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WHERE STORIES ARE TOLD • MORAL DILEMMAS UNFOLD • JUDGEMENTS ARE BOLD!

Snippets of Epic Storytellers at the Conundrum Chronicles

Please join us at our next Conundrum Chronicles StorySlam May 12, 7:00 pm (The Marsh Theater– 1062 Valencia Street). Throw your name in the hat for a chance to tell a true, 5-minute story, about you, or be the judge… or kick back and be a part of a community that basks in the magic of live storytelling!

May’s Theme: “Culture Clash!”  Tell us about a moment when two worlds collided — and you were standing right in the middle.  Was your sense of belonging compromised? Was something lost in translation? Culture Clash stories aren’t just about difference — they’re about the surprising, messy, beautiful things that happen when those differences meet. Lean into the awkward. Embrace the funny. Honor the hard. Your story matters.

Featured Storyteller: Ruth Schwarz

Ruth Schwarz retired from a long career as an engineer in the space program, and started storytelling shortly after the pandemic lockdown.  She has shared stories on the Moth Stage in Berkeley, Madison Wisconsin, and San Francisco. She is thrilled to be a member of the Conundrum family. She believes storytelling is a way to create connections through empathy and shared experience. She lives in Sunnyvale, where she can usually be found practicing her stories as she walks her Great Pyrenees dog. He’s never judgmental.

For Tickets and Information: Click Here!

To be added to our Conundrum Chronicles mailing list: Click Here.

Upcoming Shows:

June 9— Featured Storyteller: Santosh Kumar Theme: OBSESSION!

July 14– STORYTELLING SUMMIT! Winners from the past year will compete for the Conundrum Chronicles Crown. Theme: TBD

How it Works

The Conundrum Chronicles uses a StorySlam format that challenges storytellers to share a  five-minute story about a moral dilemma they have confronted. (First time storytellers are especially welcome). Audience members are then invited to discuss, and score each story based on the elements of the stories, giving meaningful feedback to the storytellers.

Guidelines:

  • Seven storytellers are drawn from a hat on the night of the performance. There will also be a featured storyteller
  • All stories must be true, about you, and connected to the theme.
  • No notes are allowed.
  • Stories must be respectful of individuals, avoiding disparagement based on culture, class, race, sex, religion, language, gender identity, sexual preference, age, and ability/disability.
  • Stories should be five minutes long (with a one minute grade period).
  • After each story is told, audience members will have the opportunity to discuss the qualities of the stories with their friends and elbow partners.
  • Audience members will then score storytellers using a Google Survey based on:
    • Authenticity
    • Engagement
    • Stakes/Tension
    • Heart-touching
    • Reflection/Resolution

Through this unique scoring system, not only will the winning story be determined, but storytellers will receive real-time feedback on the impact of their narratives. Celebrate the power of storytelling to entertain, inspire reflection, and empathy.

Each year, the winning storyteller from each month will be invited to participate in THE STORYTELLING SUMMIT OF THE CONUNDRUM CHRONICLES! The top four storytellers will be invited to participate in the Marsh Performance Initiative, enjoying the venue and tools to refine their voice in telling their own unique story. Storytellers will be given access to development from teachers, directors and collaborators, culminating in 15-minute performances at the Marsh Theater.

 

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