Yo Eleven! with Michelle Tomko

Yo Eleven– One Woman/Many Voices tells the story of Atlantic City from the hearts and eyes of its residents. Michelle Tomko shines in this one-woman show that highlights all the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, the sad, and the funny of life in Atlantic City.

Everyone has a story. This piece contains eleven of them.

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In 2019, Michelle Tomko was honored to be awarded a fellowship with Images and Voices of Hope. Under the guidance of IVOH's coach, Pulitzer Prize winner Jacqui Banaszynski, she was trained in a technique called “restorative journalism”. The project she produced was based on Anna Deavere Smith's acclaimed show "Notes From The Field". Like Smith, through interviews, volunteering, and attending community events, information for the production was obtained. Tomko interviewed eleven diverse residents and performs their interviews as a one-woman show.

“Yo Eleven” is a scripted performance that contains both improvisation and quotes from hours of interviews with numerous members of the Atlantic City community: a famous singer, a person in recovery, a Stockton student, a yogi, and a pillar of the community who was raised here in Atlantic City when the North and South sides of town were racially divided, just to name a few.

She elected to entitle the show “Yo Eleven”, after the craps term: as a bettor announces “yo eleven” at the table so not to confuse their wager on eleven with a similarly sounding bet on the seven, this production seeks to differentiate the people of this gambling town from its problems and tumultuous leading industry.

Directed by Heidi Mae. Written by Michelle Tomko, with the valued help of her interviewees.

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What audiences are saying:

"Thank you so much for telling my story in your Yo Eleven show. As I sat in the audience

opening night, I had no clue what I was going to witness. You took my shame and you

turned it to a story of hope. Story teller for the Universe is how I see you. I am not the only

story you told where afterwards beautiful miracles happened. I am grateful." 

- Jill from Atlantic City.

"A moment of gratitude for a truly special woman: an acknowledgment of Michelle Tomko,

an award-winning comedian and who we now know to be one of the most complexly

talented folks there is. Michelle performed an abbreviated version of her one-woman play

“Yo! Eleven” last night, as a featured part of our #cometogethergala2020. The entire

audience laughed, cried, and was deeply moved by her thoughtfulness, the depth and care

she took with people’s stories, and her talent. We love you, Michelle. We’re not even pissed

you hate yoga. Big hugs and hats off to you!"

- The Leadership Studio (AC's only non-profit yoga studio)

"Words cannot describe how incredibly proud I am of Michelle Tomko in her original show,

Yo Eleven! One Woman, Many Voices. I laughed, cried, and held my heart getting to know

about people of Atlantic City I hadn’t met, as well as see people I already know depicted

through Michelle’s voice. If you have any connection to Atlantic City whatsoever, you need

to make it a point to come to this show." 

- Leslie Jespersen, Marsoluna + Co.

"I used to think that Michelle Tomko was one of the funniest people I know. Now I recognize

her to be one of the absolutely most talented people I know. Thank you for creating such a

an incredible and moving experience for myself and everyone who had the privilege to see

Yo Eleven."

- Mark Ganter, Little Water Distillery

"Fabulous, hilarious, and entirely it’s own; you definitely have to see this show!"

- Madelaine

Auberon, Stockton University Graduate