The Bloom Stage & Storytelling

The Bloom Stage and Storytelling

Story is an important tradition that connects our communities, holds a mirror up to life lessons and helps chart where we are going. In our current golden age of storytelling, people are becoming more aware of how sharing their personal narratives function as a pathway to physically healing experiences and to achieving their goals. Stories elicit powerful emotional responses and are useful tools. Your story is your power!

The Bloom Stage offers quarterly events that bring a blend of storytelling, poetry, music, and art to the Murfreesboro stage. The series is produced by storyteller and personal coach Kara J. Kemp with assistance from poet and writer Kory Wells and partnership with Poetry in the Boro. This series celebrates the ability of art to honor both the diversity and commonality of human experience, and to satisfy a vital human need for connection. It seeks to present established and emerging storytellers, poets, performers and artists and to encourage unity among communities whose stories often go unheard. Each show presents a broad theme for artists to build upon, such as “Defibrillator” for a February Valentine’s show, “Cornbread and Casseroles” for Mother’s Day and “The Dog Days” for an August show on furry friends, summer’s end and school’s beginning. Live musicians weave the stories together throughout the series as well as visual artists on exhibit.

Don’t shrink. Bloom.

Bloom Stage presents A Place for All Voices in celebration of Poetry in the Boro’s 10th anniversary anthology release

Bloom Stage proudly announces the first show in its 2026 series, “A Place for All Voices.” Produced in both Murfreesboro and Historic Rugby, Tennessee, this show will invite audience members to reflect on the impact of all creative communities through an entertaining evening of live performance and art. The show also serves as a release party for Poetry in the Boro’s 10th anniversary anthology, also titled A Place for All Voices.

Through poetry, story, music, and performance, this show celebrates the history and reach of Poetry in the Boro, a reading and open mic event that regularly attracts standing-room-only crowds, actively welcomes a diverse group of participants and poetic styles, and has participated in collaborations across the state and beyond.

This show will feature the music of Heather Moulder, art by Henry Jones, live art by Gregory Lannom, and a host of storytellers and poets – we’ll be sharing more soon!

Murfreesboro show Sunday evening, March 22

The Murfreesboro show will have online and on-site registration for a lottery-style open mic hosted by Nick Bush. (link coming soon)

The beautiful Walnut House provides an intimate setting for this quarterly event, creating a space for connection and community. Located at 116 N Walnut Street (off the Square in downtown Murfreesboro), doors at 5:30 pm Central with libations and light refreshments, and the show starts at 6 pm.

We appreciate an anthology purchase or a $10 donation at the door to help with expenses, but admission is free. Art by Henry Jones will also be available for purchase.

Historic Rugby show Saturday evening, March 28

A special edition of the show produced in Historic Rugby, Tennessee, will feature many of the same creatives and also highlight poets affiliated with Dandelion Scribes, an online poetry publication that features writers from the Big South Fork area and beyond. Cheyanne Leonardo of Oneida, editor-in-chief of Dandelion Scribes and a poet well known to both Rugby and Poetry in the Boro, served as the book designer for the Murfreesboro anthology.

The event will take place at Historic Rugby’s Rebecca Johnson Theatre, 1331 Rugby Parkway, Rugby, TN, inside the Visitor Centre. Doors open at 6:30 pm Eastern time for the 7:00 pm show.

The event is free, thanks to support from the Tennessee Arts Commission. A suggested $10 donation at the door supports Historic Rugby’s preservation and arts programming. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Following the show, guests are invited to enjoy light refreshments and conversation in the theatre lobby. Anthologies and art by Henry Jones will be for sale.

About the anthology and the event organizers

A Place for All Voices includes poetry, art, and photographs representing the first ten years of Poetry in the Boro. Representing a wide variety of perspectives and poetic styles, all of the 50+ contributors to the book are part of the Poetry in the Boro community and have shared their creativity at PitB events. Edited by Bryanna Licciardi, Kory Wells, and Taffeta Chime, the book was designed by Cheyanne Leonardo. Online sales information will be posted soon.

 

The Bloom Stage 2026 Season continues our mission of cultivating connection through intimate, multi-genre and multi-generational performances rooted in storytelling, music, poetry, movement, and visual art. Hosted at Walnut House in downtown Murfreesboro and extending across the region, this season reflects both deepened partnerships and meaningful expansion.

Since launching in 2018, Bloom Stage has collaborated with over 300 artists internationally, welcomed nearly 3,000 in-person audience members, and reached more than 21,000 virtual viewers. None of this work is possible without the continued support of our community.

The 2026 season invites audiences, artists, and partners to gather in shared space, to listen deeply, honor lived experience, and celebrate creativity as a vital force for connection and care.

More highlights of the 2026 season include:

  • The Art of Unburdening, a six-month collaborative art series presented with Rutherford Arts Alliance and We Remember You, designed to support caregivers of those living with dementia, culminating in a Bloom Stage presentation in May

  • Two Bloom Stage performances in Historic Rugby, East Tennessee

JOIN OUR STAGE

Have a story to tell? The Bloom Stage is always in search of new storytellers. No experience required, just a great story and a willingness to collaborate. Performers have an option to work with a coach to be performance-ready.

Tell Your Story on The Bloom Stage

SPONSOR THE BLOOM STAGE

Supporting the arts is the noblest thing you can do to keep humanity thriving. -Anonymous  We need support for The Bloom Stage to stay free and accessible to the public. If you’d like to become a sponsor, let us know.

 

Click on any poster for a link to a past production.



 

 

 

 

 

“True belonging requires meeting real people in real time in a real space. Story helps you find your real.” – Kara J. Kemp

Kara’s storytelling performances have also been crafted for energetic events such as United We Style benefiting United Way, The Ghostly Gathering in historic Rugby, Tennessee, The Moth Nashville and custom story workshops. Kittens on the Keys is a full-length production that resonates with audiences as “a unique mix….at once sophisticated and homespun” which explores the complexities and charm of growing up Southern and what we do with our past in order to shape our futures. Kara is available for customizing workshops or private coaching sessions to help tap into real power for simply sharing, performance or corporate presentations.