WOMEN’S STUDIES
University of Victoria

To Whom It May Concern:
I recently had the pleasure of producing a performance by storyteller Helen Mintz and musician Andre Thibault, co-sponsored by my department and two community organizations. The performance was sold out, partly as a result of Ms Mintz’s high-quality promotional materials, and partly as a result of the wide range of people interested in her work. We had people of all ages and genders, from many ethnic communities and walks of life, and of many political and spiritual persuasions.Entitled “The Healing of our Broken World,” the performance elaborated a continuity of progressive political activism and multi-faceted spiritual and musical traditions. Ms Mintz drew upon a diverse selection of stories, speeches, and poems from around the world as the basis for her performance, judiciously interspersed with personal narratives. The interplay of story and music was dramatically vivid and beautifully modulated.I had heard Helen was good, but I had no idea how good. Her performance was of the highest professional standard without feeling slick. Her material was both intensely moving and intellectually engaging. There was no facile sentimentality in her stories of struggles for peace and justice, and no sense of wallowing in misery. She articulated the need for hope and resilience to get us through troubled times strongly without ever becoming “preachy.” Her perfectly balanced performance was full of laughter.Ms Mintz was wonderful to work with. She was straightforward about her requirements, flexible about arrangements, and generous with her comments. When a glitch occurred in the sound system near the beginning of the performance, she gracefully turned the potential disaster into a closer connection with the audience. For weeks afterward, I kept hearing from people who raved about the show and thanked me for bringing Helen to Victoria. I would work with her and Andre again without any hesitation.

In sum, I offer my wholehearted recommendation for Helen Mintz’s performance to any community group or educational institution that wants to reach an audience of thinkers, feelers, and doers with a show that is accessible and entertaining while conveying its underlying seriousness. Please feel free to contact me for any further information.

Sincerely,

Deborah Yaffe
Senior Instructor