Welcome to Exposed storytelling
What are the stories that you don’t tell? At each EXPOSED production the stories of your community are put on stage to bring our deepest truths into the light. We explore the depths of our lives and display them within the community, creating connections that can only happen through the power of storytelling.
It’s time you listened, learned, and grew with your friends, family and neighbors.
“We are all connected through the details of our lives.” – Josie Nixon
Our Story
July, 17th 2022, at approximately 4:00 am is when EXPOSED became its first seed of an idea. The night EXPOSED was born is worthy of its own story, maybe one day it will come to light.
Our Founder, Josie Nixon, brings EXPOSED as their third iteration of a storytelling production. Each has been pushing the boundaries further and further of what is talked about on stage. Allowing our communities to share aloud what society says they must hide, what is relegated to behind closed doors with therapists who aren’t allowed to be your friend. Together, through the power of storytelling, our stories connect us and expand the social dialogue to create the change we want to see in the world.
We believe that everyone has a story to tell that would fit the EXPOSED stage, even if you move through life thinking that you’re trauma free. We don’t gate keep what trauma is, we only aim to lift the voices who feel as though they are silenced.
Our founding mission is to build a stage where our real lives can be shared, in community and for connection.
Community Partnerships
is a 16 year old independent nomadic theatre company originated in Orlando, Florida and currently based in Idaho Springs, Colorado committed to producing theatre that challenges our audiences, deeply explores the human condition and amplifies marginalized voices with our primary focus on original works, authentic storytelling, coaching & consulting theatre, managing talent and touring Fringe Festivals globally.
Denver’s most unique live theatre and film screening venue. Created by a team of local, independent artists and designed to be an accessible space available to other artists and performers, particularly “emerging” artists who might otherwise be unable to access a venue of this kind.
provide structured sober living homes for men who are ready to build a safe, stable, and meaningful life.
Storytellers
Everyone who steps on our stages are members of your community, chosen and volunteering due to a dedication to building a connection with their community. The stories are inspired to be told, either to shed light on our own darkness or to allow others to see our darkness and see themselves.
Every storyteller works with our Director Josie Nixon and Story Developer Cooper Braun, for up to 3 months developing a true story from their life. It’s not uncommon for our team to be the first people these stories have been told to and we work to ensure they are held with support and kindness. We might not be therapists, but at least we’re not out to fix you, simply provide a pathway to telling your community the truth about what you’ve been through.
Poet, Roadside Attraction Enthusiast
Amber Weimer
- Story: Ghost
- Performed: April ’25
Amber (she/they) Is a chronic over-chalker with a life aspiration to build a roadside attraction. Special interests include identifying countries by stop sign, sex, and wondering if climbing counts as therapy.
Recovery Coach, Dance Fitness Artist, Drag Performer
Alex Vaughan
- Story: If my body could speak
- Performed: Aug ’24, Jan ’25
Alex is a multidisciplinary force—a dance fitness artist, recovery coach, and drag performer whose work lives at the intersection of radical movement and deep transformation. Driven by a Gemini Sun, Alex is “air in flow,” moving through the world with a dual-natured curiosity and a quick-silver ability to connect. Yet, their Taurus Rising provides the necessary tracks for this “freight train with rainbow fuel,” grounding their high-energy artistry in a steady, unshakeable physical presence. It is Alex’s Scorpio Moon, however, that defines their true power. Whether they are leading a fitness class, supporting a client through the rigors of recovery, or commanding a stage in drag, Alex has a distinct propensity for “disturbing the shadows of others.” They don’t just perform; they provoke. They don’t just coach; they support and excavate. By unapologetically embracing their own depth, Alex creates a dynamic and vibrant space for others to confront their own darkness and dance their way through it. Part visionary, part powerhouse, and entirely authentic, Alex is here to remind you that the most beautiful rainbows are fueled by the grit of the journey.
www.coachalexvaughan.com
Silly Goose, Storyteller, Coach, Mediator, Hypnotherapist, Parent, Mediator
Ali Ryan
- Story: The Hulk
- Performed: Mar ’24 (boulder), Mar ’24 (den), Mar ’25
- Story: Herpes & Other Inherited Lies
- Performed: Jul ’25
- Story: The Wildest Man I Ever Loved
- Performed: Aug ’26
Ali Ryan is a storyteller, a coach, a small business owner in Colorado, and — by multiple accounts — a silly goose.
