Description

Nina Lesiga is a performing artist following a 30-year career as a corporate chemist.  Her favorite place IS outside her comfort zone because that's where Nina finds some of the most exceptional experiences.  She refers to these occurrences as "experience climaxes" or "experience orgasms".    Nina's storyteller and a ukulelist. Nina's appeared on "Stories from the Stage".on PBS,  "Generation Women", Take-Two Storytelling, and "P(r)ose of Pie".  Her stories are often quirky, fun, and full of uncommon adventures   Nina was a Brooklynite most of her life - she immigrated to CT for a job relocation. Nina is one of the co-organizers of Pechakucha Night Bridgeport visual storytelling and a member of the Story City Troupe in Middletown, CT  As a ukulelist, Nina organizes pop up events in unexpected places such as elevators, farms and beaches.  Sometimes she brings a dozen loaner ukuleles with her to a public space and gets strangers to play with her.  Nina teaches beginner ukulele workshops at colleges, community centers, and libraries.   Interesting facts: Nina is an avid solo traveler.  Wherever she goes, she seeks out authentic local experiences.  She loves getting into "the good kind of trouble" - and there are often lots of funny moments involved.  Nina takes trips into NYC with the intent of staying out all night.  She loves attending 24-hour marathon performances and the challenge of what to do when she misses (or knows she's gonna miss) the last Metro-North train at 1:30 AM back home to CT.  This is an outgrowth of guest speaker talks she gives on  "The Art of Daycations" and "Solo Travel Boot Camp".  While a chemist, Nina moonlighted as a dance and music studio owner and teacher. She also formed a youth leadership organization in the performing for at-risk teens named Spirit GDA.  Related to my story "The Beverage Project".  This story was born for the storytelling event "So What Happened Was". (Asher Novek) Tellers share an unpolished story about what happened to them during the last 7 days.     Unlike living in NYC, sometimes absolutely nothing story worthy happens to me in CT in the span of a week.  I decided I would have to try to make something happen. Like what? Like a self-directed study/ crash course on Caribbean aphrodisiacs!  This awakened/revisited my curiosity about some intriguing facts that  I stumbled upon in Grenada and St. Lucia while on a cruise vacation a few years prior.  Living in CT, Nina found myself challenged to run with my idea of a crash course because she didn't have the kind of contact network that she had in NY to do my initial research. But this made her journey all the more interesting and fun.  Nina's story focuses on Irish moss drinks.  Originally she wanted to uncover insights about spiced rum too.  My rum contacts were weak and I had to postpone that part because of the story deadline.  Nina's story was workshopped at "Fail Better Storytelling" and story sharing circles in CT, MA, and NH. Nina told this story a few times at story events in CT,  MA. This is its first NYC appearance.  She is often asked by audience members after sharing the story, where she bought the "love potion" so they can get some. She loves it when the audience is engaged with her story.