It’s that time again, for the Santa Fe Speakeasy, Santa Fe’s only live, true, storytelling show. (I usually say our only “monthly live true storytelling show” figuring the more adjectives I insert the less likely someone is to prove me false. I actually have no idea if there are any other shows like this out there.)

Inhuman Behavior

I’m really excited for this month’s theme: Inhuman Behavior. Really the theme is animals, but I expanded it to include anything not human, including aliens or people who act in an inhuman way. I’ll be telling a story called “Miss Priss,” about how I went from being a prissy debutante child to a wild untamed rebel, with the help of horses, moths, tarantulas, and a couple of horny toads (those are actual animals, not what you’re thinking).

Telling Stories of our Lives

The Speakeasy is my way of trying to encourage people to do what my family always instinctively did: tell the stories of their lives. It has come to my attention that some parents don’t talk to their kids about their childhood. And some kids aren’t remotely interested. And some people actually think their lives aren’t interesting.

The purpose of the show is to build community around our individuality and unique experiences, and to use themes to make people realize that in order to have a good story, they only need to recount one day, one experience. Even if you’ve never left your home town, surely you still have a story.

The Storytelling Community

The fact that we love storytelling is what draws this community together. But sometimes it seems like we’re drawn together because of shared values (liberal, this being Santa Fe). This is actually the only thing I would like to change about the show. I don’t want people to come to the show expecting to hear people telling stories that support their established way of thinking, but to come open minded, ready to support people whose lives have been very different and who have drawn very different conclusions about life.

That, to me, would be the best kind of show. I’d like to get speakers who aren’t afraid of “offending people” by telling stories that don’t fit into some kind of mold. We don’t allow personal essays or philosophical rants. It’s just stories. All stories are welcome. All lives are valid. That’s the message, and hopefully this Speakeasy will be a great example of that free expression. See you at the Speakeasy! (see “Where’s Ruby” for when, where, etc.)