SHOW TONIGHT: “Stranded,” an evening of storytelling at Gulu-Gulu Cafe & Bar

The weather is perfect for a cozy night of storytelling, which is what we’re bringing to you this evening at 7p at Gulu-Gulu Cafe & Bar!

For those of you who have never been to a storytelling show like this one, here’s how it’ll go:

• Upon arrival, you’ll be invited to put your name in the hat. If your name is drawn, you’ll be invited on stage to tell a 5-minute true story about your life, based on the theme. This month, the theme is “Stranded.”
• An intermission marks the halfway point. We have time for eight stories total, so when the first four have finished, we’ll take a 15 minute break. I’ll pass the hat around again for anyone who might be feeling inspired!
• Dinner and drinks will be served all night. The incredible staff at Gulu-Gulu will make sure you have access to all of their tasty food and beverage options. Make sure to tip your servers.

We will also always have a featured storyteller, whose job is to “break the ice” for us. Fun fact: In past shows that I’ve helped produce, the cheeky term for this role is “sacrifice,” specifically because the first story is ineligible to compete in the storytelling contest. They exist to break in the audience and orient folks to the theme.

At Salem Story Series, we’re not running a competition, so the first story of the night is a feature. Their job is still similar: they’ll “embody the theme” and demonstrate what it’s all about for would-be storytellers who might come up from the audience.

And tonight, our feature has never told a story before — which is so perfect for what we do! It helps to prove that we’re all storytellers, no matter our stage experience, because telling stories is so intrinsically human.

A little about our feature

Kayla Grenham, LCSW, considers herself a friend first, social worker second. She’s never told a story on stage before, but after meeting with me a few times, she’s feeling confident and excited to try this new art form. In general, her goal in life is to try new things, and when one of her friends saw our call for storytellers, they knew exactly who to send it to.

Welcome to the stage, Kayla! We’re so excited to have you!

Still selling merch — considering other options

We have a few t-shirts left for sale (and are going to put in another order soon) and we’ll have stickers for sale. A few attendees last month said they’d be really interested in hoodies and I’m personally invested in the idea of coffee mugs and journals.

What would you be interested in? I also recognize that merch feels very pro-capitalism, and that’s certainly not my goal. The stories and the vibes are why I’m putting my whole heart into Salem Story Series. But I understand the desire to take a memento with you, especially if you’ve felt inspired.

Selling polished and designed video files for $25

Sean Seltzer, our videographer and owner of East Regiment, is starting to polish up and beautify all of the stories that are shared on stage for our promotional materials.

HOWEVER, when I was getting started in stage storytelling many moons ago, one of the companies I shared a story for was offering these exquisitely edited and designed video files burned onto CDs for storytellers. They cost $25 back then and I see no reason to increase the price now, and it was such a cool way to memorialize the night.

Why charge for them? Because editing video takes a LONG time, and we’re so lucky to have Sean doing it for us. This small sum is what he’s graciously accepting for his work (which, as a career marketer, I realize is typically much more expensive). And so it’s clear, he keeps all of the money!

What are the benefits of having the file? You get to keep it forever! We’ll make sure you’ll have permanent access to it in a digital drive, but you’ll be able to (and are encouraged to) download it onto your own local storage. You’ll also be able to publish them anywhere you’d like — you’ll own it outright.

Give him a big high five for me

I have a few more things to wrap up before tonight, while Paul, my partner and our hunky door guy, helps to keep our life moving forward.

When you see him tonight, imagine him making sure I’m fed (I lose myself in my projects and forget to eat sometimes), taking care of our three cats (two of whom have had medical difficulties within the past few days), and allowing me ample access to his heart while I’m processing the stress of being a producer.

So grateful to be able to do this every month, and very aware that I wouldn’t be able to without him. Give him a high five for me.

See you at the show!