The Short Kuts Show

28/08/2026

I’ve spent much of my life telling stories, asking questions, teaching, listening, and trying to make sense of what it means to live with purpose. Now, I’m creating a space where I can go a little deeper, and I’d love for you to join me on Substack.

Here, I’ll share reflections on life, education, wellness, storytelling, community, purpose, and the lessons I’m still learning along the way. Some pieces will make you think. Some may challenge you. Others might remind you of something you already knew but needed to hear again.

Social media gives us a few seconds together. Substack gives us room for a real conversation. It gives me a chance to slow down, write more deeply, and share stories, ideas, and experiences that don’t always fit into a social media post.

If something I’ve written, shared, taught, or spoken about has ever encouraged you, challenged you, or helped you see something differently, I hope you’ll subscribe. And if you know someone who might connect with these conversations, please share it with them too.

It’s free to join. Read, reflect, share, and grow with me.

Subscribe here: https://open.substack.com/pub/lamarrdarnellshields

There are stories we tell. There are stories we carry. And then some stories change us.

Author | Educator | Storyteller. Founder of The Cambio Group. Executive Producer of The Short Kuts Show. Former Johns Hopkins University professor inspiring leadership, healing, and transformation through stories. Click to read Dr. LaMarr Darnell Shields on Substack. Launched 5 months ago.

16/07/2026

As we gear up to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Fades & Fellowship and The Short Kuts Show, I wanted to give you a special behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring these powerful productions to life.

As the Co-Founder and Executive Producer of Fades & Fellowship and The Short Kuts Show, one of my greatest joys is watching ordinary people discover the extraordinary power of their own stories. What audiences experience on stage is only a small glimpse of the journey.

Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing moments from rehearsals, coaching sessions, laughter, breakthroughs, and the incredible community that makes this work possible. You'll meet some of the amazing cast members who have trusted us with their stories and allowed themselves to be transformed in the process.

Every rehearsal is more than preparation for a performance—it's a space for healing, courage, vulnerability, and connection. Long before the lights come up and the applause begins, lives are already being changed.

Here's a sneak peek at some of our incredible cast members. We can't wait to celebrate this milestone with you.

Join us on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum as we celebrate 10 years of storytelling, healing, and community.

Because at The Short Kuts Show, we don't just share stories—we create spaces where stories change lives.

07/07/2026

10 Years of Stories. 10 Years of Healing. 10 Years of Community.

This photo takes me back to one of the most meaningful moments in our journey—the very first all-female cast of The Short Kuts Show, I'm Every Woman.

Before The Short Kuts Show became what it is today, there was Fades & Fellowship—an all-male storytelling experience that brought together some of Baltimore's most respected barbers and community leaders. Those men didn't just cut hair; they shaped lives. They opened their hearts and shared stories of resilience, fatherhood, faith, loss, triumph, and healing.

Among them was the legendary Mr. Nelson Malden, the barber to Martin Luther King Jr., along with an incredible brotherhood of barbers whose chairs had long served as places of wisdom, mentorship, laughter, and truth. Their courage laid the foundation for everything that followed. They showed us that when men are given permission to be vulnerable, storytelling becomes an act of healing.

Then came I'm Every Woman.

After years of touring with an all-male cast, I had the privilege of working with this phenomenal group of women. Their stories challenged us, inspired us, and reminded us that healing has no gender. Their vulnerability, strength, humor, and authenticity expanded our vision and helped transform The Short Kuts Show into a storytelling movement where every voice matters.

As we celebrate the 10-Year Anniversary of The Short Kuts Show, I'm filled with gratitude—for the barbers who started this journey, for every storyteller who has stepped onto our stage, for our production team, our partners, our volunteers, and for every audience member who has laughed, cried, reflected, and healed with us over the past decade.
I hope you'll join us on Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum as we celebrate ten incredible years of storytelling, healing, and community.
And if you believe in the power of this work, I'm asking you to do one more thing.
Please consider making a donation in honor of our 10-Year Anniversary. Your generosity helps ensure that these stories continue to be told, that new voices continue to be discovered, and that future generations have spaces where healing, truth, and humanity can take center stage.
Ten years ago, we started with a simple belief: everyone has a story worth telling.
Today, we know something even deeper: stories don't just change the person telling them—they change everyone who hears them.
Thank you for believing in this vision. I'll see you on July 25.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-10-year-anniversary-of-the-short-kuts-show?attribution_id=sl:69e20183-bbc0-4f19-af2c-4b9cbcd51826&lang=en_GB&ts=1781266856&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp20_control&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

01/07/2026

Ten Years Ago, a Vision Was Born.

A decade ago, I received a vision: to bring barbers from across Baltimore together to share their personal stories—not just the stories they heard in the barber chair, but the stories they carried within themselves.

What began as a single event grew into something far greater. It sparked a movement rooted in storytelling, healing, connection, and community—one that ultimately became The Short Kuts Show.

On Saturday, July 25, 2026, at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, we'll reunite many of the original barbers from that historic gathering, along with storytellers who have helped shape the incredible 10-year journey of The Short Kuts Show.

Join us as we celebrate a decade of powerful stories, unforgettable moments, and a community that continues to prove that every voice matters.

We can't wait to celebrate with you!

