David Smith Wins Our "Close Calls" Story Slam!

David Smith took home the prized pint glass with his near-death experience. David earned the final slot in our 2017 West Chester Story Slam GRAND SLAM, which will be held on Tuesday, November 7th at 8pm at the Chester County Historical Society. Click HERE for tickets.

David's story edged out some excellent "Close Calls" stories. We heard about fathers on death beds, getting lost on a Septa bus, watching a newborn nearly get sliced, doing dangerous electrical work, trying to build a relationship with a celebrity, finding the love of one's life, and more. Thanks to all our storytellers for sharing their tales.

At the end of the night, we announced the theme for the 2017 West Chester Story Slam GRAND SLAM is "Pressure!"

Our winning storytellers from the 2017 season will take the big stage to tell their story about pressure - working under pressure, living under pressure, cooking under pressure, surviving the pressure of high school or college or dating. What's your pressure point? What do you do when you have to perform under pressure? Pressure is the theme for November 7th! Order your tickets now!

 Dave's winning story is posted below. To watch all the stories told on the night, check out the West Chester Story Slam YouTube Channel.

Our "Close Calls" Story Slam is October 10th!

Our October 10th Story Slam is themed "Close Calls!" Join us at Side Bar and Restaurant for the last regular Story Slam of the season and see who will win our final slot for November's Grand Slam! We start telling stories at 8pm, but most people arrive around 7pm for drinks and dinner. We expect this event to sell out so please order your tickets now by clicking HERE. 

What do we mean by Close Calls? 

We are looking for stories about crashes with calamity and brushes with death. Did you find yourself in precarious position only to find luck was on your side? Did you break off an engagement? Leave someone at the altar? Perhaps you narrowly escaped a natural disaster. Did you miss a trip that turned into a colossal mess? Did you turn down a job for a company that folded weeks later? Or maybe you escaped a company just before it collapsed. Maybe you were almost caught on mischief night as a teen or escaped the police at that high school kegger. Let's hear about your Close Calls! 

If you want to tell a story, see Jim once you arrive to sign the release and put your name in the bucket. A reminder - we do expect this event to sell out so pick up tickets soon. 

Also - mark your calendars for the 2017 GRAND SLAM, which will take place on Tuesday, November 7th. Tickets for the GRAND SLAM go on sale on October 11th. 

Kennan Flanagan wins our "School Days" Story Slam!

Emcee Luanne Sims with winning storyteller Kennan Flanagan

Kennan Flanagan decided to put his name in the hat at intermission, and as the final storyteller of the night, he won our "School Days" Story Slam with his tale of making quite a profitable trade with a classmate in school. Kennan won the prized pint glass and has earned a slot in our November 7th Grand Slam.

The competition was tight tonight. We heard about drawing obscenities in the school lawn, and naming your class project with an obscene name. We listened to a tale about mistakenly ending up in an Alcoholics Anonymous class as a teen, and creating an ugly art project that took first place. We heard about misunderstanding the school principal, and trying to explain the job of a prosecutor to a grade school class. Our stories were about students, teachers, and parents all trying their best with various degrees of success.

Thanks to all our storytellers, our judges, and the enthusiastic audience for cheering them on.

Our next Story Slam is October 10th and the theme is Close Calls. Order your tickets by clicking HERE.

You can watch Kennan's winning story below. To watch the other awesome stories told on the night, click on over to the West Chester Story Slam YouTube channel.

Our "School Days" Story Slam is September 12th!

Join us for our "School Days" Story Slam on Tuesday, September 12th. Our Story Slam starts at 8pm at Side Bar and Restaurant. Click HERE for tickets.

What stories fit into our "School Days" theme?

Tell us your classic story from grade school, middle school, high school or college! Maybe you dropped out of school and received a real education. Perhaps you had to go to summer school, or maybe you went to Catholic school. Were you bullied or perhaps you were the bully? Did you go to school dances or the prom? Have a crush on a teacher? Pull the greatest senior prank? Tell us your school story!

