Storytelling Events
Every month, Salem Story Series invites you to the stage to share your 5-minute, true life story based on a pre-determined theme. Check below for information about the next event and guidelines for would-be storytellers.
NEXT EVENT:
Theme
Haunted
Is there a memory that plagues you? A sense of being watched by your boss at work? A literal haunting, ectoplasm and all? Tell your story!
When?
October 27, 2026
@7p
Where?
Gulu-Gulu Cafe, Salem
$8 in advance
$10 at the door
FUTURE EVENTS:
November TBD
Location: Gulu-Gulu
Theme: “Relief”
Have you ever felt tension leave your shoulders after a round of news? Do you remember a time when a long-awaited moment came and went? Relief can be “good,” “bad,” and “neutral,” and we all know what it feels like. Tell your story!
December TBD
Location: Gulu-Gulu
Theme: “TBD”
Coming soon!
September 29, 2026: Stranded
Theme
Stranded
Have you ever felt stuck, emotionally? Have you ever been stuck, physically? Whether it’s a travel-gone-wrong memory or life standing still, we want to hear it!
When?
September 29, 2026
@7p
Where?
Gulu-Gulu Cafe, Salem
$5 at the door
Event Countdown
days
hours minutes seconds
until
“Haunted”
at
Gulu-Gulu Cafe
Storyteller Guidelines:
- No notes on stage! The audience wants your raw reaction to the theme and is VERY forgiving of “mistakes.” As long as you have a clear beginning, an awareness of the middle, and an idea for how to end it, your story will be much better off if you aren’t reading it from a page. Trust us.
- No hate speech. You can absolutely refer to words and phrases if they are part of your experience, but the willful use of idioms, metaphors, slurs, or anything you wouldn’t say in a job interview will not be tolerated. Let’s keep the vibes high.
- This is not a stand-up set, a poetry slam, or an open mic night. Props are totally cool, but we’re not producing a typical open mic night format. We want your stories. If you make the audience laugh because you’re a naturally funny person, then heck yea, bring on the chortles! But if you use all 5 minutes to rip one-liners, your friendly MC will cut the mic. This is your time to share a story, with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
- Avoid political ranting. Politics are in EVERYTHING, so it’s absurd to say that you shouldn’t touch on them at all (especially if it’s relevant to your story), but remember: the goal is to share a story, not to rally voters.
Want to tell a story? Wondering where to begin?
Worry not! We have more storytelling how-tos (and we’re adding more all the time).
“In the end, we’ll all become stories.”
Margaret Atwood
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