Just as we were starting our "Promises" Story Slam on Tuesday, July 8th, a storm swept through the borough and electricity was lost inside Side Bar. When emcee Mikey Gleason wondered aloud in the darkness if we should start the show, the packed house started chanting, "Stories! Stories! Stories!" The show must go on!
The awesome staff at Side Bar brought out tea candles for tables and served whatever dishes the kitchen had just finished preparing as we launched into the night's stories without an operable PA system or lights. The good news? Our video camera and lavaliere mic are battery powered, so we have audio!
Six people had thrown their names in the hat by 8 p.m., with a few more planning on entering at intermission. By the time we listened to the first six stories, all told without a mic to a particularly attentive and hushed crowd, the room was growing warm. We had wedged a mic stand into one of the windows to get a bit of breeze, which also caught the occasional sound of police sirens, but determined to wrap it up early for the safety of the crowd and crew. I love the fact that, as is customary at West Chester Story Slam, many folks decided to linger and chat as the crew cleared tables in the darkness.
In the end, Christine Rich won our Story Slam with her story about a dear uncle. Chris won the coveted West Chester Story Slam coffee mug and earned a slot in our Grand Slam, coming this November.
The video is really too dark but we will be showcasing a few stories in our West Chester Story Slam podcast, and will produce this podcast earlier in the month so you can hear some of the stories. Here's Chris Rich's winning story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P75JJXr0leU&feature=youtu.be STORYTELLING WORKSHOP - SPOTS AVAILABLE! If you were in the audience last night, you heard Mikey Gleason chat about our Storytelling Workshop coming up on Saturday, July 19th. Click HERE to learn more!