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story slam

November Story Slam Takes on Traditions

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Inspired by “The Moth”, an inclusive performance event that builds community!
This open mic event hosts some of Dayton’s best tellers.
Doors at 6:30
Stories start at 7:00
Storytellers are encouraged to prepare a 5-minute story relating to the theme and place their name in the hat. Tellers are drawn at random.
Bring a story and bring a friend. Best story of the night wins $50 and a guaranteed spot at the next month’s $5.00 in advance.
Tickets will be $10 at the door if available and there is a 2 item minimum for all guests in the showroom.

Dayton Storyteller to Compete in The Louisville GrandSLAM

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On Friday, Jan 27th Dayton’s own Story Slam producer, Bryan Suddith, will compete when The Moth presents The Louisville GrandSLAM, a battle of wits and words – fierce, hilarious, heartbreaking and all points between. The Moth is dedicated to finding intriguing people to tell inspired stories. At The Moth StorySLAM, those people find us. On this night they compete to determine The Moth’s Louisville GrandSLAM Story Champion.

Having won one of the monthly slams, Suddith qualified for the GrandSlam, which features each of the monthly champs appearing on stage to tell a story.  The theme for the night will be: FALL FROM GRACE: Listen as ten StorySLAM champs tell tales about lost footing or losing face, ouch-ifying reality checks, melted wings and other status downgrades. Arriving in a limo…and leaving on foot.

Can’t make it Louisville? Catch Suddith as he hosts Dayton’s monthly story slam at Wiley’s Comedy Club on January 17th at 7pm.  Now in it’s 7th season, Suddith has helped cultivate a community of tellers who share five minute stories based on a monthly theme.  January’s theme is Secrets and the winning story teller walks with $50 and a place in the Dayton Grand Slam in June. Tickets are just $5 with advance reservations for StorySlam.

The Louisville GrandSLAM Championship

Friday, January 27th

The Bomhard Theatre

501 W Main Street, Louisville KY  40202

 MAP IT

7:00pm Doors Open | 8:00pm Stories Begin

Dayton Story Slam Kicks Off 7th Season

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Dayton Story Slam, which is based on Public Radio’s “The Moth” format, encourage local story tellers to share true stories, on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.  This Tuesday, September 20th at 7pm host Bryan Suddith will kick off the season with a story, then draws tellers names randomly from a hat, inviting that person to take the stage and share a five minute story with the audience.

2022 Grand Slam Champion LaTisha with the grand slam tellers.

Just like The Moth, “each show starts with a theme, and the storytellers explore it, often in unexpected ways. Since each story is true and every voice authentic, the shows dance between documentary and theater, creating a unique, intimate, and often enlightening experience for the audience.”

“When you can share from a vulnerable place what is different inside you based on that little event, those are the stories that people grab onto. It goes beyond socioeconomic status, what part of town you’re from, what color you are… The same elements appeal to everyone in the audience,” Suddith said.

Teams of judges chosen from the audience score the 10 highlighted stories. Every StorySLAM produces a StorySLAM winner. In June, the winners from each month are invited back for the Grand Slam and the Grand Champion is crowned.

Tips for Tellers:

  1. Be forewarned. Stories are told, not read.
  2. Have a great first line that sets up the stakes and grabs attention.
  3. Know your story well enough so you can have fun!
  4. Steer clear of meandering endings.
  5. No standup routines please.
  6. No rants.
  7. No essays.

Dayton Story Slam

Hosted by Wiley’s Comedy Club
101 Pine Street in the Oregon Distict

Doors open at 6:30pm, Show starts at 7pm

Tickets are $5 at the door,plus a 2 item minimum in the showroom.

Workshop To Present a Slam-Worthy Story

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Story Slam Dayton kicks off it’s 6th season with a “Storytelling for the Stage” workshop on Tuesday, August 17th from 7-8:30pm at Wiley’s Comedy Club

Modeled after The Moth storytelling events, the open mic event welcomes storytellers of all ages and experience levels to share a story from the stage. Story Slam stories are 1st person true stories told live and are all centered on monthly theme.

Slam tellers all join together on stage as winner is announced.

The August 17th  workshop, led by Story Slam producer Bryan Suddith, who is a 4 time Moth winning storyteller.  It will cover the basics of crafting a 5 minute personal story for the Story Slam stage. The 90 minute class will give you the tools to create a story, practice and a chance to take the stage with confidence under the lights.   Register online to confirm your spot for just $10. Each registration also comes with a ticket to a Story Slam event during the upcoming year.

