Anyone can do it. All you have to do is have a personal story that will fit the theme (see list of themes at the bottom of this post), send a brief synopsis to the curator, and be somewhat articulate. The Odyssey Storytelling staff will help with coaching and support. You don’t have to be an expert public speaker; as a matter of fact, the experts often want to learn this different way of telling because they are not used to talking about themselves and their lives.

For the last six and a half years, each month six people have been getting on stage at Odyssey Storytelling and telling ten-minute stories from their lives. I started the event at the (sadly) defunct Wilde Playhouse and moved to the Hotel Congress about five years ago.  Now almost every first Thursday of the month, you can see your friends and neighbors (and people you’d like to meet), on stage in the Club Congress. You can check out the hundreds of storytellers that have told at our website.

Adam Hostetter joined as assistant producer and co-host a few years ago. A couple of times a year we have a guest curator who’s job it is to invite the storytellers and be the host that month.  You can see volunteer and sometimes guest curator Sarah K. Smith tell a story at the “Exposed: Naked in Public” show here.

Odyssey’s tag line is To Create Community, One Story at a Time, and each month we invite audience members to announce community events, pass out flyers and make their creative ventures known.  Networking, entertaining and (sometimes) enlightening is the goal.

Email penelope@odysseystorytelling.com if you have a story to tell:

Odyssey Storytelling 2010-2011 Themes

September 2, Crazy for You: An Evening about Insanity

October 7, Bad Behavior: The Crime Show

November 4, Masks: the Hidden Identity Show

December 2, Belly Laughs: Humor for the Holiday

January 6: The Devil Made Me Do It

February 3: The Hidden Gem Show: Tucson Tales

March 3: Chutzpah! The Audacity Show

April 7: Shoulda Been Dead: Stories From the Edge

May 5: Its All Relative: Family Stories

June 2: Summer Camp

July 7: Two Sides to Every Story: Tandem Telling

August 4: Guess What? Stories of the Unexpected

September 1: The Things We Do For Love

November 3: Falling: Stories of Plunging In

December 1: Superpowers: The Extraordinary Show

Odyssey Storytelling in a program of StoryArts Group, Inc, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization.

A few years ago I was talked into taking a two day workshop with funny lady, coach and yogi, Beth Lapides and her husband, partner, producer, Greg Miller.  I had no idea what to expect since I’d never taken any kind of performance class before.  I learned so much including the fact that comedy is telling stories in an unexpected way.  And I had a good time too!

So when Greg asked me to help them bring Beth’s new show, “100% Happy 88% of the Time” and a one day workshop, “The Comedian’s Way” to Tucson, I jumped at the chance. You can catch the show and workshop at the Club Congress.  You can also see her hosting “The Other Network” at The Loft.  Here are the details:

Beth Lapides is a paradigm-shifting cultural visionary. She’s the creator and host of ‘Un-Cabaret’, the legendary alternative comedy show that created a revolution in personal storytelling – and led to the current wave of storytelling shows around the country including Tucson’s own Odyssey Storytelling.

She has appeared on NPR, Politically Incorrect and Sex and the City. She’s the author of “Did I Wake You”, a critically acclaimed book of haiku and writes a column called “My Other Car is a Yoga Mat” for LA Yoga Magazine.

Wed. & Thurs. June 16 & 17, 7:30 p.m. – Beth Lapides curates and hosts “The Other Network”, a festival of the best un-aired TV pilots ever made introduced by their creators, including Conan O’Brien, Ben Stiller and Judd Apatow, starring Jack Black, Owen Wilson, Amy Poehler, Ray Romano and more at The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Tickets $8.00 general; $7.00 Loft Cinema members. Double Feature Ticket (good for both nights):  $14.00 general; $12.00 Loft members at The Loft box-office, or call 520-795-0844.

Saturday, June 19, 7 p.m. – Beth Lapides performs her new solo show, “100% Happy 88% of the Time,” a turned-on tour-de-force that combines story, science and standup, multi-media, music and metaphysics at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Tickets are $15 at the door, $10 in advance at http://bethlapides.com.

Sunday, June 20, 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Beth Lapides and husband/partner Greg Miller lead a special one-day intensive session of “The Comedian’s Way”, a workshop for writers, performers and other humans at Club Congress. $20 at the door, $15 in advance at http://bethlapides.com.

For more info contact Greg Miller 760-327-4656 greg@uncabaret.com

The Tucson Poetry Festival celebrates its 28th year with the theme  Poetry Where You Are. They plan on addressing the questions, “Where does poetry reside? What makes it vital to our everyday lives? How can we bring poetry out of the classroom and the library and into the world around us?” I would add, how do we tell our stories with poetry?

Friday, April 2, opens with readings at the Club Congress followed by the Grand Slam, billed as” the biggest Slam Poetry event that Tucson has ever seen”.  If you’ve never been to a slam (or even if you have), be prepared to be amazed!

Saturday, April 3, brings more readings and workshops with poets  Manuel Paul Lopez, Gypsee Yo, Linda Russo, and Sonya Renee, and a panel moderated by Paul Fisher.  See the schedule of events for times and locations.

Events are at Club Congress, Tucson High Library and Casa Libre.  You can buy a festival pass at the venues for the whole weekend for $25 or pay for individual events.  The High School readings and panel discussion are free.

The Festival is co-sponsored by Ocotillo Literary Endeavor and POG. For more information, contact mewakamatsu@msn.com