We all have our stories and the stories we tell have an impact on how we see and how we see what’s possible. Come experience a new approach to storytelling, one that helps us create new ways of seeing – specifically new ways of seeing ourselves as the creators of our lives, and as being able, with the other people in our lives, to create new ways of relating and living life together.

Shelley Karliner, LICSW and Tricia Bassing, LICSW have over 20 years of experience helping people create new stories and, in the process, create more powerful life performances.

Saturday, November 6, 2004 1:00pm – 4:00pm/$35

The Washington Center for Social Therapy
4115 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 203
Washington, DC

Space is limited. Please call 202.244.0442 to reserve a seat.

This workshop is open to the public and meets the qualifications for 3 hours of continuing education credit for social workers, as required by the NASW.

For more information call Shelley Karliner at 202-244-0442 or email at skarliner@comcast.net

Memories of Aging Strippers

Nothing Really Happens tells an unflinching story of three very different women – Tillie Hirsch, an elderly Holocaust survivor; Paula Brownell, a repressed college professor fascinated by striptease; and Carmela Petrelli, a Bronx-born stripper for whom “tits changed everything.” Rather than telling the story of its three female characters Nothing Really Happens creates a conversation about stories – the story each of them tells about her life, the story of their relationship to each other (and to the lone male character in the film) and the story of their relationship to stories and to their lives. In this way, the film raises issues about boundaries (if any) between experience and stories (and life and art) and whether anything really happens.

The film is based on two plays — The Store: One Block East of Jerome, and Mr. Hirsch Died Yesterday — both written by Fred Newman, who as you may know, in addition to being the founder of Social Therapy, is a prolific playwright and the artistic director of the off-off-Broadway Castillo Theatre in New York City. Fred, who is making his film directing and screenwriting debut, has written and directed more than 30 works for the stage over the last 18 years.

Nothing Really Happens was just awarded the Grand Festival Special Recognition Award (in the Feature Category) at the 2004 Berkeley Video and Film Festival. The award comes just two months after the film won First Prize (in the Feature Category) at the Director’s View Film Festival in Connecticut and a year after it was designated as an official selection at the Festival of Auteur Films in Belgrade. Robert Kesten, the Director’s View president and founder said of the performances by the three lead actresses, "Individually, they are amazing – but collectively, they just stupefy the viewer."

The Washington Center for Social Therapy is inviting folks to host showings of the film in their homes and/or places of work. Shelley Karliner, the Center's Director, is available at no charge to bring a copy of the film to your venue and facilitate a post-viewing conversation. To host a viewing with your friends, family and/or co-workers please call Shelley Karliner at 202-244-0442.

Visit www.nothingreallyhappens.com for more about the movie.

For more information call Shelley Karliner at 202-244-0442 or email at skarliner@comcast.net