Jennifer Klee, the Frank Basile Emerging Stories fellow for Storytelling Arts of Indiana, will present her show “My Life in Parables” on Sunday at the Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center. The performance blends parables of Jesus Christ with Klee’s own life.
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The parables of the Bible have long served as a way to learn from the past and guide one’s own life.
That has certainly been true in Jennifer Klee’s experience. The Indianapolis resident has found tremendous benefit in the lessons passed down in the parables.
As a storyteller and performer, she hoped to illustrate that to audiences.
“I wanted to explore a couple of Jesus’ parables and connect them to personal stories, to stories about my growth as a human being — learning to love the people God has put in my life,” she said.
Klee will present “My Life in Parables,” a collection of stories about love that tie the biblical parables of Jesus Christ to her own life experiences.
The tales include “The Pearl of Great Price,” a story of romantic foibles; “Unless a Grain of Wheat Falls to the Ground and Dies: Becoming Mom,” a story of the joys and dangers of becoming a parent, and “The Good Samaritan,” a story of learning to love a neighbor and his impressively destructive cat. The event is organized by Storytelling Arts of Indiana, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the art of storytelling.
When she takes the stage at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, Klee hopes that her insights inspire others to turn to storytelling themselves.
“I hope that people walk away willing to share their own stories. I feel that if I can do it, anyone can,” she said. “Stories are so important. Stories are one of the things that make us human and provide a wonderful way to connect to each other.”
Klee has spent her life exploring creativity, both in writing and in performance. She earned a master’s degree in fine arts at Chatham University in Pennsylvania before going on to teach creative writing and Sacred Scripture at Bishop Chatard High School for a decade. During her time at Bishop Chatard, she also directed several school theater productions.
After the first of her two sons was born, she became a stay-at-home mom. Storytelling emerged as a way to continue being creative.
“About two years ago, I was looking for a way to get out of the house a little bit and get my writing fix and performance fix,” she said.
Klee went online and discovered the Indy Story Slam. The monthly events put together by Storytelling Arts of Indiana invite storytellers from throughout the area to spend five minutes telling a true story based on the monthly theme. Prizes are awarded to the top three storytellers.
That night, Klee won.
“It was just so much fun. The community was so welcoming and warm, so I ended up doing that every month. I challenge myself to just write and perform a five-minute story at the Slam,” she said. “Not only did it give me a chance to express myself, but being able to hear other stories and get to know the other storytellers was such as gift.”
In the many times she’s returned to the Indy Story Slam stage, she’s taken home victory numerous times. She’s also been named champion at two Liar’s Contests at the Indiana State Fair. In 2023, she was awarded the International Storytelling Center’s Merle Davis Story Listener Fund Scholarship for the National Storytelling Festival.
Currently, she is the Frank Basile Emerging Stories fellow. The program encourages and recognizes the talent and skills of Hoosier tellers, supporting them as they create new material.
“I’ve really grown in my appreciation of stories and storytelling through this experience. Stories help me see meaning in my life, and provide a context for making sense about things that might seem very random in my life,” she said.
Through the fellowship, Klee created “My Life in Parables.” She chose three parables she felt mirrored lessons she had learned herself, from the journey that led to marriage with her husband to the joys and challenges of parenthood to what it means to be a neighbor.
“I was able to take some of the stories I told at the Slams and look at those through the lens of the parables, expand on them,” she said.
To be able to tell these stories and share with audiences about her life has been an exhilarating experience.
“It’s such a gift. I’m still in shock that I received this fellowship, because so many wonderful storytellers have come before me. I’m only here because of all of the people who have supported me and encouraged me,” she said.
IF YOU GO
“My Life in Parables”
What: A storytelling performance by Indianapolis resident Jennifer Klee weaving original stories of personal growth exploring themes of marriage, motherhood, family and community with biblical parables.
When: 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Eugene & Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis. An online Zoom option is also available.
Cost: $15 for general admission, $10 for students and $5 for a link to the livestream. Tickets can be purchased at the door or in advance at StorytellingArts.org.
