Earth Week Performers & Speakers

Music & stories!

Dave Dvorak is a Minneapolis singer-songwriter who plays in the Americana-folk-rock band Zoë Says Go and his side project, WonderCurrent. Inspired by the likes of Dylan, Springsteen and Paul Simon, Dave’s lyric-driven original songs weave socially conscious themes into tales of love, struggle and wonder—from faraway refugee camps and Spanish laundromats to the streets of the Twin Cities.  www.zoesaysgo.com 

Brenda Varda   Brenda Varda is a multi-faceted musician and writer, specializing in playwrighting, music, and the psychology of creativity. She has built a diverse career spanning theatre, film, music, and academia – and has 10+produced plays and musicals. Currently working on Metaland: a 21st Century Vaudeville. Founder of www.sci-arts.org and www.brendavarda.com 

Dan Rumsey – St. Paul native, Dan Rumsey is a soulful & bluesy songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. He writes about the challenges, joys, heartaches and persistence of the human spirit.  "Dan Rumsey would have felt right at home in the 1960's folk-blues scene."   - Sing Out! Magazine

Zoe Grigsby – Zoe Grigsby is a folk singer-songwriter known for her gut-wrenching lyrics and ethereal guitar playing. She combines her background in classical guitar technique, with Joni Mitchell-esque witticisms, and an insatiable desire to be honest. Zoe uses music as a way to unite people, in the true nature of folk music, singing about what it means to be alive in our world.    https://open.spotify.com/artist/6kkcxv7HI5r0whCLSCIEmT

https://zoegrigsbymusic.wixsite.com/my-site 

Amy Salloway– Actor/writer/storyteller Amy Salloway is a big fan of the Venn Diagram spot where live performance, human connection and social change overlap. Her award-winning solo plays -- “Does This Monologue Make Me Look Fat?,” "So Kiss Me Already, Herschel Gertz!”, &  “Circumference” -- have toured across the US and Canada, and she’s contributed stories to programs on MPR and CBC, and the national podcast “Risk!” Amy teaches writing & performing at The Story Studio and Minneapolis Community Education, and is a founding member of Off-Kilter, an interdisciplinary performance cabaret featuring artists with disabilities. For more info, visit www.facebook.com/awkwardmomentonstage.

Natalie Warren –Author, environmental activist, and river paddler. A lifelong paddler and river lover, Natalie was one of the first two women to paddle over 2,000 miles from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay. She is the author of Hudson Bay Bound: Two Women, One Dog, Two Thousand Miles to the Arctic (University of Minnesota Press). She has canoed the length of the Mississippi River and won first place in the Yukon River Quest in the women’s voyageur division, paddling 450 miles in fifty-three hours. A contributing writer to outdoor publications, Natalie has worked with Bancroft Arnesen Explore, St. Croix River Association, and River Management Society, and she started a nonprofit to present urban rivers as natural, dynamic classrooms for youth. She received her PhD in Communication Studies at the University of Minnesota studying Environmental Communication and is currently working on her second book about the Mississippi River. 

Dave Dvorak - see above

 Bob Nordquist is based in St. Paul, MN and has been recorded and released 9 albums since 1998 as a solo act, or with the bands he has led.  He has performed his folk/rock music throughout the Midwest at a variety of music venues including festivals, bars, coffee houses, and open streets. .Bob's songs tell stories of life in the cities, small towns, and woods of Minnesota as well as his travels throughout the world. Bob is influenced by songwriters such as Bruce Cockburn, T-Bone Burnett, Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan and Neil Young, with rhythms and melodies influenced from World Music artists from Africa, Latin America and elsewhere. https://www.youtube.com/user/effigy1543 https://www.sargassoband.com/  

Philip Simondet is the founder of the Titanic Brass Polishers Union, as well as an improviser, musician, podcaster, teacher, and writer... and he still doesn't like himself.

Go to PhilipSimondet.com for upcoming events, and check out his band at TireFires.com.

 Samuel Wilbur is a Minneapolis-based singer-songwriter, producer, high school teacher, and composer known for crafting indie folk-pop anthems packed with lush harmonies, sharp hooks, and powerful messages about climate change, capitalism, and hope. Wilbur's songs are a call to action, offering both a rallying cry and a place of refuge. His new album, Ivory Tower, is an anti-capitalist Rock Opera featuring Grammy nominated artists like Andy Thompson and James Graham as well as Minnesota favorites like Meghan Kreidler (Kiss the Tiger), Laura Kiernan (Kiernan), and Matt Patrick (Fathom Lane). Tonight, Wilbur is accompanied by the amazing violinist and viola virtuoso Anna Hare. 

Duluth-based Singer-Songwriter and guitarist Skarlett Woods can only be placed in one musical category: powerful. Her original work can be daring and Jazzy like early 1970's Joni Mitchell, poetic like Bob Dylan, sweet and sexy like Norah Jones or laced with Americana like Brandi Carlile. Skarlett has opened for acts such as Stephen Stills, Judy Collins and the Blues Traveler. Hailed by Dave Franklin, (Dancing About Architecture), as a “worthy successor to the likes of James Taylor, Joan Baez or His Bobness”.  www.Skarlettwoods.com   Instagram@skarlett_woods

Elizabeth Lien - Environmental Policy Expert /Science-based solutions for Environmental Challenges for a Sustainable World! Elizabeth Lien's career has been a steady climb toward local and global environmental impact, defined by her ability to bridge high-level policy with grassroots action. After nearly two decades in the federal government—including a twelve-year tenure at the U.S. Treasury Department where she pioneered international climate finance and net-zero principles—she transitioned to the nonprofit sector to lead on a different scale. 

