We give you a mic and 8 minutes. You tell us a story.
"More stripped-down than spoken word, more intimate than a reading, less frantic than stand-up, less showy than theater, [live lit is] essentially a reader and a mike and a room full of people. Live lit is verbal seduction, polemic, rhythm and lyric, bedtime story, bombast, and lament all at once.” - Chicago Reader story on Story Club
What is Story Club?
Story Club is a nonfiction storytelling show. The goal of Story Club is to mix the spontaneity of an open mic with the experience of live theater. Each show has both open mic and featured performers.
Story Club was started in Chicago by Dana Norris in 2009 and now exists on/in Chicago's North Side, Chicago's South Side, Boston, Minneapolis, Columbus, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.
Story Club was started in Chicago by Dana Norris in 2009 and now exists on/in Chicago's North Side, Chicago's South Side, Boston, Minneapolis, Columbus, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh.
Who can read at Story Club?
Anyone. We have open mic slots at each show. Open mic participants sign up before the show and and are chosen randomly during the show. There is a timer on stage with the performer, counting down. Once the timer goes off, the story is over. Story Club loves having new storytellers on stage. We encourage everyone to sign up and show off what they've got!
What kinds of stories are told at Story Club?
Story Club is a forum for nonfiction stories. Each performer has 8 minutes to do their thing (about 1300 words). Stories can be read or memorized and should incorporate the evening's theme. The best stories quickly tell us where the story is taking place, who it involves, and what's at stake. If you're uncertain if your work is appropriate, we recommend reading a couple stories from Story Club Magazine.
Who are the Spotlight performers?
Spotlight is an opportunity within Story Club Pittsburgh to workshop your story with a coach, build your storytelling skills and better craft your story for the stage. Stories are pitched through submitted written drafts and 2 storytellers are selected each month.
At Story Club Pittsburgh, we believe in amplifying a diverse range of voices and creating a space for stories that resonate across backgrounds and experiences. Spotlight gives individuals the opportunity to refine and share their personal stories on stage. We aim to bring different perspectives and lived experiences to the forefront (insert something about building community here).
Guidelines for pitches:
At Story Club Pittsburgh, we believe in amplifying a diverse range of voices and creating a space for stories that resonate across backgrounds and experiences. Spotlight gives individuals the opportunity to refine and share their personal stories on stage. We aim to bring different perspectives and lived experiences to the forefront (insert something about building community here).
Guidelines for pitches:
- Must be true
- Must be about you/your story to tell
- Must be on theme
- Must in its final form be about 7 minutes in length
- Must (have the potential to) be a story (a beginning, a middle, an end, you’ve grown or changed in some way because of it)
- Has not been published or featured elsewhere
- Has not been a featured teller in the last year
Host/Producer - Alan Olifson
Producers - Kelly Flanagan Dee and Jacob Williamson
Producers - Kelly Flanagan Dee and Jacob Williamson