A few tickets remain for the September Story Slam. After that, we only have our October Story Slam and then the Grand Slam, which this year will be November 7th. Save the Date!

Meanwhile, grab your tickets for September 12th while they remain!

Paul Heck Wins our "Identity Crisis" Story Slam!

Emcee Mikey Gleason poses with winner Paul Heck

After the judges were asked to declare the winner out of a rare three-way tie, first-time storyteller Paul Heck emerged as the winner of our "Identity Crisis" Story Slam with his tale of growing up as the tallest kid in his class. In the first round of voting, Paul had tied with Arianna Scavetti and Steve Clark. Arianna told a story about being awkwardly mistaken for a judge. Steve told a tale of meeting a naked religious guru while in a gym sauna.

We heard so many interesting stories on the night. We heard a touching story about learning to hug as an adult, and we heard another tale of the slow progress in overcoming depression. There was a story of trying to get a brother the medical help he desperately needed, and the surprising hero who delivered the goods. We heard about getting respect as a senior, and a story of trying to decide whether to live a right brain/left brain life. We also heard about a make believe girlfriend and an imaginary goat! Thanks to all our storytellers, our judges, and the rowdy audience for cheering!

Our next Story Slam is themed "School Days" and will be held on Tuesday, September 12th. Tickets are available by clicking HERE.

Check out Paul's winning story below. To see all the stories told on the night, click on over to the West Chester Story Slam YouTube Channel.

Our "Identity Crisis" Story Slam is August 8th!

Our August 8th Story Slam is "IDENTITY CRISIS!" Grab your standing room only tickets by clicking HERE and join us at Side Bar and Restaurant. We start telling stories at 8pm, but most people arrive early for dinner and drinks. SRO tickets does include a few seats at the bar.

What stories fit "Identity Crisis?"

We want to hear stories about identity or lack of identity! Did you re-invent yourself at some point in your life? Have you suffered from amnesia? Did you rehabilitate yourself? Were you adopted? Did you change your look when you went to college or started a new job?

Seats for this event have sold out but we do have a few SRO tickets! If you want to tell a story, sign up when you check in. Click HERE to reserve your tickets!

Here is a story we love from our Lancaster Story Slam that could have fit into "Identity Crisis." Mitch Jureckson travels to meet his real father!

Peter Cunniffe wins our "Nature" Story Slam!

Winner Pete Cunniffe with emcee Mikey Gleason

Peter Cunniffe edged out the competition with his story about taking photographs of nature to win our July Story Slam. Pete took home the prized pint glass and earned a spot in our November Grand Slam. Special note: Patrick Carmody, who has already earned a spot in the Grand Slam, told a spectacular story also. We heard so many stories about people's dislike of nature, Mikey Gleason suggested Thoreau would not have been comfortable at tonight's event.
Thanks to everyone who told their nature story, thanks to the judges, and the packed crowd that cheered everyone on.

Our next Story Slam is themed "Identity Crisis" and will be held on Tuesday, August 8th. Secure your tickets by clicking HERE.

You can watch Peter's winning story below and/or click on over to the West Chester Story Slam YouTube Channel to view all the stories told on the night.

Our "Nature" Story Slam is July 11th!

Nature is often beautiful and serene, but it can also be dangerous and horrifying. We want to hear your "Nature" story on Tuesday, July 11th at our July Story Slam! We start telling stories at 8pm, but most people arrive at Side Bar and Restaurant around 7pm for drinks and food. As of the time of this post, we have a few seats left. Click here for tickets!

Looking for ideas on what makes a "Nature" Story?

Have you ever hiked the Appalachian Trail or been lost at sea? Have you been stung by bees or chased by a bear? Tell us why you love nature, or why nature terrifies you. We want stories about hiking, gardening, bird watching, skiing, mountain biking, trail running. We hope to hear stories about the woods, the ocean, the lakes, the rivers, the desert, the mountains, and more.

