Writer

STORIES


Angela shares stories through 3 distinct yet intertwined storylines:

Just a Waitress: An Italian Opera, Finding YiaYia: A Greek Tragedy, At Your Service: An American Saga
Stories
Q E D

Angela’s a featured storyteller 2 dates in June at Q.E.D.

27-16 23rd Ave, Astoria, Queens, NY 11105

  • Sat, June 17, 5pm – 7pm
    • Hosted by Matt Storrs “How Was It?” is a weekly storytelling show and open mic each Saturday afternoon at QED in Astoria. They gather the best storytellers in NYC to share their most engaging, fascinating, hilarious and unforgettable stories. Along with their booked storytellers, they also invite you to sign up for the open-mic portion of the show and tell a story of your own. Tickets are $5.00. 
  • Sun, June 18, 7pm – 9pm
    • “New Tricks” is a storytelling show where all of the performers are over 40! Even though the performers are of a “certain age”, it’s a show for everyone who loves a great story. Tickets are $12.

Writers Read at City Winery

mom

Angela was be a featured storyteller with Writers Read at City Winery located at West Side Highway at 15th Street (right next to the Little Island) in NYC on Saturday, May 13, 2023. Angela told her story “Mom’s Big Move” in memory and in honor of Glo-girl.


2 Truths and a Lie

2 Truths and Lie

I was super excited to be a storyteller for 2 Truths and Lie on March 4th! There were 2 rounds with 3 storytellers in each round. 2 of the stories are true and one is a lie! At the end of each round, the audience has to guess who the liar is. Tickets sales were to benefit the Innocence Project.


Generation Women – Wild At Heart: Stories of Bold Moves and Big Choices

Wild At Heart: Stories of Bold Moves and Big Choices
generation women

I was a featured storyteller with Generation Women on Friday, Feb. 3rd at Joe’s Pub 425 Lafayette St, New York, NY. The theme is Wild At Heart: Stories of Bold Moves and Big Choices.


StoryBOOM! Love is in the Air

StoryBOOM! Love is in the Air
storyboom

I was a featured storyteller with StoryBOOM! on Sunday, Feb. 5th at North Street Tavern in White Plains. The theme is Love is in the Air.  My story was Dinner & a Movie, the story of mine and Tom’s long distance romance before celebrating 26 years of marriage on February 1st! Tom was my guest in the audience and he had no idea I was telling that story – it was my Anniversary surprise 🙂


StoryBOOM! at Little Drunken Chef

Making new friends at Little Drunken Chef in White Plains as an open mic storyteller at StoryBOOM! on December 4th, 2022.


Key to the Castle Workshop Info Session

Key to the Castle Workshop

The next Key to the Castle Workshop info-session will be via Zoom on Monday, December 12th at 7pm. to register email me at: keytothecastleworkshop@gmail.com


Tales of Tradition Interrupted

Tradition Interrupted

Last month I had the pleasure of participating in the Tales of Tradition Interrupted event at the Katonah Museum of Art.

I told a story from my Just a Waitress series, Christmas 1979, which references the now somewhat famous Lasagne that was served at my grandmother’s NYC restaurant. You can see the story here and find the recipe for the lasagne below.

Lasagne

Lunch with the Mayor

Pre-show photo with my Writes & Bites storytelling cast mates: Kathy Curto, Jamie Jensen, Paula Fung – Writes & Bites founder, me, Barbara Occhino, Kelly Bakshi, Susie Johnson, Alison Relyea. Photo credit: Susan Nagib
Video credit: Barbara Occhino

Angela was back in Westchester for a storytelling event on July 14th with WRITES & BITES at the Rye Free Reading Room. The evening began with wine & nibbles while mingling with the storytellers. Theme for the evening was Good Boss/Bad Boss – Old Boss/New Boss and the title of Angela’s story is “Lunch with the Mayor”. Listen and watch to get the answer to your long standing question, “How did you get that job?”


Every Family’s Got One

every family got one

Pre-show photo with my amazing storytelling cast mates: from top left: Ax Norman, EFGO co-founder Barbara Herel, Tony Mennuto, Kim Como and from bottom left: Johanne Pelletier, Me, Sandi Marx, Ronna Levy. Photo credit: Neil Kramer Photography. Our stories will eventually be available for listening on the EFGO podcast. Please keep an eye (and both ears!) out here: everyfamilysgotone.com

grandmother
efgo

Angela performed “Finding Yia Yia: A Greek Tragedy” with Every Family’s Got One (A Story That is) at the Southampton Cultural Center, Saturday, June 25th.