Born a lil’ broken, raised accordingly, and arrived to adulthood somehow painfully early yet fashionably late — they now spend their time making art, growing things in the garden, and fucking off with friends whilst rocking better outfits than you.
A mediator, elder care nurse, hypnotherapist, and parent of teenagers, Ali has seen some things. Many things. They perform with Exposed Storytelling because apparently they enjoy telling strangers the most vulnerable things that have ever happened to them.
When not on stage, Ali runs Ali Ryan Coaching, where they help folks heal their nervous systems and release shame. Serious work, delivered without taking themselves too seriously.
Clown, Comedian, Performance Artist, Producer
Alice Gillette
- Story: Idiopathic
- Performed: March ’25
Alice Gillette is a Denver-based performance artist, director, and educator exploring contemporary clown, character work, and physical comedy. She studied at The Idiot Workshop in Los Angeles and with instructors such as Chad Damiani, Ian Bratschie, and Anne Zander, focusing on performance methodologies influenced by Lecoq and Gaulier.
Alice is the founder of the Freaky Weeky Clown and Alt-Comedy Festival in Denver. Her solo show, Meat Show in Space, has toured nationally with runs at the Denver Fringe Festival, Pig Iron Theatre Company, and the Elysian Theater in Los Angeles.
As an educator, she leads workshops on clown and the creative process, emphasizing how play and vulnerability lead to profound discovery. She also founded Uncanny Valley, a free monthly clown and character jam at Chaos Bloom Theater, providing an open, low-barrier stage for experimentation.
Alice’s work explores the struggle to find joy in a world often focused on the bottom line. To her, being “stupid” is a serious skill that helps us connect in ways that normal conversation can’t.
Discover more at alicefanclub.com
Spoken Word Artist, Storyteller, Traveler
Blakely Saucier
- Story: When The Tiger Strikes
- Performed: Jan ’25, Jun ’25(SLC), Aug ’25, Nov ’25
- Story: The Hard Part
- Performed: March ’26
Blakely Saucier is a force to be reckoned with. She currently resides on planet Earth, where she supports the field of integrative mental health by day and plays as an actor, dancer, writer, and storyteller by night.
After surviving a violent assault in 2023, she turned to sacred psychedelic medicine to find a path back to herself. From there, a body of work emerged that explores the intersection of trauma, advocacy, consciousness, and psychedelic healing—tracing an artistic journey from fragmentation to fierce remembrance.
In addition to sharing her story on the Exposed stage, Blakely narrated and produced a spoken word album of Psychedelic Prayers by Timothy Leary, featuring music by Desert Dwellers and Liquid Bloom, available on all major streaming platforms.
Her favorite pastimes include traveling, stormy weather, psychedelic sex, and highlighting the hypocrisy of inconsequential men who preach accountability from pulpits of denial.
www.sacredpsychedelia.com https://snd.click/psychedelicprayers
Artist, Storyteller, Filmmaker
Brian Higgins
- Story: Finding the Missing Peace
- Performed: Nov ’25
Brian Higgins is a creative imagineer and mental health advocate incorporating film, stand up comedy, visual arts and events to create community through creative communication. Using creative expression through film, comedy, art and storytelling to shine spotlights on our shadows and ending stigma. He is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Mental Healthy F.i.T. (films, ideas & tips) and strives to change perspectives in the hope of making things better to help people.
