StoryFest 2026
Community Showcase
1:15 p.m. - 2:10 p.m. - Rehearsal Hall
The Off-Kilter Cabaret
The Off-Kilter Cabaret, now in its fifth year, is the new Twin Cities multi-disciplinary performance program designed to highlight, celebrate and support artists with disabilities. Produced by Jennifer Hupfer-Ilse and Paul Herwig, artistic directors of the award-winning theatre company
Off-Leash Area, the Off-Kilter Cabaret curates original work by disabled artists of all mediums -- actors, dancers, musicians, poets, puppeteers and more -- into shows that are accessible and inclusive to both performers and audiences. Each of the four annual Off-Kilter cabarets has explored a selected theme, such as "Organ Recital," "Human Alchemy," and "Pick Your Paradox," encouraging the artists to interpret the theme through their own unique lens. Off-Kilter's hope is to grow space, agency, visibility and development opportunities for disabled artists who've increasingly been left out of the local arts arena as more and more inclusivity-focused producing organizations have shuttered, and to demonstrate to audiences the wealth of talent, experience, empathy and insight that artists with disabilities bring to the world when given a voice.
Here at StoryFest, you'll see a selection of pieces by narrative artists from the 2025 and 2026 cabarets, including Laurine Chang, Rachel Orzoff, Desdamona Ross, and Amy Salloway. Following the performance, we'll have a Q and A with the artists and with producer Jennifer Hupfer-Ilse.
To follow along with Off-Kilter news, visit www.offleasharea.org/about-off-kilter.html.
Desdamona Ross
Desdamona Ross is an international award-winning poet and hip hop artist. She has toured the US and abroad, performing and leading workshops in over 300 schools and prisons. She co-founded B-Girl Be, a celebration of women in Hip Hop, that took place in Minneapolis between 2005-2011. Des has been featured on 8 French releases and has toured France, as well as collaborating with Grammy award winners, Sly & Robbie. In 2014, Des was chosen to feature in a national "Back to School" campaign for Kmart as a rapping lunch lady. She’s created commissioned work for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, as well as lyrics for the WNBA Detroit Shock theme song. Desdamona’s 2016 release No Man’s Land features an all-female cast of singers, poets and emcees from the Twin Cities. Listen here: www.desdamona.bandcamp.com
Rachel Orzoff
Rachel Orzoff is an eccentric creative. At any given moment she may be crafting a poem, harmonizing a song, reenacting a scene, or dramaturging her life’s choices. Rachel spends much of her time as a Peer Supporter for disabled adults through Sha’arim+Gateways, and the rest enjoying good food, good music, and good company, like her amazing kid, Elle and fantastic partner, Nick. As a survivor of severe traumatic brain injuries, she is proud to be enabling a renewed life for herself in the arts.
Laurine Chang
Laurine Chang is a Twin Cities-grown second-generation Hmong American spoken word poet, writer, and performance artist. Rooted in moving with authentic joy and intention, Laurine believes that art work is heart work. Their current work explores themes of generational trauma and societal inequities, invisible disabilities, and narrative healing. They were a recipient of the FY2024 Minnesota State Arts Board Creative Individuals grant and have collaborated and featured with organizations such as Full Circle Theater, Off-Leash Area, Solidarity Street Gallery, Theater Mu, Red Eye Theater, East Side Arts Council, Park Square Theater, and Public Art Saint Paul.
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 touring autobiographical solo plays -- “Does This Monologue Make Me Look Fat?,” "So Kiss Me Already, Herschel Gertz!,” and “Circumference” -- have won awards across the US and Canada, and she’s contributed personal stories to almost every narrative stage show in town, including Mixtape, Cheap Theatre, The Moth, Patrick's Cabaret, Two Chairs Telling, Prompt, and Story Club Minneapolis, which she produced and hosted from 2017 through the pandemic. Amy's been featured on MPR, CBC radio in Canada, and the national podcast “Risk!," for which she's also coached storytellers and taught classes via its educational arm, The Story Studio. Amy is especially proud to be a founder and leadership team member of Off-Kilter. www.facebook.com/awkwardmomentonstage
Off-Leash Area
Founded in 1999, Off-Leash Area: Contemporary Performance Works is led by co-artistic directors Jennifer Hupfer-Ilse and Paul Herwig. Off-Leash Area's mission is to create and present original cross-disciplinary and risk-taking productions and programming throughout the Twin Cities Metro area, enriching our local community and nurturing independent voices within the performing arts. Off-Leash Area works towards equal access and inclusion for persons of all abilities in every facet of their creative work and community programming. For information on Off-Leash Area's production history, awards and upcoming work (you don't want to miss the summer Garage Tour!), visit www.offleasharea.org, or www.facebook.com/offleash.area.