Sacred Noise Society, Inc. and Katie O’Regan will present a one-woman show, “Stories From Under My Hats: The Hanover Version,” November 29

by Julie Berg-Raymond

“If there is someone with a heart that wants more …
I understand you.”
~ From “A Starbucks Thanksgiving,” by Katie O’Regan (Stories from Under My Hats,” Book Vine Press, ©2022)

To anyone who loves a good story or whose heart sings along with a beautiful voice sharing a song; who looks forward every year to the Thanksgiving holiday and to being with family but who wouldn’t mind getting away for an hour or so; or for whom the holiday might be less than joyful: This show, Katie O’Regan might say, is for you. All of you.

Sacred Noise Society, Inc. and Katie O’Regan, of Waukon, will present a multi-media concert experience at the Waukon High School Auditorium Friday, November 29 (the day after Thanksgiving), from 6 to 7 p.m.

Entitled “Stories from Under My Hats: The Hanover Version,” the one-woman show is dedicated to Katie’s late, beloved grandmother, Mary Frances Bresnahan O’Regan, of Hanover. The show will feature nine songs, including performances of Katie’s stories and songs from her 2022 book of the same name, along with original songs from her feature film, “Give ‘Em Hell, Honey!” The show will be followed by a “talk-back” with the performer.

ABOUT THE SHOW
“I get to talk about my beautiful grandmother,” Katie says about her new show (Friday evening, November 29, will be its premier; but she’ll be performing it elsewhere, too). “It’s my interpretation of my grandmother as an artist.”

Talking with Katie on a few occasions as preparation for writing this article, I learned a lot about her grandma, Mary O’Regan - a woman I certainly wish I had known. I’ll share, here, some of what I learned: She played the piano, and taught Katie “chording”; and she was, Katie says, “my total advocate. We understood each other.” She had five children, of whom Katie’s dad, Francis, was the oldest. She ruled the roost, and everyone knew it. When her children were grown, she took many trips to Ireland - the home of her ancestors.

“She was very spiritual,” Katie recalls. “She told stories about the saints, and legends from Ireland.”

She was, in Katie’s loving estimation, a feminist; and she instilled a spirit of feminism in her granddaughter. The show originally carried the subtitle, “A Feminist Perspective, with an Irish-American Bent” (and it may carry it again, in future incarnations). This article, though, can’t fully convey an artist’s love and gratitude for her first inspiration - for that, you need to see the show, and you need to hear Katie tell her stories and sing her songs.

Some of the stories and songs in this show are from Katie’s book, published in 2022 and dedicated to her also-beloved mother, Leona O’Regan (“the wind beneath my wings as a writer and a woman”), called “Stories from Under My Hats: A Feminist Perspective.” A collection of poems, prose and songs, the book features one story or song for every week of the year and a different hat for every month - by a woman who has worn a lot of them in her life, so far (among them: a New York City real estate broker; a resident artist at schools for the creative arts; a dancer in a Broadway show that played on television; a singer for various lead roles in touring musical theater productions; a writer; a gardener; a cook … and more).

Other songs in the show are from her feature film - recently picked up for worldwide online distribution - “Give ‘Em Hell, Honey!” (her late father’s words of encouragement to his talented daughter each time she performed a new show). People who have seen the film will recall the superb soundtrack and will be happy to learn that Katie will be performing her original songs, along with clips from the film.

The multi-media concert event is a fundraiser for Sacred Noise Society, Inc., of which Katie is the founder and director. Sacred Noise Society, Inc. is an organization “dedicated to offering opportunities to diverse artists and educators for inter-disciplinary collaboration in art and to helping foster the creative process within individuals and groups among the young and the old alike.” For more information, visit sacrednoisesociety.org.

The suggested (sliding-scale) donation for the evening is $25 (but admission is free, if one can’t afford that suggested amount).

ABOUT THE ARTIST
A long-time actress, dancer, producer and director, O’Regan is the founder and director of Sacred Noise Society and The Star City Film Festival. The 71st staged production she directed took place off-Broadway in New York City (NYC) in the Fall of 2019. O’Regan produced and directed her first feature film, playing the lead role, in “Painting Jane” - and also wrote the songs on the soundtrack of the film. Other NYC director’s credits include Tennessee Williams’ “Trilogy of the Blues”; “Women Who Work,” by Keith Carey Green; and her own original musical, “The Dream Café Musical.”

O’Regan is a trained opera singer, choreographer and actress. She is also host of the web series, “Featured Friday, Filmmakers.”

To see the trailer for “Give ‘Em Hell, Honey!” go to https://youtu.be/ltGZFDrH0LE?si=gX0NWE352y9zJDA0.

Stories from Under My Hats may be purchased online at https://www.amazon.com/Stories-Under-Hats-Katie-ORegan/dp/B0CK48BH63.