Professional Writer, Author, Host, Musician
Brianna Wheeler
- Story: Ms USA
- Performed: April ’26
Brianna Wheeler is a storyteller, journalist, and writer. She is the author of the bestselling memoir, Altogether Different, the host of the weekly interview show, Success Stories, on XRAY radio, as well as an arts and culture contributor for Willamette Week and a frequent newscaster for City Cast Portland. Her creative nonfiction work has appeared in The Nasiona, Midnight and Indigo, and has been featured in Medium’s Human Parts newsletter. Brianna is also an amateur piano, flute, clarinet, guitar, violin, and autoharp player, as well an avid roadtripper, semi-confident roller skater, and novice seamstress. Altogether Different; A Memoir About Identity, Inheritance and the raid that started the Civil War, her first book, was published by Korza Books in 2023, with a special bookclub edition published in 2024.
Storyteller, Rock Climber, Karaoke Queen
Candice Rose
- Story: Virginity Rules!
- Performed: April ’26
Candice Rose got bit by the storytelling bug in Spring 2025, and has since performed at The Moth, Mortified!, 7 Deadly Sins, The Tiniest Party, TellTalePDX, and Campfire Tales. She is the producer and host of Portland’s newest storytelling event SpeakEasy Story Club. When she’s not making people listen to yet another story, she can be found volunteering with her Therapy Dog Juniper, singing karaoke, cooking bangin’ vegan dishes, and rock climbing.
Follow Candice on Instagram @candicanepdx for event updates
Mother, All Feminist Badass
Christine Russell
- Story: Whale Menopause, and Why I Don’t Want to Be My Mother
- Performed: Jan ’26
Christine A Russell (she/her) was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. She got to experience all the best concerts throughout the 1980s and will brag uncontrollably if you let her. She has been a soldier, electrician, millwright, and counselor, though none of those jobs are as important as that of mother to two human beings, two dogs, and one cat, and an active dismantler of the patriarchy. She has two awesome adult kids, and both still talk to her regularly.
Badass Sober Warrior, Counselor, Spiritual Intuitive
Dana White Guerrie
- Story: When Predator Becomes Prey.
- Performed April ’25, Sept ’26
A crazed motherfucker with nothing to prove and everything to lose.
Dana White-Guerrie built Centered Operations from the ground up, raised two kids, stayed in recovery, and held it together on the outside and then walked into a room full of strangers and told the story that could have broken everything. Not because she had to. Because she was done pretending it didn’t happen.
She wasn’t the victim in this one. She was the reason.
She runs ops for leaders who are done being eaten alive by their own businesses. She sees the rot. She fixes it. She doesn’t look away from ugly things in systems or in herself.
She’s out here every day chasing her best self, dirty, loud, and completely unapologetic about how messy the road looks. The reaper’s always in the corner waving at her. She waves back.
She’s not done yet. Not even close.
Meteorologist, Digital Artist
Fennel Nylund
- Story: why is it my fault?
- Performed Sep ’26
Fennel Nylund has continued to live their life to the fullest, even when they never expected to get this far. They strive to pursue dreams they don’t believe will come true, not because they don’t want them to, but because they’ve learned never to have too much hope. In spite of their doubts, they continue to prove themself wrong, living their dream of going to university to become a meteorologist.
Their ability to keep moving forward, even when all they want is for the struggle to stop, is their greatest strength, but they couldn’t have done it without the support of their sister, friends, and chosen family.
Fennel finds solace in nature, being fascinated by our planet and enthralled by the science behind why things are the way they are. Along with fostering a creative side, Fennel is a self-taught digital artist with a passion for character design, using their art as a way to share the worlds they come up with and the people living in them. Their ability to care so deeply about their interests, and the joy it brings them to share it with others, fuels everything they do
Human, Mother, Storyteller, Undefeated in Debate with Imagined Politicians
Jami Baker
- Story: The Big D and the love of my life
- Performed: March ’26
I’m in pursuit of contributing actual humanity to the world by somehow being myself without apology. This has led me to take up painting badly, performing onstage improv and stories, and just writing for the hell of it. With varying degrees of enthusiasm, I perform the duties of Mother, which has led me to see myself as simultaneously a superhuman and a failure. I reluctantly pay bills I did not ask for by professionally grinding a 9–5. It’s not interesting and I don’t want to do it, but the patriarchy needs fucking, so I’m doing it from the inside. However, my ultimate career goal has nothing to do with the corporate ladder; my pinnacle achievement would be to write one poignant essay that makes five people chuckle.
