"There's no shortage of writers in San Francisco, nor of places where we can read. But this one stands out. Word Performances has elements of the old-fashioned soiree but also something unexpected and curious. The writers they invite are both well-known and newcomers,  and on any given night there might be a singer or a dancer or a stand-up comic. It's a delightful event - one with a love of performance and a deep commitment to words. If you believe the digital age has killed literature, you'll need to think again."

"Attending one of Cybele & Todd Siegel’s Word Performances is something akin to finding yourself inside a marvelous Literary Carnival where a cavalcade of uber-talented players delight, amuse, enlighten, play, sing, dance, revel; add in the lovely intimacy of The Lost Church with its Lynchian burlesque charm to the evening’s fun and you have a perfect backdrop for the broad array of deep talent: Tim ‘Toaster’ Henderson’s bright, aware, exuberant poetry; the keen, sly wit of the former baby known as “The Contessa,” Nato Green; the mesmerizing, always alluring recitations of Zarina Zabrisky & Simon Rogghe; Sylvie Simmon’s free-spirited charm, tattling tales of the twisted lives in Rock-n-Roll, then the tender grace of her haunting ukelele; Joshua Mohr’s blistering account of his high-octane, tattoed tribulations, where redemption is as elusive as Lady Luck; how a Muslim dad cleverly converts an atheist fiancé, “The Duncan,” told with all the goofy, Lucille Ball appeal of Zahra Noorbakhsh; the ever-sharp (and always sharply dressed) Doug Cordell reminding us why no one should ever really live in LA; the voluptuous vocals of folk chanteuese Miss Erma Kyriakos, accompanied by dapper cellist Andres Vera; the sweet, silly, hysterically self-conscious Claire Zager; and, of course, your hosts and gracious co-conspirators, the magical ballerina-poet Cybele Zufolo Siegel and her adoring and very clever husband, Todd Siegel. It’s great fun, quite a night out, so what are you waiting for… Go!"