About Us

STORY CLUB

Open Stories
a mini-documentary made about the October 2009 Story Club by Chandi Ziebarth, a local film student:

 The Rules

The first rule of Story Club is:
Tell everyone about Story Club.

The second rule of Story Club is:
TELL EVERYONE ABOUT STORY CLUB.

The third rule of Story Club is:
This is Chicago's first open mic for stories.  It is a forum for writer/performers to display their fiction and non-fiction storytelling prowess. There are many open mics in 
Chicago dedicated to poetry and music.  This is not one of them.

The fourth rule of Story Club is:
Sign up for the open mic is at 8pm. Go time is 8:30pm.  We will be prompt.

The fifth rule of Story Club is:
Open mic participants are each given 8-10 minutes.  It takes approximately 2 minutes to read one page of 12 point double-spaced type out loud, so an 8-10 minute story will be 4-5 pages.  We suggest timing yourself ahead of time to make sure that you fall within the 10 minute time limit. If your story goes over time you risk being interrupted mid-
 sentence.

The sixth rule of Story Club is:
Each month we will feature performers, some of whom are 
amazing storytellers, some of whom are exploring what it means to tell a story in new and interesting ways.   If you bring it to the open mic, you may find yourself being featured at a later show.

 



Advice to new open mic participants:

  • The 5 open mic slots are given away on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Arriving early increases your chances of getting a spot.
  • The best stories to tell out loud are ones that involve dialogue and where the plot moves quickly. 
  • Present your work in a professional manner. Stand up straight, speak clearly, and make eye contact with the audience. We recommend rehearsing your story ahead of time.  If you're reading your story, consider keeping your pages in a binder.
  • When you're done reading, please be considerate of the other performers.  Don't talk during the other performances and please don't leave right after you're done.  Others took the time to listen to you: please return the favor. 

      

 

 


 

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