That Was a Close One!

The theme for our March story slam was Close Call, and we heard stories about missing the bus, escaping death, and a run-in with a gang. The evening featured nine storytellers and our MC was Jason Plotkin.

Helen Dempsey won with her story about getting off course during a Hash while living in France. Helen won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

Save the date for our April 19 story slam - our first in-person slam since the Before Times! The theme is Courage, and we’ll be in our new location, just a few doors down from the previous one. Tickets will go on sale March 23. Make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter so you’ll be the first to know.

Close Calls

We'll host our March 15 story slam via Zoom. The theme is Close Call, and our MC for the evening will be last month’s winner, Jason Plotkin.

There is no charge to register. The event is pay-what-you-can; we will gratefully accept contributions during the event and put them toward future events, but a donation is not required to attend and enjoy the virtual slam.

You must register in order to watch. Once you register, we'll send you a confirmation email that includes the link to watch on March 15. We will begin promptly at a 7 pm that evening. You'll click the link at the scheduled time from your laptop, tablet, or phone to join the call. You may wish to download the Zoom app if you don’t already have it, but it is not necessary to participate – if you don’t have it, the call will launch in your web browser. The app does give you access to more features, like voting for your favorite storyteller at the end of the evening.

And don't worry, we can't see the audience - only the storytellers are on the screen. Join us for an evening of live storytelling, from the comfort of your home. Register now, and you'll receive your own unique link to tune in that evening.

Want to tell a story?

**UPDATE, MARCH 5, 2022: STORYTELLER SIGN-UPS HAVE CLOSED! We will have eight storytellers for this event**

We're also looking for storytellers. We want to hear your stories of escaping by the skin of your teeth, crossed wires, and near hits and misses. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories.

If you'd like to sign up to be a storyteller, you'll need to sign up in advance by completing this form. We'll also need you to check in on Zoom prior to the event to allow time to ensure sound and video is working for everyone, and give us a chance to share important details about how the event will run. (Details on the storyteller form - please read the whole thing carefully.)

Storyteller sign-ups will remain open until noon on March 14, or until we have eight storytellers (whichever happens first).

About Last Night...

The theme for our February story slam was About Last Night, and we heard stories about blind dates, international travel, lost loved ones, and imbibing to excess. The evening featured nine storytellers and our MC was Rita Whitney.

Jason Plotkin won with his story about his dad’s final days, and the impact it had on those around him. Jason won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned the first spot in our Grand Slam in November.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

Save the date for our March 15 virtual story slam. The theme is Close Call. Registration will open soon for audience and storytellers. Make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter so you’ll be the first to know.

First Slam of the Year!

Our slams will remain virtual for at least another couple months. We'll host our February 15 story slam via Zoom. The theme is About Last Night, and our MC for the evening will be Rita Whitney.

There is no charge to register. The event is pay-what-you-can; we will gratefully accept contributions during the event and put them toward future events, but a donation is not required to attend and enjoy the virtual slam.

You must register in order to watch. Once you register, we'll send you a confirmation email that includes the link to watch on February 15. We will begin promptly at a 7 pm that evening. You'll click the link at the scheduled time from your laptop, tablet, or phone to join the call. You may wish to download the Zoom app if you don’t already have it, but it is not necessary to participate – if you don’t have it, the call will launch in your web browser. The app does give you access to more features, like voting for your favorite storyteller at the end of the evening.

And don't worry, we can't see the audience - only the storytellers are on the screen. Join us for an evening of live storytelling, from the comfort of your home. Register now, and you'll receive your own unique link to tune in that evening.

Want to tell a story?

**UPDATE, FEBRUARY 9, 2022: STORYTELLER SIGN-UPS HAVE CLOSED! We will have nine storytellers for this event**

We're also looking for storytellers. We want to hear your stories of one-night stands, hangovers, regrets, and seeing things in a different light the morning after. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories.