If you want to tell a story, check out our rules and then sign up when you arrive! Join us on July 11th for "Nature!" Grab your tickets while they last.

Jack Kennedy Wins our "Foreign Soil" Story Slam!

Winner Jack Kennedy and emcee Mikey Gleason

First-time storyteller Jack Kennedy won our "Foreign Soil" Story Slam with his tale of a trip to Quebec where he and his sister vowed not to be the loud Americans. Jack won the prized pint glass and a slot in our November Grand Slam.

We took trips to several countries with tonight's stories - China, Finland, Australia, the UK, France, and even Tennessee. Thanks to all our storytellers, our judges, and all who came out tonight to cheer our storytellers on.

Our next Story Slam is themed "Nature," and will be held on Tuesday, July 11th at Side Bar and Restaurant. You can pick up your tickets by clicking HERE.

You can watch Jack's winning story below. To watch all the stories tonight, click on over to the West Chester Story Slam YouTube channel.

Our June 13th Story Slam is "Foreign Soil!"

Our June 13th Story Slam is themed "Foreign Soil." We're looking for stories about traveling to exotic lands AND we also hope to hear stories about immigrants discovering the strange land and cultures of the USA. Seats for this Story Slam have sold out (Thank you!) but a few SRO's may remain. Click on the tickets page to learn more.

Tickets for our July Story Slam, which is themed "Nature," will go on sale on Wednesday, June 14th.

Cynthia Angst wins our "Luck" Story Slam!

Our May Story Slam winner Cynthia Angst and emcee Mikey Gleason

Cynthia Angst edged out the competition with her story about the good and bad luck of renting apartments on the Main Line and eventually moving to West Chester. Cynthia will be returning the Grand Slam in November.

The theme of "Luck" brought out stories that expressed the different ways we view both good luck and bad luck in our lives. We heard about how at a low point in her life, Shari had the good luck to find a job that gave meaning to her life. We heard from Nick about his reaction to hearing about the death of his mother. Sara told us about her good luck camping in Iceland. Vicki told about her dating life and how she must have been "good luck" for her ex-boyfriends. Kyle told about the good luck of meeting his future wife. Mikey expressed his longing for a ham sandwich.

Thanks to all our storytellers, the judges, and the audience who cheered everyone on.

Our next Story Slam, on Tuesday, June 13th, is themed "Foreign Soil," so think about your best travel story - whether you traveled to another country or maybe you immigrated to the USA. Tickets can be ordered by clicking HERE.

Video of Cynthia's winning story is posted below and all the stories are posted on the West Chester Story Slam YouTube channel!

Our May 9th Story Slam is themed "Luck!"

On May 9th, we'll be exploring the theme of "Luck" at West Chester Story Slam! Our monthly story slams are held on the second floor of Side Bar & Restaurant and we start telling stories at 8pm. People start arriving around 7pm for seats and to have dinner and drinks. To see if tickets remain, please click HERE.

What type of stories are we looking for with "Luck?"

We're hoping to hear stories about good luck, bad luck and no luck! Tell us about finding yourself in the unluckiest predicament - stranded, a missed flight, a random moment of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tell us about the good luck in your life - that time you won the lottery, or when you made an unlikely connection with a future boss or mentor on a ski lift. What does it mean to have no luck? Is that really better than bad luck? How have you increased your luck factor? Do you believe in luck?

If you want to tell a story, put your name in the hat upon arrival. Be sure to pick up your tickets early as our Story Slams do sell out. We hope to see you on May 9th at our "Luck" Story Slam!

Aaron Mills wins our "Rebellion" Story Slam!

Story Slam winner Aaron Mills with emcee Mikey Gleason

Aaron Mills won our "Rebellion" Story Slam with his story of throwing a keg party while in high school. Aaron, who was our 2016 Grand Slam Champion, won the prized pint glass and has earned a slot in the 2017 Grand Slam, which will take place in November.