Comedian, founder and creator of Second Chance Comedy
Joe Huisman
- Story: It’s Possible
- Performed: May ’25
Joe Huisman, founder and creator of Second Chance Comedy, is living proof that you can turn your life around—and make people laugh while doing it. A customer support executive by day, Joe started doing standup comedy in 2023. Years ago, Joe battled a crack addiction, and now he uses those past struggles as comedic fuel, transforming tough experiences into hilarious anecdotes. His comedy not only brings laughter but also gives back to the community, with a portion of proceeds supporting Sobriety House.
Comedian, Storyteller, Animal Lover
Jon Bennett
- Story: Fire In the meth lab, the geisha
- Performed: Feb ’26, April ’26
Jon Bennett is not Jonbenet. He is a world-renowned comedic storyteller and 7-time Just For Laughs Award nominee. Known for his ability to blend humour with deeply personal stories, Jon has carved a unique space in the world of comedy, and after 20 years in the business, he’s recognized as one of the most prolific storyteller-comedians touring today.
www.jonbennettcomedy.com @jonbennettcomedy
Writer, Storyteller, Adventure seeker
JoJo Elmquist
- Story: The Day Princess Diana Died
- Performed: May ’25
JoJo is a lifelong world traveler who has experienced the ups and downs of other countries and cultures. She lives in Denver, Colorado, enjoying the outdoors, cooking and live music.
Poet, Writer, Playwright
Joshua C. Robinson
- Story: How I Barely Survived Denver Health
- Performed: Aug ’23 (den), Aug ’23 (co springs), Nov ’24, Nov ’25
- Story: I Hope You Have a Blessed Life
- Performed: Feb ’24, June ’24
Joshua C. Robinson (Xe/Xem/Xer) is an intersex non binary poet and performer. Xe received degrees in Playwriting and Poetry from the University of Missouri; xe hold a Master’s of Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago. Xe are the founder of the Screaming at America anthologies, which is in its third iteration.
Xer work is featured in a multitude of journals and stages, New City, The Maneater, Writer’s Block Zine, The GuloGulo Anthology, Exposed and more. Xe survived a year and a half of nonconsecutive homelessness. Xer memoir “Homeless With God,” has yet to win any awards, but there’s still time. Xe would like to take themselves less seriously someday. Xe would also like to take a nap. Xe love you, and xe mean it.
Clothing Designer, Wild Woman, Artist
Julianna Aberle McClellan
- Story: How Do I Tell Them
- Performed: Oct ’24, May ’25
Julianna Aberle-McClellan, a creative force with a sharp eye for detail, is dedicated to creating inclusive, expressive custom clothing for all fantastic bodies. She is deeply passionate about serving the Queer and Trans communities with her clothing design and tailoring skills. Her journey as a widow has been anything but ordinary—wild at times, but ultimately filled with some of the most life-affirming and transformative moments she’s ever known.
Cryptid, Murderous Loch Pony
Kel Mosbey
- Story: 72 Scars
- Performed: Aug ’24, Nov ’24, Nov ’25
- Story: Just a Touch of Murder
- Performed: Aug’25, Oct ’26
- Story: Cicadas
- Performed: March ’26
I believe in trauma bonding through story telling. I’ve certainly learned a lot about empathy and connecting with people.
Just kind of flopping around this capitalistic hellscape with my spicy alphabet soup brain. Just as fucked up as everyone else and we can trade off who drives the bus. Driver picks the music.
Red Head, Adventure seeker
Keeley Nickelson
- Story: The Roach
- Performed: Sept ’26
Raised mostly in Utah by two artists, I grew up surrounded by creativity. This has given me the spark to follow many different passions and creative jobs, from animal welfare to public art. I’ve enjoyed writing from a young age and was lucky enough to have many talented storytellers in my family. Frankly, I’ve always been a bad orator, but have always wanted to share the stories tumbling around my brain. It turns out that if you write them down first, you can edit the sidequests!
