July Storytelling Events!

Troy

Tuesday, July 10 @ The Ale House (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
Hosted by Ashok

Theme: “Mistakes”

Everyone makes them. Some are great learning experiences. Some are just terrible. Please come and share your stories where things didn’t work out as planned.

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Albany

Monday, July 16 @ The Olde English Pub (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
Hosted by Gregor Wynnyczuk

Theme: “Foreigners”

Most people are foreign to us. Even those we think we know well can be very different. And those from foreign lands can be surprisingly similar – if we make the effort to cross the divide between us and them.

So what does it really mean to be a foreigner? Let’s explore through stories of encounters with someone “foreign”.

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June Storytelling Events!

Troy

Tuesday, June 12 @ The Ale House (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
Hosted by Mike DeSocio

Theme: “Say What?!?!”

Communication breakdowns – whether something’s misheard or poorly explained, words can make all the difference. And when we’re texting, snapping and tweeting, messages get mixed up quick. What happened the last time you had a convoluted conversation? Come share your stories about communication gone wrong. After all, there’s always two sides to every story.

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Albany

Monday, June 18 @ The Olde English Pub (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
Hosted by Gregor Wynnyczuk

Theme: “Fathers”

In honor of Father’s Day (Sunday, June 17) we turn the mic over to dads and the stories of our dads. You know your dad (or might know if you are one) so you shouldn’t need much more prompting.

But consider that Father’s Day has only been an official national holiday since 1972! The original idea for it dates back more than a hundred years, but our nation’s dads were in no hurry to get more neckties, hats and socks.

 

May Storytelling Events!

Troy

Tuesday, May 8 @ The Ale House (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
Hosted by Abby Norton-Levering

Theme: “Breaking and Mending”

Breaking up, breaking down, breaking through, breaking free: we often feel most excruciatingly, exquisitely alive when things are breaking apart. Then down the road there may be mending, sometimes accomplished in surprising or less obvious ways. Sometimes even the act of telling a story puts the pieces back together.

Come share your stories of breaking bones, hearts, news, promises or paradigms, and what happened next.

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Albany

Monday, May 21 @ The Olde English Pub (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
Hosted by Gregor Wynnyczuk

Theme: “New York City”

The Big Apple. The City that Never Sleeps. It is the center of universe for so many people and industries. Fashion, entertainment, banking, you name it. And it’s also a storyteller’s gold mine. Interesting things just seem to happen there.

So come share your New York stories, or come to hear what’s happened to others in “the city”…

 

 

April Storytelling Events!

Troy

Tuesday, April 10 @ The Ale House (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
Hosted by Ashok 
Theme: “Being Brave”

Courage is hard to define and an underappreciated and hard to find virtue. The following quote is from Game of Thrones:

“Bran thought about it. ‘Can a man still be brave if he’s afraid?’
‘That is the only time a man can be brave,’ his father told him.”

Please come and share your stories about fear and pushing through fear to be brave.

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Albany

Monday, April 16 @ The Olde English Pub (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
Hosted by Gregor Wynnyczuk
Theme: “Gettin’ Schooled”

Learning is important. We should always be learning. And while school is a great place to learn, not all learning happens in school (and not everything that happens in school is learning).

What are your most important lessons? How did you learn them? The hard way?

Bring those stories down to the OEP Monday for a night of laughter and learning.

 

March Storytelling Events!

Troy

Tuesday, March 13 @ The Ale House (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
Hosted by Mike DeSocio
Theme: “In Transit”

Everyone loves to travel. But sometimes, the journey ends up being more interesting than the destination. Tell us a story about getting there. What went wrong? Something almost always does. How did you figure it out? Who did you meet? And what did you learn along the way? Come share your tumultuous travel experience. Whether you walked, ran, rode, drove, swam or flew, we want to hear about.

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Albany

Monday, March 19 @ The Olde English Pub (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
Hosted by Gregor Wynnyczuk
Theme: “Lies & Liars”

Nobody likes to be lied to. It doesn’t feel good. But it happens. Sometimes with the best intentions, sometimes with the worst. Of course, we generally think of ourselves as truthful and transparent, but telling the truth is often difficult. And lies are so much easier. They make things better. Until they don’t. Come share your story of lying or being lied to…

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This Place Event at the UAlbany Art Museum

Tuesday, March 27 (5:00 – 7:00 pm)
Gregor Wynnyczuk will host a special open mic event as part of This Place – an exhibition featuring photographs from twelve internationally renowned artists who spent portions of three years in Israel and the West Bank to capture unfiltered insights on everyday life. More information on the show (and directions) can be found here.

Theme: “Finding My Place”

Places can resonate with us. We may feel we belong in some places, and don’t in others. But ‘place’ is not just a geographic concept – it’s also a societal construct. We often serve a role or function that is determined by others. Sometimes this can be useful and make our lives easier. Sometimes this can be dangerous and make our lives difficult.

Consider a story about finding your place – whether it be physically, geographically, or in relation to others.

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Listening is an act of Love

Front Parlor is a place to hear and tell stories around a designated theme. We generally have 8-12 storytellers, five minutes each, telling true stories. No notes. It’s just like The Moth radio hour, except it’s local storytellers in front of the most loving and supportive audiences anywhere.

February Events!

Troy

Theme: “Resolve”

Host: Mike DeSocio

Tuesday 2/13 @ 7:30 – The Ale House, 680 River Street, Troy

February 2018 marks seven years of the Front Parlor Series. To do anything for seven years is certainly an accomplishment, and it takes a certain amount of resolve. Tell us about a time you stuck it out. What gave you the determination to make it through? Alternatively, tell us story about giving up. Why did you lack the resolve to keep going?

Albany

Theme: “Power”

Host: Allison Continelli

Monday 2/19 @ 7:30 – The Olde English Pub, 683 Broadway, Albany

It’s been said that power corrupts. So being powerful is dangerous. But then again, so is being powerless…

 

How does power manifest in your life? Do you seek it? Fight it? Do you have a superpower? Or do you just leave power to those who want it more than you?

 

Whatever your relationship with it, think about a time when power was the defining factor – and bring that story to the Olde English for a night of stories on Power!

MLK Day Storytelling in Albany

The Front Parlor is back in Albany in January – Monday, January 15

The Olde English Pub, 683 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207

7:30 pm with your host Gregor Wynnyczuk

Theme: “He Said, She Said – Stories on Gender”

What’s it like to be a man or a woman today? For many of us our gender is such a key aspect of who we are there is no way to separate our identity from it. It’s the water we swim in.

But at times we become aware – “that happened because I’m a ___”, or “that wouldn’t have happened if I were a _____”. How does your gender dictate your experience? What can or can’t you do or say? What obligations do you feel?

Please come and share about a time when gender was part of the story.