"Rebellion" brought about interesting stories - we actually heard two stories about how the storytellers' parents turned out to be rebels! We heard about the awkward moment of introducing a rebel boyfriend to conservative parents. We heard about jumping the metro turnstiles in Paris and working at a country club with a rebellious kid "who was going places." We heard a story of being a rebellious child who was destined to be a saleswoman. We heard about the unique - and rebellious concept - of the five year marriage. We heard about the rebels that partake in the high school UN program and more.

Thanks to all our storytellers, our judges, and the audience who cheered them on. And thanks as always to the staff at SideBar that takes good care of us!

Our next Story Slam is Tuesday, May 9th and the theme is LUCK! We want to hear about good luck and bad luck or maybe no luck at all. Tickets can be ordered now by clicking HERE.

You can watch Aaron's winning story below. To check out all the stories told at our "Rebellion" Story Slam, click on over to the West Chester Story Slam YouTube Channel.

Our "Working Hard" Story Slam ends in a Tie!

Robin Renn and Cindy Heffron were the winners of our March Story Slam.

Congratulations to Robin Renn and Cindy Heffron, the two winners of our March "Working Hard" Story Slam. Robin Renn told her funny story of the worst day she ever spent as a waitress. Cindy told her inspiring story of working as a hospice nurse. Both women earned a slot in the West Chester Story Slam Grand Slam, which will take place in November.

The night was filled with stories of working jobs and working on life. We heard about the hard work of preparing for a dance recital, the hard task of selling encyclopedias door-to-door, the challenge of giving a tour to French students, and the challenges of working in television in the genres of porn and home shopping.

Thanks to everyone who re-arranged their schedules to attend our Story Slam, which had been postponed due to the snowstorm. Thanks to Luanne Sims for emceeing the night, and thank you to the judges for their work deciding on some very good stories.

Our next Story Slam is Tuesday, April 11th and the theme is "Rebellion." Secure your tickets for April by clicking HERE.

Check below for video of both winning stories. To watch the other stories told on the night, click on over to the

March Story Slam Postponed to Thursday, March 16th!

Due to the anticipated snowstorm, we are postponing Tuesday's "Working Hard" Story Slam to Thursday, March 16th at 8pm.

If you are able to attend, we will see you Thursday! If you have purchased tickets but cannot attend on Thursday, please review the email you received. If you have questions, email Jim at wcstoryslam@aol.com.

If we get cancellations, we'll open up ticket sales for Thursday in case you want to invite more friends. Just check the TICKETS page. Sorry for the inconvenience, but we don't want to put anyone in danger on Tuesday night.

Upcoming: March Story Slam and April Workshop!

MARCH 14TH STORY SLAM

We have a few tickets left for our March 14th Story Slam, which is themed "Working Hard!" We want to hear stories about the workplace - the toughtest, most difficult, dirtiest, funnest, silliest or best job you ever had. Tell us about the best or career move you ever had. Tell how your co-workers saved you, or sold you out, or how your boss ruined your life or saved you in some way. Tell us about the job you worked for beer money or the work that saved your life. We have a few SRO tickets remaining. For tickets, click HERE.

Tickets for our April 11th Story Slam, themed Rebellion, will go on sale on March 15th.

APRIL 24TH STORYTELLING WORKSHOP

Our one-night Storytelling Workshop returns on April 24th! This one-night class will give you the tools to draft your story and tips on how hold the audience's attention. The session consists of classroom instruction and interaction. Topics include: What Makes a Good Story, Basic Story Structure, and Creative Language. All attendees will receive an email with stories to watch before the class so please don't wait, register by clicking HERE.

