There are those who might be tempted to throw away or sell an engagement ring after breaking off an engagement as a form of catharsis. However, comedian Melinda Hill believes that we are not defined by what happens to us, but by what we do with those experiences. This philosophy of hers is the cornerstone of her new “S.L.A.Y. [Self Love and Yes] Tour,” a show dedicated to overcoming and healing from heartbreak.
The tour kicked off at Sedona Hot Yoga on Saturday, June 1, and at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Sunday, June 2, with an additional performance scheduled for Friday, June 28, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
“I wanted to take what I’ve learned and repurpose that into a funny and helpful show, and also take the ring and repurpose that into something positive,” Hill said.
Following the advice of Village of Oak Creek resident Walker Marchal, Hill decided to transform the ring into something positive and decided to auction it off to benefit the Verde Valley Sanctuary, an organization that helps survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The ring is an 18-karat gold band set with a blue zircon and a double diamond halo and is valued at $8,000. The auction will run through the end of the year on Hill’s Substack. “It reminds me of the Princess Diana engagement ring,” Hill said. “So it was just a very special ring, very Art Deco Looking and glamorous, and I’ve really loved it. I know it will bring a lot of joy to someone else.”
Bidding on the ring is open until Tuesday, Dec. 31, and bids can be made online at melindahill.substack.com. Hill also offers workshops for women at Village Yoga in the Village of Oak Creek. An upcoming workshops is on June 27. For more information on the workshop, visit @realmelindahill on Instagram or melindahill.substack.com.
“Compulsively going back to someone who is no good for you as if under a zombie sabotage spell?” Hill asks in a press release before offering to help the lovelorn set standards and strategies in their dating life. Tickets for the workshops are $30 in advance or $33 at the door and participants should bring writing materials.
Hill’s creative process for the show involved reaching out to friends and colleagues to gather advice on dealing with heartbreak. “Every day after my breakup, I would call all these people and ask, ‘How have you walked through heartbreak?’” Hill said.
The suggestions she received became a foundation for her Substack and ultimately her show, which she said allows her to transform her pain into a source of support for others.
David Jolkovski/Larson Newspapers
“It starts with telling the story many times, to your people who love you,” Hill said. “Then inherently, in storytelling,people will find certain things funny. Then when a lot of people find the same thing funny, you’ve landed on a joke, you’ve landed on something that’s striking a chord or hitting a nerve.”
She said the best suggestion she received was to consider her experiences as lessons.
“I believe every situation has a spiritual contract,” Hill said. “So if you’re not getting the lesson, you might keep encountering the same situation-ship until you get the lesson or get the gift.”
Another key piece of advice was to write down what she learned and focus on creating something new from those lessons.
Hill also emphasized the importance of surrounding oneself with supportive people and engaging in activities that bring joy. One particularly important piece of advice came from fellow comedian Maria Bamford: “Go no contact, and turn it all into art.”
“S.L.A.Y.” is being filmed as a documentary, with Hill adding that she is focused on performing in unconventional spaces of healing by taking her comedy to yoga studios and other venues. She will be touring internationally, with upcoming stops in Bali, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Mexico, but has chosen Sedona as her home base.
“I did not expect to fall in love with Sedona, but I absolutely love it here,” Hill said. “Everything from the gorgeous hikes, the rocks, the energy, all the things I’ve done here, aerial yoga, goddess yoga, ecstatic dance … This town has just really healed me and that’s why I feel like giving back to the town.”
“The tour [is] taking something that was so heartbreaking and turning it, alchemizing it into humor and catharsis for other people,” Hill said. “There is life after heartbreak, you can persevere, you can thrive, you can recreate yourself, you can live your best life and you can reclaim all the pieces of your soul and your power that you have given away; [that] has shifted my energy from devastation to feeling uplifted.”
For tickets and more information about Hill’s show at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Friday, June 28, at 7 p.m., visit SedonaFilmFestival.org or call (928) 282-1177.
An additional opportunity to support the Verde Valley Sanctuary will take place on Saturday, June 22, at the Elks Lodge at 110 Airport Road from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. with VVS’ 1960s and 1970s dinner and dance party. Tickets for the fundraiser may be purchased in advance for $30 from VVS Community Development Director Tracey McConnell at (928) 282-2755 or at tracey@verdevalleysanctuary.org.
