I went to a Story League Story Contest last night at Busboys & Poets on 14th and V. It was really great! The theme was gossip, and we heard several stories about gossip, rumors, and "evil tongue" in general. The theme was a difficult one (do that many people have stories about gossip?), but the storytellers were funny, poignant, and honest, often all at the same time.
At the end, the audience votes for their favorite storyteller, and the audience favorite wins a t-shirt. The judges' favorite wins $100. The judges last night included a "story expert," a local stand up comedian, and a writer for the Washington Post. I felt that the legitimacy of the judges added greatly to the legitimacy of the event.
Seating at the venue (it was in a back room) was communal, so strangers were sharing booths and making new friends. Others ordered food, but I just had a drink (an eco-brew beer, because obviously they have that) because I couldn't have possibly held off dinner until 9. Turns out, I was sitting right next to the guy who ended up winning! Brushing shoulders with a local celeb, nbd.
While most storytellers have signed up in advance, they allow for one or more volunteers who feel the urge right then to stand up and share. Don't order too many of those eco-brews, or else you might find yourself on stage. read more