Comedian, Writer
Mad Dog
- Story: Resentment
- Performed: Feb ’26
Mad Dog ( Dan Wright) first fell in love with stories, listening to his father’s “Ralphie” stories. As a teen, told stories every summer while working at a scout camp. A novelist and short story writer with several of his stories online.
Fairytales, romance, adventure, or the absurd- every story is told with intensity and humor.
@maddogcomedy
Theatre Director, Artist, Writer, Spiritual Intuitive, Healer, Teacher, Traveler, Performer, Singer, Dog mom, and Humanitarian
Michelle Claire
- Story: A Simple Chang
- Performed June ’24 & November ’24
- Story: My Precious Supervisor
- Performed: January ’25 & July ’25
Michelle Claire is a storyteller of the human spirit, blending artistry and intuition to illuminate the paths of transformation. As the founder of the Actors Academy for Performing Arts and TheatreO, she crafts spaces where creativity and healing meet. Rooted in her global wanderings and deep spiritual studies, Michelle’s work celebrates the beauty of transitions, guiding women and dreamers alike to embrace life’s unfolding with strength, clarity, and a heart wide open.
Are you experiencing a difficult life transition? Book a Consolation with Michelle and let her help you navigate to living your best life @ A Joyous Life Counseling
Comedian, Writer, Public Speaker, Swiss Army Knife
Mx Dahlia Belle
- Story: Booze & Theatre
- Performed Jan ’26
Mx. Dahlia Belle is a comedian, musician, poet, and compulsive thinker of thoughts known for work ranging from vulnerable to silly and everything in between.
@mx.dahliabelle
Comedian, Documentarian, Storyteller, Performer, Writing Coach
Mimi Hayes
- Story: Final Destination
- Performed Oct ’25
Mimi Hayes is a writer, comedian, and professional oversharer with a medically complicated backstory. After surviving two brain hemorrhages, she was left to rebuild a life that didn’t resemble the one she had before—while looking completely “fine” on the outside. Which, as it turns out, is its own kind of psychological horror.
Her work lives in the tension between what’s said out loud and what’s swallowed whole. She tells stories about bodies that betray you, identities that unravel, and the absurd, dark humor required to survive both. The kind of stories that make people laugh, then immediately question if they’re allowed to.
Mimi has performed internationally and with Phamaly Theatre Company, one of the country’s only all-disabled theater companies. She is currently creating a documentary, Between 2 Bleeds, about invisible disability and the quiet chaos of living in a body that doesn’t follow the rules.
She believes shame thrives in silence—and that the fastest way to disarm it is to drag it onstage, hand it a microphone, and tell the truth anyway.
Hospital Chaplain, Storyteller
Nathan Hall
- Story: I am free
- Performed Sep ’24, Apr ’25, Nov ’25
- Story: I can’t fix it
- Performed: Aug ’25
Nathan Hall (he/him/his) is a hospital chaplain and storyteller based in Northern Colorado. Passionate about finding meaning in unexpected places, he draws on experiences of his own personal trauma while walking alongside people in their most vulnerable moments. Whether listening or speaking, Nathan believes that stories hold the power to heal, connect, and transform.
Actor, Playwright, Potter, Guitarist, Rock Climber, Stilt Walker
Sara Mayfield
- Story: I Have a degree in Musical Theatre Performance
- Performed Feb ’26
Sara Mayfield is based in the Fraser Valley in BC. Recently completing a cross-canada Fringe Festival tour of her one-woman show Who Drinks Mocktails on the Beach?! she won awards for Outstanding Production and Audience Choice in the On The Edge Fringe, as well as a 4 star review in the Edmonton Journal. Other original works include The Girl Next Door, a queer pop-punk musical, and her Dungeons and Dragons podcast and stream, Tabletop Tiddies. She has a degree in Musical Theatre from Capilano University, Level 8 RCM Voice, Level 3 RCM Piano, and a level 8 cleric in her home D&D game. She also enjoys dancing, roller blading, rock climbing, doing pottery, playing guitar, and walking around on stilts.
