Auto Polo, Bain News Service. ca. 1912. Image from: Library of Congress.
Stories on the Lawn: Collisions
Moth-Style Storytelling at the Neill-Cochran House Museum
Thursday, september 10 | 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Doors at 7:00 | stories begin at 7:30
TICKETS
$25 General admission | $10 nchm members & Students
Join us for a night of Moth-style true personal stories told from the grand porch of the NCHM. Attendees are encouraged to bring picnic blankets and lawn chairs.
The House and Slave Quarters will be open for touring before the start of the show and during intermission. Don’t miss Thoughts in Fiber: Work by Deborah A. Moore Harris on view in the Gallery.
Admission includes complimentary cocktails for attendees over 21. All proceeds from Stories on the Lawn support the Neill-Cochran House Museum.
Free parking is available behind the Museum; accessible from W 23rd St.
Who’s telling?
Warren Holleman - Storyteller
Until his retirement, Warren served as professor of Behavioral Science at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Warren is a three-time Houston Moth Story Slam winner, and his stories have been featured on the Moth Radio Hour, the Moth Mainstage, and PBS’s Stories from the Stage. Warren’s stories have been published in numerous books and magazines, most recently in the New York Times bestseller, A Point of Beauty: True Stories of Holding on and Letting Go. For many years, Warren co-hosted So What’s Your Story? on 90.1 KPFT Houston (Pacifica Radio). For the past fifteen years, he has served as editor for the on-line storytelling magazine, Pulse-voices from the heart of medicine.
Ellen "Puppy" Stader - Storyteller
Ellen worked as a choreographer and dancer in Austin for 30 years. Now she tells stories of backstage shenanigans in a one-woman show — United Colors of Booty — which placed in Best of Week at Frontera Fest 2026. She will gladly talk about the joy of horror movies, how fun it is to sew costumes, or her obsession with dogs.
Todd Frank - Storyteller
Todd is a fifth generation Houstonian who now calls Austin home. He’s spent the last 28 years writing proposals and leading marketing and communications teams for engineering and construction companies, but has spent recent years working through his mid-life crisis by writing a memoir about his time as the jury foreperson on a high profile murder case. In 2024, he started telling stories on stage, something that terrifies him and simultaneously brings him great joy.
Leta Moser - Storyteller
Leta Moser can frequently be found zipping around Austin on her bicycle, eating fruits and nuts found on the ground, and eavesdropping on nearby conversations. In the absence of children, she names the objects closest to her, including her bicycle, ukulele, and electric mosquito-killing racket. She sees storytelling as part of her journey in finding her voice.
Ann Locasio - Storyteller
Ann Locasio wears many hats. She’s a storyteller, world traveler, writer, Austin State Hospital employee, pet sitter, and reluctant house cleaner who invites people over when the mess gets knee-deep because that will motivate her to start dusting. She posts jokes on Facebook. She has lived in Austin for over ten years and melts at the sight of a cute dog.
Susan Mack - Co-Producer
A regular on the Austin storytelling performance scene, Susan has more than 20 years experience with corporate and personal storytelling.
Mike Mournighan - Co-Producer
Mike is an Austin based improvisor, twitch streamer, and storyteller. He is also the newest co-producer of Stories on the Lawn. During his lifelong journey to become funnier, Mike tripped over storytelling and fell in love with the art's sincerity and deep human connection. Since that accident, he's won the Austin Story Slam, become a teacher, and begun coaching in the local scene. Mike manages www.storytellingaustin.com as a free aggregator for local events, and he'd love to hear your story.