If you'd like to sign up to be a storyteller, you'll need to sign up in advance by completing this form. We'll also need you to check in on Zoom prior to the event to allow time to ensure sound and video is working for everyone, and give us a chance to share important details about how the event will run. (Details on the storyteller form.)

Storyteller sign-ups will remain open until noon on February 14, or until we have eight storytellers (whichever happens first).

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This month’s event is presented as a part of Raise the Curtain, an initiative by the Cultural Alliance of York County to encourage residents to safely return to the cultural events they love.

Womp Womp...Here We Go Again

Cue the sad trombone…

With the surge in COVID-19 cases, we have decided to postpone our return to in-person story slam events, and have canceled our January 18 event. It’s not lost on us that the theme for this event was supposed to be “The Show Must Go On.” Please keep all jokes to yourself, thankyouverymuch.

Our February and March events will be VIRTUAL. Details coming soon on how to register - for storytellers and audience.

We will reassess in March and it is our ardent hope that we can begin to once again gather in person - at our new venue! - in April.

In Person Events! New Location!

We’re thrilled to get back to in-person events as we begin our seventh season!

We hope you’ll join us on the third Tuesday of each month throughout 2022, and consider sharing a story of your own - we’ve announced our themes for the year.

First - some big news: we’ll be in a new location for 2022! We’re moving just half a block east to 33 West Market Street (next door to Roost Uncommon Kitchen). You can still enjoy food and beverages, we’ll have room to spread out a bit more, and since we’ll be the only ones there during our events, we won’t have the background noise of a crowded bar. We look forward to enjoying this new space with you, and watching it evolve as they get ready to open to the public this spring.

Our first Story Slam of the year is scheduled for Tuesday, January 18. The theme is THE SHOW MUST GO ON and Rita Whitney will be our MC. We want to hear your stories of interruptions, wrenches in your plans, and the time you picked up the pieces and carried on in spite of everything. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories.

Food from Party Time Pizza and beverages from Gearhouse Brewing Company will be available for purchase. 

Tickets go on sale December 22 at 9 am. Please check our tickets page before you purchase tickets or attend a show for the most up-to-date safety guidelines.

Next Time...We Hope to Gather In Person

Congratulations to Randy Schulz, who won our 2021 Grand Slam. Randy competed with the other winners from this year's monthly open mic story slams and earned the title of Best Storyteller in York. The theme for the evening was NEXT TIME.

If you missed the livestream event, you can watch the recording by clicking here. We’ll post individual stories on our YouTube channel soon, as well.

We'd like to extend huge thanks to KBG Injury Law for sponsoring our 2021 season. We are also grateful to the Appell Center for the Performing Arts, who have hosted all six of our annual Grand Slams in the beautiful Capitol Theatre.

Thank you to everyone who showed up this year to listen, and everyone who bravely put their names into the hat to share stories.

2021 has been our sixth season of live storytelling events. Since 2016, we’ve welcomed more than 4,575 attendees and have had about 650 names in the hat. That’s 650 true, personal stories shared with neighbors – friends, acquaintances, and strangers – in the safe space York Story Slam provides. Storytelling is a wonderful way to get to know others in your community; to uncover things we have in common and to recognize and better understand our differences. We are honored to provide a platform for people to share true, personal stories.

We won’t have a story slam event in December – we will be putting the finishing touches on next year’s series. We’ll continue to host our monthly events on the third Tuesday of the month in 2022, and we are planning to return to in-person events in a new location. Stay tuned for details!

Sixth Annual Grand Slam - In Your Living Room!

Maddie Crocenzi

November 30 at 7 pm
via YouTube

It’s time for our Grand Slam!

The Grand Slam is our annual culminating event where all the winners from the season are invited back to compete for the title of Best Storyteller in York, an obnoxious trophy, and bragging rights for an entire year.

At the end of our October event, we announced the theme for this year’s Grand Slam: NEXT TIME. Our MC for the evening will be our 2016 Grand Slam champion, Brad Jennings.

