Storytelling coming to Connecticut! Save the date!

I've decided to launch a local storytelling series here in Connecticut, modeled after The Moth, the organization in New York City that hosts the storytelling events in which I compete but absent the competitive element and the random nature of the storytellers.

Basically we are planning an evening of pre-selected storytellers, telling true stories onstage for 5-8 minutes on an assigned theme.

I've fallen in love with storytelling over the past 18 months and would like to create a opportunity for for storytellers like me to tell stories to willing audiences here in Connecticut. While I plan to continue telling stories at The Moth on a regular basis (I’m off to a StorySLAM today). I'd love to do something more local that friends can take part in as well.   

Last week I secured a location and date for the event:

Saturday, May 4 at 7:00 PM at Real Art Ways in Hartford.

Real Art Ways is excited about the event and prepared to support us in any way that they can. They will be publicizing the event to their members and the general public, providing the space and sound equipment that we well need, and have agreed that the event will be free of charge. Beer and wine will be sold during the evening, but otherwise this will be open to the public. The space seats about 75 people comfortably and about 100 jammed in. 

I want us to be jammed in.   

We'll also have coverage from The Hartford Courant and other media outlets where I have contacts, so we should have a good turnout. 

My vision is for this to become a storytelling series that happens 3-4 times a year, with people outside my circle of friends eventually pitching stories for the evening as well. I'd like the first event to be a huge success in order to springboard to future storytelling evenings.

The theme of the night is Beginnings. It's fitting for what we are undertaking and hopefully broad enough for our storytellers to find a story from their lives that applies.

We (my wife and I) are in the process of finalizing our storyteller lineup and deciding upon a catchy name for this event, and once those details are settled, we will publicize this information to you.

For now, please just save the date if you are interested in attending. It promises to be an entertaining evening of storytelling from ten people who are sure to make us laugh, cry and think.