🎟️ Get your tickets here: The Short Kuts Show: Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now – Celebrating 10 Years

24/02/2026

The next Short Kuts Show will spotlight the Divine Nine—Black Greek-letter fraternities and sororities that have shaped generations through service, scholarship, leadership, and community. Through powerful, funny, and heartfelt storytelling, the night will celebrate the legacy behind the letters: the mentors who called us forward, the bonds that held us up, the work that transformed neighborhoods, and the lessons that still guide us today.

This show isn’t about competition—it’s about culture, commitment, and the deeper meaning of brotherhood and sisterhood. Expect stories that honor tradition, uplift impact, and remind us why the D9 continues to matter.
The Short Kuts Show and the Columbia (MD) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. are hosting an information session for our upcoming storytelling series: We Are One: The Bonds We Carry.

If you have a story to share, join us on Wednesday, February 24, 2025 (EST) from 6:00–8:00 PM to learn more and find out how to participate. We know you’ve got a story—there’s nothing like the pride, purpose, and lifelong bonds that come with being a part of the Divine Nine.

Click the Zoom link to join the call: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88388639436?pwd=9SissYiWK5qrPzXLHbYlparjB8WJ5D.1

12/02/2026

Every time this memory pops up, I pause.

Because I remember the conversations. The late nights. The doubts. The strategy sessions. The belief.

We have worked hard—real hard—to build The Short Kuts Show into something meaningful. Not just a show, but a space. A platform. A movement for storytellers and audiences who deserve depth, honesty, and craft.

And a big part of that has been Marc.

His commitment to the art. His respect for storytellers. His care for the audience experience. His steady leadership when things felt uncertain. That kind of dedication can’t be faked—it shows up in the details.

I wouldn’t want anyone else leading this ship.

What we’ve built didn’t happen by accident. It happened through vision, trust, and staying the course.

Still thinking about the master plan.

Still building.

01/02/2026

Still sitting with everything from “Last Night a DJ Saved My Life.” What we witnessed wasn’t just a show—it was history, community, and healing in real time. Watching Black DJs across generations share their stories reminded me that the booth has always been more than music…it’s been a newsroom, a pulpit, a refuge, and a form of resistance.

And it didn’t feel like “an event”—it felt like a moment. Like a room full of people deciding, together, that our stories matter and our voices deserve space. I keep thinking about the energy, the laughter, the tears, the music—the way the whole place felt held. I left full, grateful, and overwhelmed in the best way—because this is exactly why we tell stories out loud, together, and without apology.

Click the link to read my full reflections. After you read, please share your thoughts—what stood out to you most? What did the stories bring up for you?

31/01/2026

Hey y’all. The show, not the snow, must go on. We are in rehearsals. We have covered parking across the street from the museum. Get your tickets from the museum’s website. Marc Clarke, DJ Tanz, and Patti Smith.

Click the link:

« All Events Last Night A DJ Saved My Life: A Salute to Black Radio DJs Panel Conversation and Short Kuts Show Presentation January 31 @ 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm « King Day 2026 | The Children Shall Lead Voices in Solidarity: Baltimore’s Black and Jewish Operatic History » Saturday, January 31, 2026 |...

18/01/2026

WINTER BLUES is not just a show — it’s an experience.

This is the night we pay homage to the Blues.
To winter.
To survival.
To the stories we carry when the days are short and the nights are heavy.

Surprise Guest.
Yes… that kind of surprise. The kind you feel in your chest before you clap your hands.

If you’ve never been to a juke joint, you are in for a treat.
This ain’t a stiff theater seat kind of night.
This is close, gritty, soulful, and alive — where poetry leans into music, where the Blues speaks back, and where the room breathes together.

I’m opening up my book.
Before everything else, I was a poet first.
And this night is me returning to the roots — voice raw, stories honest, spirit unfiltered.

And let me be clear:
This is also a fundraiser for The Short Kuts Show — a platform dedicated to storytelling, healing, truth-telling, and community. When you buy a ticket, you’re not just coming to a show…
You’re investing in voices that matter.

So pull up.
Bring someone who needs to feel something.
Leave with the Blues having done its job — telling the truth and setting you free.

Winter Blues. Be in the room.

Winter Blues: A night of blues, breath & belonging—where music, poetry, and community warm what winter tries to freeze

10/01/2026

Last Night a DJ Saved My Life
Kicking Off the Short Kuts Show 2026 Season

Join us on Saturday, January 31 at 1:30 PM at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum as we kick off an exciting milestone year for the Short Kuts Show.

2026 marks 10 years of the Short Kuts Show—the first and only live storytelling series dedicated to uplifting the voices and experiences of people of color. We’re opening the season with a powerful tribute to Black radio and the DJs who bring our stories to life.

Featuring an incredible lineup of storytellers and DJs: DJ Quicksilva, April Watts, Marc Clarke, Konan, DJ Tanz, LaDawn Black, and Patty Smith.

Come for the stories. Stay for the beats. Help us celebrate a decade of culture, community, and truth-telling.

🎟 Tickets are available now through the Reginald F. Lewis Museum website.

https://lewismuseum.ticketing.veevartapp.com/groups/view/list/last-night-a-dj-saved-my-life-a-salute-to-black-radio-djs