**Winner 2018 HFF Scholarship Award** “A Mile in My Shoes” is a Poetic Dramedy (clever mix of poetry, drama & comedy) Kathryn portrays various characters inspired by research and personal interviews with past and present members of the homeless community as well as those who advocate for them. Have you ever passed a homeless person on the street and wondered, How did they get that way, What did they do before they were homeless, What do they do all day on the streets, Is it safe for women and children, What can I do to help, What are they going to do with the money, food or clothes that I just gave them, Why won’t they just go to a shelter, Why can’t they just get a job, Why won’t the city feed or house all the homeless. If you’ve ever asked these questions then “A Mile in My Shoes” is a must see show for you. This socially conscious and social relevant piece speaks to the audience from a raw, uncensored, unapologetic perspective. It will make you laugh and cry but most of all it will make think. It will compel you to do more, to be better & to act kinder; but not because they are homeless, simply because they are human and “There but for the grace of God go I.”
A Mile In My Shoes
Reviews
Directed by Zadia Ife, Smith's presentation is swift-paced and energetic, but her narrative meanders and the distinction among the multiple characters needs to be refined.
Writer/Performer Kathryn Taylor Smith has accomplished something remarkable with her one woman show A Mile In My Shoes. She has managed to present a show about one of the most pressing issues of our time, homelessness; and she has done so with intelligence, compassion, humor, pathos and insight but most of all with humanity.
Others have been treading water in the ocean for years. We don't like to think about them. Understandably. We like to pretend homelessness is a choice. Or the result of some flaw in character. Less than three days before I saw A Mile in My Shows, the driver of a Metro bus carrying me to another show was loudly telling everyone how the homeless did this to themselves, they chose this life, they never even try to anything to help themselves. It is a common idea. Lots of folks are stupid enough to believe it.
Bravo, bravo, bravo!!! What an incredible performance with a very smart content and wake up call to homelessness. Kathryn's story is moving, beautifully told with extreme precision in all her characters. It's a brilliant "performance", Kathryn is so talented and fantastic at what she does! I loved everything; the story, the writing, the characters, the staging, the pacing, the lights, the impact Kathryn had on us... Congratulations!!!!! We need more engaged stories like this!
The direction by Zadia Ife is grounded and real, taking the dramatic convention of every story having a pair of shoes and making it organic rather than a stage cliché. And perhaps it's Smith's prior work as a domestic abuse counselor (and athlete, and motivational speaker, and all-around Wonder Woman) that makes her characters so relatable and specific, but whatever it may be, she absolutely shines on the Lounge 2 stage. - Highly Recommended
A Mile in My Shoes has left me with mixed feelings. Kathryn Taylor Smith is a highly skilled performer and the content/message of this play is gorgeous. Through monologues, dance and visual projections Smith introduces the audience to a number of different homeless people and the people they encounter - both those who help make their lives better, and those who wish they would just go away. It is clear that Smith has spent a lot of time with homeless people and has great compassion for them. For this alone, I would say go and check out the show.
Directed by Zadia Ife, Smith's presentation is swift-paced and energetic, but her narrative meanders and the distinction among the multiple characters needs to be refined.
Writer/Performer Kathryn Taylor Smith has accomplished something remarkable with her one woman show A Mile In My Shoes. She has managed to present a show about one of the most pressing issues of our time, homelessness; and she has done so with intelligence, compassion, humor, pathos and insight but most of all with humanity.
Others have been treading water in the ocean for years. We don't like to think about them. Understandably. We like to pretend homelessness is a choice. Or the result of some flaw in character. Less than three days before I saw A Mile in My Shows, the driver of a Metro bus carrying me to another show was loudly telling everyone how the homeless did this to themselves, they chose this life, they never even try to anything to help themselves. It is a common idea. Lots of folks are stupid enough to believe it.
The direction by Zadia Ife is grounded and real, taking the dramatic convention of every story having a pair of shoes and making it organic rather than a stage cliché. And perhaps it's Smith's prior work as a domestic abuse counselor (and athlete, and motivational speaker, and all-around Wonder Woman) that makes her characters so relatable and specific, but whatever it may be, she absolutely shines on the Lounge 2 stage. - Highly Recommended
A Mile in My Shoes has left me with mixed feelings. Kathryn Taylor Smith is a highly skilled performer and the content/message of this play is gorgeous. Through monologues, dance and visual projections Smith introduces the audience to a number of different homeless people and the people they encounter - both those who help make their lives better, and those who wish they would just go away. It is clear that Smith has spent a lot of time with homeless people and has great compassion for them. For this alone, I would say go and check out the show.
Bravo, bravo, bravo!!! What an incredible performance with a very smart content and wake up call to homelessness. Kathryn's story is moving, beautifully told with extreme precision in all her characters. It's a brilliant "performance", Kathryn is so talented and fantastic at what she does! I loved everything; the story, the writing, the characters, the staging, the pacing, the lights, the impact Kathryn had on us... Congratulations!!!!! We need more engaged stories like this!