Five years ago, Nikki Romain stood at the edge of something she believed in but was only just beginning. “The very first show felt like a leap of faith,” she remembers. “We were building something beautiful, but still proving it could exist here in Peoria.”
That’s What She Said Peoria returns in 2026 for its 5th anniversary, and the evolution has been profound. “Today, it’s a movement,” Romain says. “There’s a confidence, a demand, and a deep sense of ownership from the community that didn’t exist in year one.”
“When women have the courage to tell their truth, to take up space, to be fully seen… they become riveting. Not perfect, not polished…just powerful in their authenticity.”
— Nikki Romain, Producer, That’s What She Said Peoria
More Than Just A Show
That’s What She Said Peoria is one of the many communities now hosting live annual shows as part of The She Said Project. Under the national leadership of Jenette Jurczyk, the power of women’s storytelling has expanded across the country and Romain has seen a similar growth within her own community and production in Peoria.
“We’re part of something both deeply local and nationally impactful,” she says. “That evolution has made this year feel even more powerful.”
The show is produced through ART INC, a Peoria-based nonprofit committed to arts, education, and culture. Over the last five years, ART INC has grown from a grassroots organization into what Romain describes as “a multi-program, youth and family-serving institution” offering everything from afterschool care and career pathways to violence prevention. That’s What She Said functions as both a fundraiser for ART INC and a direct expression of its mission: bringing all people together for a powerful, shared experience.
For Romain, producing the show hasn’t just been a professional endeavor. It’s been a personal transformation. “It opened the door for me to not only empower women, but to truly connect with them,” she reflects. “The way these women show up for each other, especially in our text threads, in life moments, in support…it’s a sisterhood. It’s real!”
Why Storytelling? Why Now?
In an era of endless scrolling, curated feeds, and performative sharing, Romain believes authentic storytelling isn’t just resonating with audiences, it’s necessary. “People are craving authenticity in a world that often feels filtered and disconnected,” she says. “Storytelling reminds us that we’re not alone in our struggles, our growth, or our humanity.”
Past speaker Anu Uddavolu would agree. Asked to describe her experience in a single word, she chose conspicuous. Reflecting on how the experience has affected her, she said “I refused to be invisible… I am capable of handling any situation and complete any task despite the hurdles.”
“My TWSS experience was what I now consider a defining moment of my life.”
— Bernice Gordon-Young, past speaker
For Bernice Gordon-Young, the stage offered something her family had been searching for without knowing it: permission to grieve out loud. She performed alongside her mother and daughter in a story called “The Family Business,” centered on the loss of her sister.
“When my sister passed away, my family really did not talk about how we felt,” she says. Watching her mother open up on stage, and seeing her daughter carry forward a legacy of servant leadership, was, in her words, “cathartic” and “priceless.”
That’s What She Said not only gives speakers the chance to discover something new, but audiences as well. The stories shared on stage can have ripple effects that change lives, and through this, it’s creating a community that cares and embraces one another. Gordon-Young describes it as “a community of healing, one woman and one story at a time.”
An Impact That Changes Lives
This year’s cast of local women is already experiencing what so many She Said alumni describe: the unexpected transformation of simply telling your truth out loud and hearing others do the same.
Anne Leiter came in a little nervous (she admits she’s considered backing out “many times, LOL”), but what’s surprised her most are “the lovely and interesting women and new friendships ” that she’s made. In spite of her initial hesitation, she’s “excited to proudly share my story and to support the other women and their incredible stories… There are so many terrific strong women who very much deserve this stage. It makes me very proud to stand next to them.”
For Cindy Morris, what’s struck her most is witnessing the way her fellow speakers hold space when working through such difficult material. “It is surprising to hear people talk about stories that are so touching and traumatic, in this beautiful way,” she says. The whole experience is “storytelling at its finest,” delivered by “these beautiful souls.”
“Knowing there will be people in the audience who, unbeknownst to them, are supposed to be there to hear something that has the potential to change their lives for the better.”
— Micki McCarthy, 2026 speaker
For Micki McCarthy, the experience has already proven transformative in rehearsal: “It has been incredibly freeing to make the choice to be vulnerable with these incredible women… With diverse backgrounds, we are seeing each other through a different lens of shared experiences… and it has emphasized our greater commonality in a profound way. We are together in this thing called LIFE.”
What excites her most about shownight isn’t the spotlight. It’s the stranger in the audience who doesn’t yet know why they came, the one who will leave carrying forward something transformational. “We have been given this unique opportunity to empower and inspire each other,” she says, “and that is deeply humbling.”
Five Years Of Powerful Stories
Romain promises this year’s production is more than an anniversary celebration, it’s an experience. “We’ve added more curated moments, surprises, and a deeper emotional arc that takes the audience on a full journey,” she says. “It’s not just a show. It’s an experience you’ll feel long after you leave.”
And for Romain, five years of producing That’s What She Said Peoria has given rise to something new. The connections built through the show, the sisterhood of women showing up for each other, and the way she has come to lead in every aspect of her life have helped her name a philosophy she’s been living for years. She calls it being riveting: not performative, not perfect, but fully present and deeply connected to who you are. It’s the foundation of her forthcoming platform, The Riveting Way Blueprint, along with a women’s empowerment workbook launching later this year.
Five years and more than 40 stories shared from the stage so far, That’s What She Said Peoria is growing bigger and better each year. Join us at the 5-year celebration show on Saturday, April 25th, 2026 at the Romain Arts & Culture Center, presented by Commerce Bank. Tickets are on sale now!