Storyteller, Author, has literally been struck by lightning.
Scott Sanders
- Story: I’m Not Afraid of Dying, Just Don’t Want To Be There When It Happens
- Performed April ’26
Scott Sanders moved to the West Coast close to 20 years ago and is still wrestling with cross-cultural challenges. He is a master storyteller at Redwood Nights: Storytelling Under the Stars and a six-time StorySLAM winner and has shared stories at multiple Moth GrandSLAMS, Moth Mainstage events, The Moth Radio Hour, NPR’s Snap Judgement, and storytelling venues in the Bay Area, Portland, LA, and NYC. His upcoming book is titled: “A Storyteller’s Wild Life: 31 Reasons My Therapist Stares At Me Blinking.”
Silly Goose, Therapist
Shayna Apler
- Story: Awakening
- Performed Jan ’26
Shayna is a certified silly goose who loves to unmask in nature, dancing at concerts, hang with friends and family, and her pup Grouper. As a queer neurodivergent therapist, she strives to inspire others to align with and embody their most authentic self with love, compassion, and understanding.
Clown, Performance Artist, Teacher
Soleil Kohl
- Story: Dragonfish
- Performed Oct ’25, April ’26
Soleil Kohl (she/they) is an experimental performance artist whose work spans absurdist satire, audiovisual collage, and provocative spectacle theatre. Existing in both comedy and art spaces, Soleil interweaves clowning, multimedia design, and embodied movement practices to create interactive and cathartic theatrical experiences. She has brought work across the US and abroad, and has been featured on No Proscenium and BBC Scotland.
MCLC to adults and adolescents, Life Coach, Storyteller, Teacher, Healer
Taylor Marxhausen
- Story: I’m Sure There’s Someone
- Performed: Feb ’25, Jul ’25, Sep ’26
Taylor Marxhausen is destined to be a storyteller, teacher, and healer in this life. Or maybe she’s just a fiery, parentified, first-born daughter with a vendetta to never stifle her voice and story ever again. Life informs art, as we all know! No matter which way you paint her, she is an open book with a curious mind and a heart firmly fastened to her sleeve.
Truth and Mind Gains Life Coaching is Taylor’s passion project and developing business. Her motto in her work is “when we garner our truth and gain a more settled mind, the path clears itself”. She is currently working on her credentials as a trauma informed Master Certified Life Coach and her continued education in adolescent coaching.
Speaker, Storyteller, Facilitator, Playful Spirit
Tina Hoang
- Story: Brother Living in a different lane
- Performed: Oct ’25, July ’26
Tina Hoang loves to belly laugh and be playfully weird. She loves to sing and dance in her car with the windows down. She has one of the loudest sneezes which will scare you. She enjoys eating yummy green mangoes. Tina gets extremely excited about animals, especially her two girl cats, Missy and Casey. She prefers sunrises over sunsets. Her favorite movie of all time is The Lake House. She loves going on road trips and prefers driving during the day to see everything. She’s an early bird and will start dozing off at night unless dancing is involved, then she’s awake again and goes all in. Tina likes to make weird movements and make others laugh. One of the ways to gain Tina’s trust is spill some chisme haha because she will keep it and be happy that you told her. She loves ice cream cakes. Ice cream and cake separately too. Tina believes in being excited about little things as a human being.
Peer Recovery Coach, End of Life Doula, Self Published Author, and Everyday Human.
Zach Perelman
- Story: Skeleton
- Performed: Febr ’25, Sept ’26
Originally born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, and now anchored in Aurora, Colorado, Zachary has focused his life’s purpose on helping people discover the meaning in the lives they’ve led and how best to express their findings through the power of storytelling. He’s a son, brother, friend, tour guide, hospice volunteer, outdoor enthusiast, 80’s/90’s movie aficionado, foodie, serial football fanatic, and proud father of two…cats– Butters and Squanchy.
Check out Zach’s book: Creature Comforts: My Lifelong Evolution From A(sshole) to Z(achary)