Patrick Carmody Wins our "Love Hurts" Story Slam

Emcee Luanne Sims poses with February winner Patrick Carmody

Patrick Carmody jumped on stage in the final spot tonight and came away the winner of our "Love Hurts" Story Slam. Patrick told the story of his best friend's passion for a certain Phillies ballplayer and how his obsession played out.

Our "Love Hurts" Story Slam was an opportunity to hear about breaking hearts and hearts being broken. We heard about Valentines cards given out in fourth grade, awkward break-ups, the pain of being a Philadelphia sports fan, reconnecting with an old flame a decade later, and breaking up with someone in a sudden way. We also heard about how gift giving can lead into marital strife.

Tickets for our March 14th Story Slam, which is themed "Working Hard," are available now by clicking HERE. We're looking for your job and career related stories so think about the best job and the worst job you've had, the toughest day you've ever had on the job, etc.

You can watch Patrick's winning story below. To view the other stories told on the night, click on over to the West Chester Story Slam YouTube channel. Thanks to our storytellers, judges, and everyone who came out for Valentine's Day!

February's Story Slam is Sold Out!

Tickets for our February 14th Story Slam have sold out. Thank you. 

Our February 14th Story Slam is themed "Love Hurts." The event starts at 8pm on the second floor of SideBar and Restaurant in West Chester, If have a ticket and want to tell a story, sign up upon arrival. Please remember, most people arrive around 7pm for dinner and drinks before the Story Slam. 

What type of stories are we looking for with a theme of "Love Hurts?" 

We want to hear stories about all types of love - romantic love, paternal love, platonic love. We want to hear about heartbreak and breaking hearts. We want to hear about unlikely connections, one night flings, and enduring romances. Let's hear about your first kiss or your last kiss. Maybe you've stuck with it even though love hurts or maybe you had to walk away. 

Thanks to everyone who picked up tickets. If you are looking to get tickets for an upcoming story slam, out tickets for the March 14th Story Slam, which is themed "Working Hard" will go on sale on Wednesday, February 15th. 

Diane Yannick Wins our January Story Slam!

Our 2017 Story Slam season is officially underway, and the first winner of the year is Diane Yannick! Diane told her heartfelt story of working to overcome her rage the past two months. The theme of the night was Good Times/Bad Times.

We heard many remarkable stories on the night. Craig told the hilarious story of making a huge faux pas while working as a sport anchor on live television. Cathy told how her family came to adopt a new ironic catch-phrase after a tour of Washington DC. Other fun stories included learning about Led Zeppelin while smoking oregano in a basement, breaking up a long-distance relationship, awkward romances, and watching a friend ignite themselves on fire at the end of a party. We also heard about how being laid off brought a few months of memorable moments raising a son and about a snowboarding trip catastrophe. Thanks to all our storytellers for taking the stage and telling their tales! Thanks also to our judges and the audience who cheered on all our storytellers.

Our next Story Slam is on Valentine's Day, February 14th and the theme is "Love Hurts!" Grab your tickets now by clicking HERE!

You can watch Diane's winning story below. To watch the other stories told on the night, click on over to the West Chester Story Slam YouTube channel.

Our January 10th Story Slam is "Good Times/Bad Times!"

Updated: 12/31/2016 - Seats have sold out. A few SRO remain. Thanks!

The 2017 West Chester Story Slam season kicks off on Tuesday, January 10th with the theme "Good Times/Bad Times!" What type of stories are we looking for with this theme?

Tell us a happy story marred by a tragedy or a tragic story with a redemptive ending. Tell us about the time you attended a Led Zeppelin concert or the time you thought you were dropped into a Dickens novel ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,") but unlike Dickens, keep your story to five minutes! Tell us about "Good Times/Bad Times!" Click on the rules page to review our guidelines.

Our Story Slams take place on the second Tuesday of the month at Side Bar & Restaurant in West Chester, PA. All events begin at 8pm. Story Slam tickets are $10 each. At this time, we have some seats remaining for the January 10th event, and we also have limited Standing Room Only Tickets.