Storytelling is alive and well here in RVA and I’m happy to say it’s just as entertaining as it was when I was a kid.
The themes may be a bit more adult and instead of warm milk you can have delicious cocktails – but at its core the principle is the same: someone spins a tale and your imagination does the rest, and perhaps you connect on a personal level.
When I found out about Secretly Y’All – the group which puts together this particular event every couple of months or so I was curious. It seems such a niche idea with a limited audience. With all the forms of entertainment available at home and on phones, laptops and tablets it seems oral storytelling is an archaic art form bound for obsolescence.
I’m pleased to report that if the crowd at Balliceaux was any indication storytelling is alive and well in our digital society.
Recruiting my brother yet again we got to the bar about 30 minutes before they began letting people into the back room where the event is held. Five minutes later the line had grown behind us almost reaching the entrance. In a few more minutes the line was out the door. Needless to say if you want a seat it’s best to arrive early.
We grabbed a drink and headed to the back to get a good vantage point before the small back room filled up. Happily sat in the center towards the rear I watched as more and more people crowded into the back room. I couldn’t believe how large the audience was for this!
What makes this event interesting is that the theme changes with every show so your chances of hearing something you’ve heard before is pretty slim. Past subjects have included I Quit!, Exile and Plot Twist!
The presenters generally aren’t professional storytellers and likely not old hands at public speaking so at times the stories can be a little meandering punctuated by frequent ‘um’s’. Despite this I will give anyone with the guts to go up in front of a room full of strangers and tell their story a ton of credit. I’m not sure if I’d do it, or be any good at myself.
For $5 for a couple hours worth of entertainment you cannot go wrong attending this at least once. I know I’ll be going to their next event and likely will attempt to attend as many as I can. Storytelling is an art from definitely worth supporting. You can see what’s up coming at Secretly Y’all’s Website, or by following them on Facebook.
