Storytellers Shine on Stage
The room is full with a quiet crowd eager for a good story. Will the next story be funny, heartwarming, sad or some combination? This is the scene at a story slam.
A story slam is a live storytelling competition in which individuals tell personal true stories based on a preselected theme. Hearing and/or telling stories live is a great way to connect to people without a screen as a barrier. These stories give us a peek at the awkward, hilarious, heartbreaking and uplifting moments in other
people’s lives.
“Listening to storytelling is a more personal and intimate experience than watching a performance,” said Kay Duganator, Topeka story slam host.
With the popularity of The Moth, a podcast that plays stories from story slams around the world, story slams are popping up all over including Topeka. Most storytellers and listeners are more interested in the personal revelations than the competition part of the story slam. It’s about hearing interesting, surprising and entertaining tales of individual experiences.
Kay Duganator warms up the crowd
Duganator said story slams open up the stage for more people because everyone has a story to tell. Her advice for first time storytellers at a slam is to really think about the night’s theme and pick something they’re passionate about. At our first Topeka story slam in April the theme was firsts and people told stories about first jobs, love, friendship, trips and school pranks.
“Story slams encourage the ordinary person to tell a story,” said Edie Snethen, Topeka story slam proponent. “You don’t need to be a published author or professional storyteller. Our goal is to provide a venue where personal stories can be told and listened to. Every storyteller needs an audience.”
Your next opportunity to attend a local story slam is the NOTO Story Slam on June 1, 7-9pm, NOTO Arts Place, 905 N Kansas. Listen to or be one of 10 people who each tell a 5-minute story on the theme of summer. The audience will award a cash prize to the best story based on quality and presentation. Sign up to be a storyteller begins at 6:30pm. Kay Duganator and Matt Spezia are the slam hosts. Edie and Don Snethen planted the seed for a Topeka story slam and are graciously providing space for the event at their venue, NOTO Arts Place.
If you’d like to learn more about perfecting your storytelling, check out Damn Fine Story by Chuck Wendig or The Storyteller’s Secret by Carmine Gallo.