We’re excited to once again bring the magic to you with a livestream premiere on YouTube. Watch our storytellers onstage at the Capitol, and cheer them on in the chat during the event. At the end of the evening, we’ll crown a new champion.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE VIRTUAL STAGE

In the meantime, you can look back on all the winning stories from this year with this handy playlist:

The Grand Slam is being produced with generous support from our 2021 season sponsor, KBG Injury Law, as well as the Appell Center for the Performing Arts.

So Many Bloody Toes

The theme for our October story slam was Blood & Guts, and we heard stories about stubbed toes, impalings, and one very detailed description of what to do with hunting spoils. The evening featured seven storytellers and our MC was 2017 Grand Slam champion Eileen Joyce.

Randall Arthur won with his story about his snowy-night encounter with a familiar neighborhood dog. Randall won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

We announced the theme for our 2021 Grand Slam: NEXT TIME. We're excited to once again host the storytellers in the beautiful Capitol Theatre, and on November 30, we’re excited to welcome you to join us for the Grand Slam livestream premiere on YouTube. Sign up for our newsletter and/or check back here on the website for details.

Thanks to our season sponsor KBG Injury Law’s generous support, we get to continue our programming amid the current circumstances, and we get to share stories told at our events throughout the year - all stories are recorded and posted to our YouTube channel, and a selection of stories from each event are featured on our monthly podcast.

Blood & Guts

Our virtual slams continue! We'll host our October 19 story slam via Zoom. The theme is Blood & Guts, and our MC for the evening will be 2017 Grand Slam champ Eileen Joyce.

At the end of the evening, we'll announce the theme for our Grand Slam in November, when the winners from our 2021 season return to compete for the title of Best Storyteller in York.

There is no charge to register. The event is pay-what-you-can; we will gratefully accept contributions during the event and put them toward future events, but a donation is not required to attend and enjoy the virtual slam.

You must register in order to watch. Once you register, we'll send you a confirmation email that includes the link to watch on October 19. We will begin promptly at a 7 pm that evening. You'll click the link at the scheduled time from your laptop, tablet, or phone to join the call. You may wish to download the Zoom app if you don’t already have it, but it is not necessary to participate – if you don’t have it, the call will launch in your web browser. The app does give you access to more features, like voting for your favorite storyteller at the end of the evening.

And don't worry, we can't see the audience - only the storytellers are on the screen. Join us for an evening of live storytelling, from the comfort of your home. Register now, and you'll receive your own unique link to tune in that evening.

Want to tell a story?

**UPDATE, OCTOBER 14, 2021: STORYTELLER SIGN-UPS HAVE CLOSED! We will have eight storytellers for this event**

We're also looking for storytellers. We want to hear your stories of injury, courage, bad decisions, and how you got that cool scar. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories.

If you'd like to sign up to be a storyteller, you'll need to sign up in advance by completing this form. We'll also need you to attend a rehearsal via Zoom the evening before on Monday, October 18 so we can do a quick run-through of the event and make sure everyone's links and equipment are working properly.

Storyteller sign-ups will remain open until noon on October 18, or until we have eight storytellers (whichever happens first).

Close Your Eyes and Tap Your Heels Together Three Times

The theme for our September story slam was Homesick, and we heard stories about missing home, redefining one’s sense of home, and one about staying home sick from school. The evening featured seven storytellers and our MC was Corey Wolfe.

Sarah Chain won with her story about saying goodbye to her grandparents’ home. Sarah won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

Thanks to our season sponsor KBG Injury Law’s generous support, we get to continue our programming amid the current circumstances, and we get to share stories told at our events throughout the year - all stories are recorded and posted to our YouTube channel, and a selection of stories from each event are featured on our monthly podcast.

Save the date for our October 20 virtual story slam. The theme is Blood & Guts, and our MC for the evening will be 2017 Grand Slam champion Eileen Joyce. Registration will open soon for audience and storytellers. Make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter so you’ll be the first to know. This will be our final regular-season story slam before the Grand Slam. The Grand Slam theme and other details will be announced at the end of the October 19 event.

Home Sweet Home

We continue to host our slams virtually.

