STONINGTON — The popular annual Island Women Speak storytelling event returns to the Stonington Opera House for its eighth year, highlighting voices of women in our community.
Seven women from Deer Isle and Stonington, representing five generations, will tell personal stories from their lives on the Stonington Opera House stage at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22. Conceived of and directed by Debbie Weil, this year’s theme is “My Aha Moment”.
The 2026 featured storytellers are: Jadyn Ladeau, 27; Julianne Harris, 36; Diana Lane, 37; Heather Dunham, 55; Liz Leuthner, 60; Missy Greene, 68; and Maureen Farr, 75.
“It’s always an honor to witness these brave women digging deep, and the most exciting part is to hear them tell their stories live on stage!” said Weil, 74, who created the event based on The Moth’s five-minute storytelling rule.
There will be a pre-show performance in the Opera House lobby by Along for the Ride, led by Renee Sewall, beginning at 6 p.m.
For storyteller bios: operahousearts.org/island-women-speak-2026
Tickets: $25 general admission, $20 live-streaming.
This highly popular storytelling event sells out quickly. For more information and to purchase tickets visit operahousearts.org or call 207-367-2788.
This project is supported, in part, by a Creative Communities Grant awarded to Opera House Arts by The Maine Arts Commission, which receives support in part from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
The Stonington Opera House is a historic center of culture and entertainment, a performance space, and a civic gathering place. Our work is rooted in the belief that access to and participation in the arts transforms lives.
The Stonington Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and in 1999, it was rescued by the founders of Opera House Arts, a 501(c)3, that was established specifically to restore this historic building to its original purpose.
A cornerstone of a year-round, vibrant Main Street located at the top of the busiest commercial fishing pier in Maine, the Stonington Opera House is an economic engine for the creative economy of Deer Isle.