Peter’s Quilt

Peter's Quilt

June 12th, 2022 would have been Peter’s 78th birthday. Here is his quilt panel making team at Golden Gate Park at the 35th Quilt anniversary display just after having a birthday picnic. Please go here: aidsmemorial.org/quilt to learn more about the ongoing advocacy and activism behind the Quilt and please consider making a donation in memory of my brother, Peter Zullo. In the photo are: on the left – Bill Simpich and Queenie, Ann Wettrich, Regan Nadelberg. And on the right – Me, Genevieve (Genny) Buehler, Alicia Dougherty-Wold. Not in the photo but definitely there in spirit having left her earthly body at the very end of last year is Gwenyth Rosemaydance Dietrich, and of course, My brother Peter Zullo. Photo credit: Brenda Hailey

Peters Quilt

This past Memorial Day, Monday, May 30th, marked the 22nd Anniversary of my brother, Peter’s death. For twenty years after his death, I dreamed of creating a panel for the AIDS Memorial Quilt in his memory. My dream came true during the 2020 Covid-19 shutdown wherein I spent many days on Zoom with a small group of Peter’s friends discussing and designing a quilt panel. And now, that panel is officially a part of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, to be displayed for the very first time, as part of the Quilt’s 35th Anniversary display, in San Francisco – Peter’s home for 30 years and his final resting place – over the weekend of June 11th & 12th – which would have been Peter’s 78th birthday. Of course I am going to be there! And, I will be part of the ceremony as an “unfolder.”

In memory of Peter, and in celebration of Pride Month, I hope you will take a few minutes to view my 5 minute story, “From AIDS to Ashes“, from my 2017 debut with Read650.


StoryBOOM!

Angela Derecas Taylor was live at StoryBOOM! on Sunday, May 15, 2022. The event took place on Salsa Picante’s rooftop lounge in White Plains, NY. The theme of the night was Mothers & Fathers.


NRCA Talent Showcase

Talent showcase

Angela D. Talor was at the NRCA Talent Showcase on March 20th where she will performed Envy: An original story written and performed by Angela Derecas Taylor, a reprisal from her March 9th debut with Generation Women, representing Team 60’s on the theme Unlady-like Behavior.


Generation Women Live

Generation Women

On Wednesday March 9 I took the stage @Generation_Women LIVE. The show was a unique, multigenerational literary salon, and I shared an original story on the theme “Break the Bias: Unladylike Behavior”.


MY Story on the Moth Radio Hour

Finding Yia Yia

Thanks to all who tuned in this past week to hear my story “Finding YiaYia: A Greek Tragedy,” on The Moth Radio Hour. 

 If you missed it on the radio, you can listen on demand here at your leisure. I am one of 4 storytellers on the broadcast. My intro and segment begins at 20:00 and ends at 35:00 with a mention of my support of My Sisters’ Place, NY, a not-for-profit organization that provides housing and other vital services to victims of domestic violence.

my sisters place

I hope you will please consider a donation to mspny.org in memory of my grandmother, Maria Anastasiou Derecas.


“Finding YiaYia: A Greek Tragedy”

The Moth • “Close Encounters,” a Moth Mainstage live event, was recorded on September 16, 2020 at the Historic  Green-wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY

“The Turkey Shoot”

Read650.com • “Holidays,” a Read650 live event, was recorded on October 21, 2018 at the Ossie Davis Theater in the New Rochelle Public Library in New Rochelle, NY

“Angelina’s”

Read650.com • “Immigration Nation,” a 650 live event, was recorded on January 28, 2018 at the Ossie Davis Theater in the New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, New York

“From AIDS to Ashes”

Read650.com • “From A to LGBTQ,” a 650 live event, was recorded at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY on Sunday, June 11, 2017.

Reprising Crazy Joe at IAWA

Reprising Crazy Joe at IAWA

It’s been awhile since I publicly read my short story “Crazy Joe” but the Italian American Writers Association 2nd Saturday open mic event at the Sidewalk Cafe on October 13th seemed like a good time to share how I learned to play Black Jack from Crazy Joe Gallo.