Story Slam happens on the 3rd Tuesday of each month and they’ll kick off the season on Sept 21st. A theme is announced for each month and stories should relate to that theme. Past themes have included Nature, Missed Connections, Swipe Left, In Control, and Creeped Out. Admission is just $5 plus a 2 item minimum in the showroom.

 

Story Slam is Back for a 5th Season!

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If you are fan of The Moth radio hour then you’ll love Story Slam.

Story Slam stories are 1st person true stories told live and are all centered on monthly theme.

Teller from our Feb 20 Slam

The first Slam of the season is October 20th, 7pm at Wiley’s Comedy Club.  Seating will be socially distanced and we do ask that you wear masks upon entry.  Once you are seated at your table you are welcome to remove your mask as you enjoy food and drinks. Tickets are just $5 for the show.  The theme for the October slam is Escape.

Dayton’s own Story Slam event is starting back with a two hour workshop on October 6. The workshop, that takes place at Wiley’s Comedy Club from 7-8:30pm,  will cover the basics of constructing your story for the Story Slam stage. This is perfect for both first timers and experienced storytellers looking to improve their skills creating and telling true stories in front of an audience.

Workshop participants will cover the basics of creating a 5 minute story for the stage, practice delivery at the mic and go home equipped to return with a story for the Story Slam event.

The Story Slam Workshop is only $10.00 and is taught by Bryan Suddith, Story Slam Producer and 4 time Moth winning storyteller, register online.  Each registration also comes with a ticket to a Story Slam.

How To Create A Slam Worthy Story

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Story Slam Dayton kicks off 2020 with a “Storytelling for the Stage” workshop on January 13th  from 7 to 8:30pm.

Story Slam Dayton is Dayton’s monthly open-mic storytelling event held at Wiley’s Comedy Club in the Oregon District. Modeled after The Moth storytelling events, the open mic event welcomes storytellers of all ages and experience levels to share a story from the stage. So far Story Slam has done 40 shows, 3 clinics and spurred a half dozen Moth Storytellers, and hosted more than one hundred tellers to our stage.

Our December storytellers, with winner Sandra Combs on the far left.

Slam Producer Bryan Suddith

The January 13th  workshop, led by Story Slam producer Bryan Suddith, will cover the basics of crafting a personal story for the Story Slam stage. The class  will give you the tools to create a story, practice and take the stage with confidence under the lights.

There are few simple rules.

1) The story has to be factual / true and happened to YOU personally.
2) You can use no notes to tell your story. (Has to be conversation style.)
3) Stories must have a beginning, middle and end.
4) Time limit is 5 minutes

Space for the workshop is limited, so reserve your spot in the workshop online, just $10. Each attendee will also get one complimentary ticket for a future slam.

Story Slam happens on the 3rd Tuesday of each month and the first slam of 2020 will be on Jan 21st at 7pm.
Doors open at 6:30 and tellers are welcome to put their name in the pot and one at a time names are drawn to take the stage, with up to 10 tellers presenting.  Judges will rate each story with the winner walking away with $50 cash, a guaranteed spot at the next event and four guest passes.

Shelly Hulce Signs Off As Dayton Story Slam Begins 4th Season

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Shelly Hulce, photo by Jennifer Taylor

Over 13 years ago Shelly Hulce started a story telling event here in Dayton and called it Story Slamm. From it’s humble beginnings in a coffee shop on 5th in the Oregon District, to Ghostlight on Wayne, then a run at Black Box Improv Theatre, Shelly’s Story Slamm carried the torch for local storytellers.

From the very beginning she was working toward one goal: Grabbing the attention of New York City’s storytelling organization known as The Moth.

It was in 2016 that the Story Slamm was re-ignited by Bryan Suddith after his appearance on a Moth Story stage in Louisville Kentucky. Both he and Shelly with support from Lisa Grigsby and Brian Petro grew Dayton’s Story Slam into the monthly event it is now.

Story Slamm as Shelly envisioned it 13 years ago was an opportunity for people from all parts of Dayton to gather and share stories around a common theme. Story Slamm has done that. More than 100 open mic shows featuring literally hundreds of storytellers and their stories have been shared since Shelly put things into motion on 5th Street over a decade ago.

As Story Slam Dayton enters it’s 4th Season at Wiley’s Comedy Club this Tuesday, Shelly won’t be taking the stage. After 13 seasons, and after The Moth wowed crowds at Victoria Theater with their Mainstage show in April, Shelly is retiring. She is leaving Story Slam Dayton in the hands of co-producer Bryan Suddith and the support of Grigsby and Most Metro. Brian Petro remains on the team as well supporting the event with marketing and graphic design.

Those that love stories, or have experienced an open mic event here in Dayton owe Shelly a debt of gratitude for plugging away at that dream of hers for so long.

