Join us for our December show in Washington, DC featuring five true, personal stories inspired by the gifts science brings—from the gifts that power our geekery to those that help us cope with our relationships. This show features bonus science trivia produced in partnership with Science on Tap!

Hosted by Maryam Zaringhalam.

Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm.

About Science on Tap

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Stories by:

DC area native, writer, storyteller, and DC Regional Producer of The Moth, Natalie Amini has storytelling in her blood, circulating the best of her family’s abilities to narrate life. She grew up listening to her father share stories of surviving the Islamic revolution in Iran, while her mother shared endless chronicles of what coming to America from La Paz Bolivia was like and the challenges she faced as an immigrant. It’s no wonder with her rich and diverse cultural background, she comes ready to share life stories. She yearns to share her triumphs and tragedies, her heartbreak and missteps, hoping it will inspire others to share their own stories. Natalie works as a HUD certified housing counselor at a local non-profit, dedicated to helping DC residents overcome homelessness and the negative effects of gentrification. When she is not at her day job, she produces live comedy and storytelling events at night, including a biweekly Story SLAM event for The Moth.

Ian Anthony works as a public defender in Howard county, Maryland where he represents indigent defendants. With a background in theater and a passion for storytelling, Ian fights to make sure the truth of his clients’ stories gets told. Ian is a proud graduate of Columbia University (B.A.) and Maryland Carey Law (J.D.), and currently serves as a senior coach of the Maryland National Trial Team. He also loves to bake.

Tori Ball is a high school math teacher in Rockville, Maryland. She spends her days taking derivatives, graphing parabolas, and making young people giggle when she says the word "asymptote." Back when she was a high school student in Rockville, Maryland, Tori's antics on the morning announcements earned her the nickname "Tori with the Story" - a moniker that remains appropriate to this day. Tori has shared stories on stage in DC with Story District, the Moth, and Perfect Liar's Club - and is excited for her Story Collider debut!

The father of two pre-schoolers and husband of one adult, Phill Branch loves writing and telling stories; when he’s not completely exhausted. He started in L.A. with his own storytelling show and has since gone on to perform in shows for Story District, Perfect Liars Club and is a Moth GrandSlam Champion. He is the 2019 recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council’s Solo Performance Artist Award. A graduate of the American Film Institute, Branch recently directed Searching for Shaniqua; his documentary about the impact names have on our lives. The film won the HBO Best Documentary award at the 2016 Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival. A writing, film and media scholar, Branch has served as a professor at his alma mater Hampton University and at Howard University. He is currently at Goucher College in Communication and Media Studies, focusing on race and ethnicity in film and media. Give him a shout @phillbranch on IG/Twitter and at phillbranch.com.

Taylor Winkleman, a former Arabic linguist and stage actor, trained as a veterinarian and global health security policy professional before coming to DC for a public policy career, covering everything from global health to commercial space policy. She is a writer, podcaster, and professor, and currently works for local non-profit firm LMI. When not trying to solve the world's problems, she can be found doing amateur circus; she has taken circus classes during the last three conferences she attended.