We'll host our September 21 story slam via Zoom. The theme is Homesick and our MC for the evening is Corey Wolfe.

There is no charge to register. The event is pay-what-you-can; we will gratefully accept contributions during the event and put them toward future events, but a donation is not required to attend and enjoy the virtual slam.

You must register in order to watch. Once you register, we'll send you a confirmation email that includes the link to watch on September 21. We will begin promptly at a 7 pm that evening. You'll click the link at the scheduled time from your laptop, tablet, or phone to join the call. You may wish to download the Zoom app if you don’t already have it, but it is not necessary to participate – if you don’t have it, the call will launch in your web browser. The app does give you access to more features, like voting for your favorite storyteller at the end of the evening.

And don't worry, we can't see the audience - only the storytellers are on the screen. Join us for an evening of live storytelling, from the comfort of your home. Register now, and you'll receive your own unique link to tune in that evening.

Want to tell a story?

**UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 17, 2021: STORYTELLER SIGN-UPS HAVE CLOSED! We will have eight storytellers for this event**

We're also looking for storytellers. We want to hear your stories about missing home, leaving your comfort zone, and finding family wherever you are. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories.

If you'd like to sign up to be a storyteller, you'll need to sign up in advance by completing this form. We'll also need you to attend a rehearsal via Zoom the evening before on Monday, September 20 so we can do a quick run-through of the event and make sure everyone's links and equipment are working properly.

Storyteller sign-ups will remain open until we have eight storytellers, or until noon on Monday, September 20 (whichever happens first).

Womp Womp...

Cue the sad trombone…

Unfortunately, we did not have enough storytellers signed up, so we had to cancel our August 17 virtual slam.

Registration will open soon - for storytellers and audience - for our September 21 event. Please save the date. The theme is Homesick.

If you’ve been thinking about telling a story for the first time, please take the leap! Without storytellers, we have no story slams.

You can still listen to stories live this month. Lancaster Story Slam is August 24. Their events are also virtual, so you can join us from the comfort of your home.

Moving Right Along...

We continue to host our slams virtually.

We'll host our August 17 story slam via Zoom. The theme is Moving On.

There is no charge to register. The event is pay-what-you-can; we will gratefully accept contributions via Venmo during the event and put them toward future events, but a donation is not required to attend and enjoy the virtual slam.

You must register in order to watch. Once you register, we'll send you a confirmation email that includes the link to watch on August 17. We will begin promptly at a 7 pm that evening. You'll click the link at the scheduled time from your laptop, tablet, or phone to join the call. You may wish to download the Zoom app if you don’t already have it, but it is not necessary to participate – if you don’t have it, the call will launch in your web browser. The app does give you access to more features, like voting for your favorite storyteller at the end of the evening.

And don't worry, we can't see the audience - only the storytellers are on the screen. Join us for an evening of live storytelling, from the comfort of your home. Register now, and you'll receive your own unique link to tune in that evening.

Want to tell a story?

We're also looking for storytellers. We want to hear your stories about next chapters, letting go, and not looking back. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories.

If you'd like to sign up to be a storyteller, you'll need to sign up in advance by completing this form. We'll also need you to attend a rehearsal via Zoom the evening before on Monday, August 16 so we can do a quick run-through of the event and make sure everyone's links and equipment are working properly.

Storyteller sign-ups will remain open until we have eight storytellers, or until noon on Monday, August 16 (whichever happens first).

Getting Away

The theme for our July story slam was Great Escapes, and we heard stories about getting out of a jail cell, narrowly missing trouble with the authorities, escaping from undesirable circumstances, and even one story about being terrified on a kiddie ride at Dutch Wonderland. The evening featured seven storytellers and our MC was Jamie Beth Cohen.

Traci Neal won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

Thanks to our season sponsor KBG Injury Law’s generous support, we get to continue our programming amid the current circumstances, and we get to share stories told at our events throughout the year - all stories are recorded and posted to our YouTube channel, and a selection of stories from each event are featured on our monthly podcast.

