Last night’s show was a lovely and intimate thing. For some reason… maybe weather-related, or finals week-related, or some other mysterious rhythm-related… our regularly packed-to-the-gills theater manifested instead as an intimate group of 60 people, which in the cavernous Thrust stage, felt like a cozy and close little cluster. Which was perfect. Our sound also went out right at the top of the show, so the stories were told without microphones, and none of them will ever be heard through the podcast. Which may also have been perfect. Because the things that people chose to bring and share last night were of a nature that I’ve rarely seen in public storytelling. It was as if each one of our tellers decided that tonight, they would be telling the Hard story… the Big story… the Important story… and that they would take the time and care to craft that thing that might be most difficult, and also most freeing. Last night’s show was what happens when ALL of the storytellers decide to bring that One story. And so the evening felt delicate, important, powerful, uplifting, heartbreaking. Sometimes it felt holy. The room full of listeners really… listened. Like, they all seemed to be aware that they were the recipients of treasure from wreckage, and took heed accordingly.
Our stories last night addressed subjects from surviving the Holocaust, to holding and blessing a deceased child, to finding loving community in a mental institution, to surviving the experience of unintentionally and unavoidably being involved in other person’s death. I was truly moved by the courage and honesty of our tellers, as well as by the skill and self-awareness necessary to craft this kind of material into a generous gift to other people. I am humbled by and grateful for what people chose to give each other last night. Elizabeth Moriarty, Lily Be, Jack Bronis, Alize Jireh, Carly Oishi, Joe Chacon, Jeremy, Abby, Marley and Kate. Thank you each.
Thank you also to our guests who brought delicious food. Our potlucks have been a little light over the last few shows, and this one saw us return to our roots of culinary generosity. People gave as abundantly through their potluck dishes as our tellers gave on stage, and it was a nourishing exchange. Many thanks to you all.
Our Audience’s favorite Walk-Up Teller~ the person that our audience would most like to have return to tell them a second story~ is Joe Chacon. We hope very much that he will be back with us at our Summer show, and that you will be with us as well!
Until then, please enjoy Viktor Gerasimovski’s photos from the night. We are so lucky to have him donate his work to this project, and can’t recommend him highly enough. If you’d like to inquire about his services, visit his website or email viktorinox2004@yahoo.co.uk.
Sincere thanks to our volunteers, and to every person who was with us. You all made a wonderful thing. We wish you a happy summer while the show is on hiatus, and hope to see you in September.
<3
Here, Chicago
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