At the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Elizabeth served as the Senior Director for Federal Climate Policy and Subnational Programs. During her two years there, she managed the "America Is All In" coalition, the largest group of subnational climate leaders in U.S. history.  In early 2026, Elizabeth returned to her home state of Minnesota to translate this vast experience into a new venture. She co-founded Great Plains Sustainability Strategies, a boutique consulting firm designed to help organizations navigate the shifting climate and energy landscape. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-lien/ 

Loren Niemi has spent 45 years as a storyteller – creating, collecting, performing, and producing storytelling experiences in urban and rural settings. Whether at Fringe Festivals, poetry and story slams, working in “Post-Troubles” Northern Ireland, or performing on the Great Wall of China, Loren lives the stories he tells. He is the founder and CSO (Chief Storytelling Officer) of The American School of Storytelling and the author of six books, including an award-winning collection of ghost stories and three books on crafting stories. In 2016 he received the National Storytelling Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award. www.americanschoolofstorytelling.com    

Craig Alciati – “Born in San Francisco in the 1960’s I was destined to become  a Hippie, My mother tried to save me and moved us to South Minneapolis.  It failed and I moved back to California to be a hippie.  When the Dot.Com robots took over I moved to France.
When Mom became frail I returned to MPLS and it feels like lots of “Hippies” are here now!My goal in life is to answer the question “Why are we here?”  I didn’t really expect to find “The answer” while I was alive.  Exploring the question and laughing at myself and others while moving toward a better answer.  Now I mainly ask myself the question “Why am I here?”  in the winter.”

Laura Packer knows the best way to truth is through a good story; she has told, taught, ranted, raved, coached, consulted, and considered storytelling for over 30 years. She knows that stories can help build a more compassionate and caring world. Laura has won many awards including induction into the National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence. Laura holds a degree in folklore and mythology and is the author of From Audience to Zeal: The ABCs of Finding, Crafting, and Telling a Great Story. Find out more at laurapacker.com and patreon.com/laurapacker.

Tracy Connor is from Minnesota and lives in Minneapolis with her spouse. She published her first novel, "Kiss Me, My Darling," a witch hunting , dark urban fantasy taking place in Minnesota, and is currently writing her second novel, "Her Darkness and the Hound," a vampire horror story taking place in Minneapolis and out West. 

Leslee Gutiérrez Carillo (she/they) is a Twin Cities-based environmental justice and climate mobility advocate working on ensuring forced climate displacement is given the attention and urgency it requires. Currently completing a Master’s in Environmental Law and Public Policy at UMA in the State of México through a hybrid program, while residing in Minneapolis. Proudly, the firstborn child of immigrant parents in a large Mexican family. They have shown up in the fight for liberation as a community organizer, strategist, caregiver, and facilitator. The vision they subscribe to of the future is an ambitious one that takes the collective power of the masses, which they believe is strengthened through storytelling. In 2022, they partnered with Change Narrative as a featured storyteller in the award winning MN Fringe Festival Show, Changing the Narrative: Climate Stories for Justice. Currently, Leslee is supporting Change Narrative’s work around Environmental Justice Cumulative Impacts Bill Implementation as a project-based partner.

Jothsna Harris is the founder of Change Narrative, which builds capacity in the climate justice movement through storytelling. Through a coaching practice, she works with frontline leaders, legislators, artists, and organizations to craft compelling climate narratives that advance solutions. With more than a decade of experience, she has designed award-winning climate communication programs rooted in community and values-based storytelling, coaching thousands to share their stories in live events, radio, and print. Jothsna co-edited Eyewitness: Minnesota Voices on Climate Change (2020) and produced the Fringe Festival “Venue Pick” show Changing the Narrative. She is a 2023 Obama USA Leader and serves on The Great Northern Festival Board. www.changenarrativeconsulting.com Customers have questions, you have answers. Display the most frequently asked questions, so everybody benefits.

“Canned Laughter: Captain Planet’s Not Mad, Just Disappointed “ 

And now.... an evening of levitation and entertainment and laughter.  A funny planet is taking place with the great artists of Canned Laughter Productions!   You want to be in the room~~
Canned Laughter is a Minneapolis-based comedy improv troupe known for its sketch,  "short-form" improv games and community-focused mission  

 Cast List:

Katie Wilson (Executive Producer/Cast)

Kerri O'Halloran (Creative Producer/Cast)

Emily LaJoy (Tech Producer)

Mackenzi Brophy (Cast)

Meredith Jacobs (Cast)

Deon Haider (Cast)

Ethan Martin (Cast)

Adam Mellerup (Cast)

Amee Nefzger Banks (Cast)

A full-throated celebration of the energy we need to keep up the fight.SHOW AT 8 PM
 

A night provoking our best responses to the current ‘climate’ brought to you by Marzipanik.
Marzipanik is a new arts production company launching in the Twin Cities. Join us April 15th as we launch our first two events with music, performances, and a call to build community around art. 

“We’ve got big ideas and big stories and it’ll take a community of artists and arts supporters to bring them to life. This is a crazy time to be alive, to be an American, to be an artist, to be a Minnesotan, to be… human. Art is the voice of a community. It’s time to raise our voices. Time to panik!

Our first two productions will be The Resistance Cabaret and The Portrait… 

THE SINGERS: Katia Cardenas, Joe Carey, Kathryn Cesarz. Tolu Ekisola, Kaitlen Osburn, Andrew Schufman

THE BAND: JC Sanford, Greg Schutte, Eric Seligman, Jacqueline Ult, Brenda Varda

& Anna Farro Henderson, author/scientist -  guest speaker before the show!  

Have a question or comment? We'd love to hear from you! Visit our 'Contact Us' page to send us a message, give us a call, or connect with us on social media. We're always happy to chat with our audience and supporters.