Save the date for our August 17 virtual story slam. The theme is Moving On. Registration will open soon for audience and storytellers. Make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter so you’ll be the first to know.

Leave It All Behind

We continue to host our slams virtually.

We'll host our July 20 story slam via Zoom. The theme is Great Escapes, and Jamie Beth Cohen will be our MC for the evening.

There is no charge to register. The event is pay-what-you-can; we will gratefully accept contributions via Venmo during the event and put them toward future events, but a donation is not required to attend and enjoy the virtual slam.

You must register in order to watch. Once you register, we'll send you a confirmation email that includes the link to watch on July 20. We will begin promptly at a 7 pm that evening. You'll click the link at the scheduled time from your laptop, tablet, or phone to join the call. You may wish to download the Zoom app if you don’t already have it, but it is not necessary to participate – if you don’t have it, the call will launch in your web browser. The app does give you access to more features, like voting for your favorite storyteller at the end of the evening.

And don't worry, we can't see the audience - only the storytellers are on the screen. Join us for an evening of live storytelling, from the comfort of your home. Register now, and you'll receive your own unique link to tune in that evening.

Want to tell a story?

**UPDATE, JULY 15, 2021: STORYTELLER SIGN-UPS HAVE CLOSED! We will have eight storytellers for this event**

We're also looking for storytellers. We want to hear your stories about making it out unscathed, getting away from it all, or just getting away. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories.

If you'd like to sign up to be a storyteller, you'll need to sign up in advance by completing this form. We'll also need you to attend a rehearsal via Zoom the evening before on Monday, July 19 so we can do a quick run-through of the event and make sure everyone's links and equipment are working properly.

Storyteller sign-ups will remain open until we have eight storytellers, or until noon on Monday, July 19 (whichever happens first).

So Long Sad Time, So Long Bad Time

The theme for our June story slam was Happy Days, and we heard stories about happy childhood moments from the perspectives of both child and parent, perspective gained during the pandemic, and reminiscing before walking a daughter down the aisle to the altar. The evening featured six storytellers and our MC was 2017 Grand Slam champ Eileen Joyce. It was a great night of stories that ended in a tie.

Jamie Beth Cohen and Randy Schulz each won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

Thanks to our season sponsor KBG Injury Law’s generous support, we get to continue our programming amid the current circumstances, and we get to share stories told at our events throughout the year - all stories are recorded and posted to our YouTube channel, and a selection of stories from each event are featured on our monthly podcast.

Save the date for our July 20 story slam. The theme is Great Escapes and Jamie Beth Cohen will return to be our MC for the evening. Registration will open soon for audience and storytellers. Make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter so you’ll be the first to know.

Happy Days Are Here!

We continue to host our slams virtually.

We'll host our June 15 story slam via Zoom. The theme is Happy Days, and our MC for the evening will be 2017 Grand Slam champ Eileen Joyce.

There is no charge to register. The event is pay-what-you-can; we will gratefully accept contributions via Venmo during the event and put them toward future events, but a donation is not required to attend and enjoy the virtual slam.

You must register in order to watch. Once you register, we'll send you a confirmation email that includes the link to watch on June 15. We will begin promptly at a 7 pm that evening. You'll click the link at the scheduled time from your laptop, tablet, or phone to join the call. You may wish to download the Zoom app if you don’t already have it, but it is not necessary to participate – if you don’t have it, the call will launch in your web browser. The app does give you access to more features, like voting for your favorite storyteller at the end of the evening.

And don't worry, we can't see attendees - only the storytellers are on the screen. Join us for an evening of live storytelling, from the comfort of your home. Register now, and you'll receive your own unique link to tune in that evening.

Want to tell a story?

We're also looking for storytellers. We want to hear your stories about the good times, peak experiences, and best day ever, and stories about the calm before the storm, when you had no idea how good you had it. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories.