Shelly will not be a stranger to Story Slam and you can hear her each Tuesday from 8-11pm as she hosts the Wax Carnival on Oldies 97.3 fm. The Wax Carnival is a specialty show featuring deep cut album rock. This is the music you “didn’t” buy the record for. Digging out the jewels in the grooves a little closer the the center of the record, GladGirl covers psychedelic, progressive (prog rock), blues, jazz, punk, new wave, alt country and some far out silliness of the “counter culture”.

Season 4 of Story Slam Dayton kicks Off Tuesday the 17th of September at Wiley’s in the Oregon District. Just a block away from where Shelly started this ride so long ago.  You can tell a story or just settle in and listen to others tell their story.  Each month tellers are given a topic around which to form their story. The theme for the first show of this 4th season is Kickoff – Stories of great starts and getting started.
More details about Story Slam can be found at Facebook.com/StorySlamDayton.

Storytelling for the Stage” Workshop Kicks off 4th Story Slam Season

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Story Slam Dayton kicks off it’s 4th season with a “Storytelling for the Stage” workshop on September 3 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.

Story Slam Dayton is Dayton’s monthly open-mic storytelling event held at Wiley’s Comedy Club in the Oregon District. Modeled after The Moth storytelling events, the open mic event welcomes storytellers of all ages and experience levels to share a story from the stage. So far Story Slam has done 31 shows,  2 clinics and spurred a half dozen Moth Storytellers, and hosted more than one hundred tellers to our stage.

Left to right: Becky Koop, Nicole Ruttencutter, Allie Hundley, Faith Robertson (winner) and Sandra Combs.

The September 3rd workshop, led by Story Slam producer Bryan Suddith, will cover the basics of crafting a 5 minute personal story for the Story Slam stage. The two hour event will give you the tools to create a story, practice and take the stage with confidence under the lights.

Space is limited, so reserve your spot in the workshop online, just $5.

Story Slam happens on the 3rd Tuesday of each month and they’ll kick off the season on Sept 17th.

WYSO To Present The Moth Storytelling Showcase

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Public Radio Station WYSO will bring the renowned storytelling organization The Moth to the Victoria Theater on Thursday, April 11 at 7:30pm. 

Founded in 1997, The Moth celebrates “true stories told live” in a variety of settings around the country, including live performance, a podcast, and the Moth Radio Hour, which airs on Saturdays at 2pm and Wednesdays at 11pm on WYSO. At the Victoria Theatre event, The Moth will present a so-called “mainstage event,” a curated evening featuring five storytellers from around the country who have developed and shaped their stories with Moth directors.

“We’re so happy to host The Moth,” says WYSO general manager, Neenah Ellis  “We believe in the power of storytelling and we know our listeners will love this presentation. We’ve been trying to get The Moth here for almost ten years and finally, the day will come in April!” 

Local raconteurs may submit their own stories for consideration by using The Moth’s online pitch form available at https://themoth.org/share-your-story/pitchline.

“Public radio programs are so varied, and the thread that runs through them all is great storytelling. The Moth Mainstage is a showcase of just that: great — and I mean riveting — storytelling. So we know WYSO listeners will love this event,” says WYSO development director Luke Dennis.

A limited number of VIP ticket packages, which include premium seats and a post-show reception, will be available as thank-you gifts for WYSO donors during the station’s calendar year-end fundraising effort at www.wyso.org. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday December 17 at www.ticketcenterstage.com

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2018, public radio station WYSO 91.3 is licensed to Antioch College with studios in Yellow Springs. It broadcasts on multiple platforms: 91.3 FM, live streaming at WYSO.org, on HD radio and on NPR One, a mobile application.  WYSO is the Miami Valley’s only NPR News station with programming from NPR, Public Radio International, American Public Media, PRX and the BBC as well as the work of local and independent radio producers.

The Art of Storytelling- Alive and Well in Dayton

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In 1997 poet and novelist George Dawes Green,  wanted to recreate the feeling of sultry summer evenings in his native Georgia, when moths were attracted to the light on the porch, where he and his friends would gather to spin spellbinding tales. That was the beginning of the New York City based storytelling art that is known as The Moth.  It became a weekly podcast and in 2009 launched a national public radio show, The Moth Radio Hour.  You can hear this show  on WYSO Saturday’s at 2pm and Wednesday at 11pm.

