen)
Mike Mcshane
Colin Madden (listen)
Madison Madden
Lisa Manterfield (listen)
Mary Mara (listen)
Johnny Marigliano (listen)
Lauren Marks (listen)
Ianthe Mauro (listen)
Pablo Marz (listen)
Marco Meneghin (listen)
Jack Merrill (listen)
Murray Meyer (listen)
Lawrence Meyers (listen)
Dan Meylor (listen)
Mark Miller (listen)
Laura Milner (listen)
Terri Mintz (listen)
Steve Mize (listen)
Susanna Morgan (listen)
Marion Moseley (listen)
Danny Moynahan (listen)
Meredith Muncy (listen)
Maureen Murdock (listen)
John Murray (listen)
Ian Murray (listen)
Ken Murray (listen)
James Napoli (listen)
Alberta Nassi (listen)
Jesse Nathan (listen)
Layla Nazarian
Charlie Neuner (listen)
David O'Shea (listen)
Alan Olifson (listen)
Laurel Ollstein (listen)
Marisol Orihuela (listen)
Karin Gutman Orloski (listen)
Torie Osborn (listen)
Adam P. (listen)
Deborah Pardes (listen)
Shaun Parker (listen)
Charles Parselle (listen)
Adam Paul (listen)
Elizabeth Payne (listen)
Amy Pengra (listen)
Matteson Perry (listen)
Victor Phan (listen)
Monica Piper (listen)
Lawrence D. Piro
Dina Platias (listen)
Caron Post (listen)
Gleah Powers (listen)
Leslie Pray (listen)
Paula Priamos (listen)
Matt Price (listen)
Kirk Pynchon (listen)
Robert Rabbin (listen)
Alan Rachins (listen)
Ted Rand (listen)
Bill Ratner (listen)
Shelagh Ratner (listen)
Andres Reconco (listen)
Samantha Reilly (listen)
Kelly J. Richardson
Lynn Robinson (listen)
Rohini Ross (listen)
Luke Rothschild (listen)
Jennifer Roven
Monique Ruffin (listen)
Antonio Sacre (listen)
Oscar Sagastume (listen)


Laurenne Sala (listen)
Elizabeth Sampson (listen)
Cathy Schenkelberg (listen)
Carol Schlanger (listen)
Jay Scully (listen)
Alicia Sedwick (listen)
Jeff Seymour (listen)
Sam Shaber (listen)
Charlie Shahnaian (listen)
Janet Shaw (listen)
Steven Shehori (listen)
Susan Sheu (listen)
Jenni Silberstein
Amy Sims (listen)
Ann Smith (listen)
C.Brian Smith
Joe Smith(listen)
Kat Smith (listen)
Scott Alan Smith (listen)
Jeff Spellerberg
Anastasia Stanecki
Sarah Stanley (listen)
Guilia Good Stefani (listen)
Johanna Stein (listen)
Dinah Steward (listen)
Deborah Streit (listen)
Lyena Strelkoff
Penny Stribling (listen)
Beth Sullivan (listen)
Jennifer Gay Summers (listen)
Marya Summers (listen)
Jack Sundmacher (listen)
Claudette Sutherland (listen)
Greg Swartz (listen)
Traci Swartz (listen)
Josh Tate (listen)
Rob Thais (listen)
Carmen Thomas-Paris (listen)
Susan Tierney (listen)
Nancy Tkachenko (listen)
Betsy Trapasso (listen)
Alison Trope (listen)
Julie Tugend (listen)
Kara M. Tyler (listen)
Guinevere Garcia Uszuko (listen)
Richard Valenzuela (listen)
K. Hollan Van Zandt
Frann Vettor-Gray (listen)
Kora-Lea Vidal (listen)
Melinda Wade (listen)
Johnny Walker (listen)
William Lucas Walker (listen)
Amy Wallen (listen)
Linda Bailey Walsh (listen)
Scott Warner (listen)
Chloe Webb
Len Wechsler (listen)
Mari Weiss (listen)
Graeme Weston (listen)
Vicki Whicker
Bernard White (listen)
Kelley Whitis (listen)
JoAnn Willette (listen)
Ian Williams (listen)
Mariana Williams (listen)
Kat Wimmer (listen)
Justin Wilson (listen)
Wendy Winston (listen)
Matt Witten
Donna Wood-Babcock (listen)
D Woodrow (listen)
Madge Woods (listen)
CC Xander
Joey Xanders (listen)
Paul Ybarra (listen)
Briana Zacarias (listen)
Frank Zajaczkowski (listen)
Lizzie Ziegler (listen)
Elliot Zwiebach (listen)


press page

press

Finding Storytelling Through Community And Voice


by Felicia M. Tomasko, RN

Walk out on stage, take a deep breath and start telling a story. When standing exposed beneath the spotlight, even though the house lights are dim, it's still possible to make out faces in the audience. The seats are filled with both friends and strangers; they're a community, whom by the end of the evening will have become confidants, secret-keepers, all possessing the joint knowledge of recollections shared. The people on both sides of the stage within the walls of the theater are participating in a storytelling series. Like open-mike nights and other types of performance-based, community-building events, storytelling seems to be building in popularity, even in a city that can seem as disparate and scattered as Los Angeles.

read more...