If you'd like to sign up to be a storyteller, you'll need to sign up in advance by completing this form. We'll also need you to attend a rehearsal via Zoom the evening before on Monday, June 14 so we can do a quick run-through of the event and make sure everyone's links and equipment are working properly.

Storyteller sign-ups will remain open until we have eight storytellers, or until noon on Monday, June 14 (whichever happens first).

Tell Mom. Tell Everybody.

The theme for our May story slam was Don’t Tell Mom and we heard stories about getting away with it, not getting away with it, and coming clean decades after the fact. The evening featured eight storytellers - half of them first-timers - and our MC was Carter Grimm.

Mina Edmondson won with a powerful story about when you should tell mom.

Mina won an exclusive York Story Slam-branded journal from our friends at Story Supply Co and earned a spot in our Grand Slam in November.

Watch videos of all the stories from that night here.

Thanks to our season sponsor KBG Injury Law’s generous support, we get to continue our programming amid the current circumstances, and we get to share stories told at our events throughout the year - all stories are recorded and posted to our YouTube channel, and a selection of stories from each event are featured on our monthly podcast.

Save the date for our June 15 story slam. The theme is Happy Days and 2017 Grand Slam champ Eileen Joyce will be our MC for the evening. Registration will open soon for audience and storytellers. Make sure you’re signed up for our newsletter so you’ll be the first to know.

Don't Tell Mom!

We continue to host our slams virtually.

We'll host our May 18 story slam via Zoom. The theme is Don’t Tell Mom, and our MC for the evening will be Carter Grimm.

There is no charge to register. The event is pay-what-you-can; we will gratefully accept contributions via Venmo during the event and put them toward future events, but a donation is not required to attend and enjoy the virtual slam.

You must register in order to watch. Once you register, we'll send you a confirmation email that includes the link to watch on May 18. We will begin promptly at a 7 pm that evening. You'll click the link at the scheduled time from your laptop, tablet, or phone to join the call. You may wish to download the Zoom app if you don’t already have it, but it is not necessary to participate – if you don’t have it, the call will launch in your web browser. The app does give you access to more features, like voting for your favorite storyteller at the end of the evening.

And don't worry, we can't see attendees - only the storytellers are on the screen. Join us for an evening of live storytelling, from the comfort of your home. Register now, and you'll receive your own unique link to tune in that evening.

Want to tell a story?

**UPDATE, MAY 9, 2021: STORYTELLER SIGN-UPS HAVE CLOSED! We will have eight storytellers for this event**

We're also looking for storytellers. We want to hear your stories about staying out of trouble, sneaking out windows, spoiling surprises, and little white lies. However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories.

If you'd like to sign up to be a storyteller, you'll need to sign up in advance by completing this form. We'll also need you to attend a rehearsal via Zoom the evening before on Monday, May 17 so we can do a quick run-through of the event and make sure everyone's links and equipment are working properly.

Storyteller sign-ups will remain open until we have eight storytellers, or until noon on Monday, May 17 (whichever happens first).

**UPDATE, MAY 9, 2021: STORYTELLER SIGN-UPS HAVE CLOSED! We will have eight storytellers for this event**

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Support York Story Slam During Give Local York!

May 7 is the fourth annual Give Local York, York’s community-wide online day of giving.

We participated for the first time in 2020. We had initially set a goal of raising $1,000, but we reached it by 3 am, and it became crystal clear that you, our community, support what we do. We adjusted the fundraising goal to $2,000, and you sailed right past that by the end of the big give day, as well; we finished out at $2,730. We also received Give Local York Stretch Pool dollars and funds from the Cultural Alliance of York County's Arts Match on top of that, for a total of $3,234. We are honored to be the stewards of this support, and to continue providing a place for people to share their true stories.

Our fundraising goal for Give Local York 2021 is $2,000. If you’d like to make a contribution, you can do so during Give Local York on May 7. Visit our page on the Give Local York website on May 7 (between midnight and 11:59:59 pm) and make your contribution. It’s that easy, and will go a long way toward preserving and expanding our programming as we come out of the pandemic and can safely gather in person again.