The parking lot of The Little Red Barn Brewers in Winsted was full on Wednesday, April 8, as more than 100 people from 43 Connecticut towns — including New Haven and Vernon — arrived carrying personal treasures for a live taping of “Audacious LIVE Show & Tell.”
Chion Wolf, host and producer of Connecticut Public’s “Audacious,” and her crew, led by production manager Maegn Boone, brought the program to the packed brewery for an evening of story-driven conversation and shared keepsakes.
Reflecting on the evening’s spirit, Wolf, a four-time Gracie Award winner from the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, said: “To me, Audacious — and Connecticut Public — are about making space for people to be fully themselves: curious, vulnerable, weird, honest, all of it. ‘Show & Tell’ feels like that spirit brought to life.”
Attendees clutched mementos — sentimental, unusual and sometimes humorous — hoping for a chance to step onto the small stage and share their stories.
Caroline Christensen of Winsted carried a large conch shell and told the audience about nearly losing her fiancé to a storm tide while he struggled to retrieve the shell she wanted.
Gerry Griswold, a wildlife rehabilitator and educator from White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, brought a Victorian taxidermied pet dog in a glass case.
When Tim Dwyer of Coventry showed a vintage T-shirt featuring “Bill the Cat,” Wolf rolled up her pants leg to reveal a matching cartoon tattoo.
Author Christine Ieronimo drove from Plymouth with a photograph of her late grandmother, Florence De Mario, holding her beauty contest trophy as a young woman, along with the original silver cup engraved with “Interstate Rhode Island and Connecticut Beauty Contest, September 28, 1929.”
The evening blended humor, nostalgia and vulnerability, with food and drinks provided by Nils Johnson, co-founder of the brewery, which has become a lively gathering place in
Winsted.
Jessica Severin de Martinez, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Meg Fitzgerald and Vanessa de la Torre were also part of the Connecticut Public team that helped produce the event. Connecticut Public is home to Connecticut Public Radio and Connecticut Public Television.
Lucy Nalpathanchil, vice president for community engagement, said the organization hosts “Audacious LIVE Show & Tell” events around the state to connect with residents and reach new audiences.
“We’ve hosted them so far in Winsted, Willimantic, Hartford and Stamford,” Nalpathanchil said.
“If your readers have thoughts about where the next one should be held, they can email ideas to events@ctpublic.org,” she said.
Wolf summed up the night simply: “We held the space, sure, but those who attended made the magic. People walked in as strangers carrying meaningful objects from their lives, and by the end of the night, the room felt warm, open and deeply connected. That’s public radio at its best.”
