About 50 Clevelanders braved blizzard conditions last month to fill the beer hall at Forest City Brewery for Story Club Cleveland’s monthly open mic night.
Billed as a “nonfiction storytelling show,” Story Club Cleveland’s monthly open mic night spotlights two storytelling artists plus at least four open mic slots. Each reader is given up to six minutes (around 1,300 words) to tell their story. A winner is chosen at the end of the night.
Each night has its own theme – the theme for January’s show was “Dry.” The audience listened intently to a wide range of tales, from a story about a water-cursed bookstore, to a neighbor from hell, and another about starting over after divorce.
Story Club Cleveland founder Dana Norris said some people who take the stage have backgrounds in writing or performing, but many do not. “People will come with no intention of telling a story and find themselves drawn in by the vibe and the bravery of others and the overwhelming creative impulse,” she said.
“Getting up in front of a friendly audience and telling a story that is true, that is personal to you, even if your telling is not perfect, you still get that connection. That’s what we’re about here, is about forming human connections in a time when those are harder and harder to form.”
Storyteller L.S. Quinn
Listen in as featured artist Aaron Flowers tells his story about his childhood aversion to food:
‘It’s about connection, not perfection’
Storytelling for an audience involves more than just standing in front of a microphone reading a story. There’s tone, speaking pace, vocal style, physical movement and appearance. Those are the things, storyteller Jacob Rasmussen said, you have to “practice to make it look like you didn’t practice.”
Rasmussen was the winner of open mic night with his story about a common rite of passage – drunken teenagers getting their first tattoo. He got a small trophy and a chance to be the featured artist next month.
Beyond a prize, there’s also the ability to establish a human connection.
“It’s more about connecting with other people instead of telling the perfect tale,” said storyteller Anna Fullmer. “Storytelling is one of the more enduring human traditions. We’ve been doing this since ancient times. That’s how we share and grow our culture.”
She added, “Coming to story club can be a very passive, enjoyable evening where you soak in other people’s experiences or you can share with everyone and put yourself on that stage. It’s just about being together.”
The next Story Club Cleveland open mic night is Wednesday, Feb. 11, at Forest City Brewery at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 day of show. The theme for February’s show will be “Thirsty.”