Inspired by  The Moth,  Daytonian Shelly Hulce launched a story slam about a dozen years ago.  The premise was simple. People sharing true stories, in person, unscripted and live. For more than a decade a small group of storytellers have been meeting in coffee shops, libraries and bars in and around Dayton. In time the events faded away.  In 2016 Kettering storyteller Bryan Suddith went to Louisville to tell his story and and was selected that nights Story Slam winner.  He knew he needed to re-launch story slam in Dayton.  So in the fall of 2016 Shelly and Brian teamed up and began hosting a local storytelling open mic night at Wiley’s Comedy Club on the third Tuesday of each month.

Now getting ready to kick off their 3rd season, they hosted a workshop last month to encourage new story tellers and over 25 people showed up eager to get tips to become better storytellers.  The biggest pointers included making sure the story has a beginning, middle and an ending and crafting a hook to grab the audiences attention. The first Dayton Story Slam of the season begins Tues, Sept 18th at 7pm and admission is just $5. Interested story tellers can throw their name in the hat and 10 lucky tellers will be drawn to share their starting over/second chances themed tale and one will be voted the winner, leaving with a $50 cash prize.

Bryan Suddith and Bridget Flaherty

For those that want a more structured learning environment, Bridget Flaherty, a multiple Story Slam Winner here in Dayton, with a few Moth wins under her belt as well, is launching a 4 week storytelling class.

LORE , beginning Monday, Sept 10th.  will help you learn the fundamentals of storytelling and craft a short story of your own. The $149 ticket price includes four classes, each class will be 90 minutes and on Oct 3rd there will be a graduation show (which is optional for participants) at The Brightside Music & Event venue.

If you prefer one on one coaching, LORE offers that as well.  Whether you are seeking to drive your company’s culture, enhance a marketing campaign, or craft a personal story presentation, Bridget can help you craft your story.

 

Learn How To Tell A Great 5 Minute Story

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Dayton’s open mic storytelling group, Story Slam Dayton, kicks off their 3rd season at Wiley’s Comedy club with a workshop on August 21. The regular season kicks off on Tuesday, September 18 at 7:00 at Wiley’s Comedy Club in the Oregon District.
Aspiring storytellers and experienced veterans alike are invited to take part in this workshop. Story Slam Dayton producers Shelly Hulce and Bryan Suddith will share their experience from both sides of the stage with the workshop attendees.
Bryan and Shelly will cover the basics of crafting a story for the stage, basic storytelling structure, editing for time and will allow storytellers a chance to try out the stage in front of a small audience.
Bryan will share his method for shaping stories for the Story Slam stage. Stories in this format are 5 minutes in length, are told in the first person and have to relate to each month’s theme.
Shelly will lead the group on stage, overcoming the bright lights and how to command the stage at the mic.
Shelly has been leading the local Story Slam community for more than 10 years. Bryan is two-time Moth Storytelling GrandSlam participant and can be found telling stories on and off stage frequently.
Interested Storytellers can RSVP via Facebook.
The workshop is $5.00 and every participant will receive one (1) free admission to a future story slam. To learn more about Story Slam Dayton, visit us at Facebook.com/StorySlamDayton

Dayton’s Best Storytellers Compete for GrandSlam Title

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Jackie Andrews

Dayton’s Story Slam will host their second annual Grand Slam storytelling event on Tuesday, June 19th at Wiley’s Comedy Club in the Oregon District. For more than 10 years Dayton Story Slam has hosted these “Moth” inspired evenings, attracting a wide variety of storytellers and stories.

The open mic story nights welcome all tellers to the stage. The rules are simple. Stories told from the Story Slam stage must be true, told in the first person, given without notes and must be centered on the theme of the night. Stories are limited to five minutes and the night is hosted by Shelly Hulce and Bryan Suddith.

Bryan Suddith with 2017 Grand Slam Winner Bridget Flaherty,

The June 19 Grand Slam event welcomes back 6 winners from the last year as well as two of our most popular runners-up. Each of the storytellers are coming prepared with a personal true story on the theme of Finished.
Bridget Flaherty returns to defend her title from last year alongside a few other familiar names in Dayton storytelling. Sandra Combs, Nathan Collier, Jackie Andrews, Becky Koop, Melissa Muncie, Faith Robertson and Jude Walsh will all take the stage with their story.
Doors open on the 19th at Wiley’s at 6:30. Stories start at 7:00. Tickets are only $5, payable online or at the door.  Drinks and a menu of appetizers and desserts are available for purchase. For more information check out the Story Slam Dayton Facebook page.

MostMetro.com Ticket Giveaway:
For your chance to win a 4 pack of tickets for Tuesday’s show, leave a comment below on why you should get the tickets and we’ll pick a deserving commenter.   We’ll announce our winner Sunday night and leave the tickets at will call for you, to be claimed by showing a valid ID.