Our January Story Slam is "Small World!"

Our 2017 Lancaster Story Slam season starts on January 24th with the theme of "Small World!" Our Story Slam season will be held at Tellus360 in downtown Lancaster. We start telling stories at 8pm, but arrive early to get a pint and secure the best seats!

What type of stories fit the "Small World" theme?

Have you been in dire straits only to find out the person you were dealing with has an unlikely connection? Have you been trapped inside the Disney's "Small World" ride? Have you been lost only to run into a neighbor on the other side of the world? Steven Wright joked "It's a Small World but I wouldn't want to paint it." Technology increasingly makes the world a smaller place, such as that moment when you realize your new friend has a Facebook connection to your ex. Tell us your story about living in a Small World!

If you would like to tell a story, sign up with Carla when you arrive. She'll be at the foot of the stage with release forms. The winner will go home with one of our prized pint glasses and earns a slot in the 2017 Lancaster Story Slam GRAND SLAM, which will take place in November.

We hope to see you on Tuesday, January 24th, 8pm, at Tellus360! Order your tickets by clicking HERE!

Audrey Lopez wins our 2016 Grand Slam!

On a night of stunning stories from first to last, Audrey Lopez won our 2016 Lancaster Story Slam GRAND SLAM with her story about finding her voice as an undocumented immigrant in America. Audrey's story moved the judges - and the entire audience! Audrey won the Storyteller's Trophy, along with gift certificates to Tellus360 and Buzz Cafe, and an autographed copy of the Historic Downtown Lancaster Coloring Book. Congratulations Audrey!

All eleven storytellers told insightful personal stories to the packed audience at Tellus360. We heard about training to be a doctor, learning a family secret, overcoming a phobia of treadmills, teaching English and soccer in Colombia, accepting one's Jewish ancestry, fighting for one's cause, and celebrating the epic Irish movie, The Quiet Man.

Watch Audrey's winning story below or click on over to the Lancaster Story Slam YouTube channel to watch all the stories told at the Grand Slam. Mark your calendars because the 2017 Story Slam season begins on Tuesday, January 24th. 

Congratulations to Audrey and thanks to everyone who came out to cheer the storytellers on this epic night!

Our 2016 Grand Slam is November 22nd!

The 2nd annual Lancaster Story Slam GRAND SLAM is being held on Tuesday, November 22nd, 8pm,  at Tellus360! Join us and cheer on the winning storytellers from the 2016 season as they compete toe-to-toe for the title of Best Storyteller in Lancaster! The theme of the night is "Rise Above!" Last year's Grand Slam sold out so please order your tickets ahead of time this year. To order your tickets click HERE.

Storytellers who have earned a spot in the Grand Slam are: Matthew Kabik, Liz Yocom, Beth Horenkamp, Aaron Spangler, Tony Crocamo, Audrey Lopez, Jamie Beth Schindler, Bryan R. Caine, Rebecca Thatcher Murcia, David Smith and Aaron Lewis. 

The ever-funny Luanne Sims will host. We hope to see you on November 22nd! Help us crown the 2016 Best Storyteller in Lancaster!

Aaron Lewis wins October Slam! Grand Slam Tickets on Sale Now!

October Champion Aaron Lewis poses with emcee Carter Grimm

Aaron Lewis told about the seeds of anarchy were planted within him after one Halloween night he experienced as a child. The theme of the night was Trick or Treat! Aaron won the prized pint glass and earned the final slot in our November 22nd GRAND SLAM!

Thanks to all our storytellers, the volunteer judges, and all the audience who cheered on those who took to the mic.

Tickets for our 2016 Lancaster Story Slam GRAND SLAM are available now by clicking HERE. The GRAND SLAM will be held on Tuesday, November 22nd, 8pm, at Tellus360. The theme is RISE ABOVE! Please order your tickets ahead of time for the GRAND SLAM. This event did sell out last year.

Check out Aaron's winning story below. You can watch other stories told on the night on the Lancaster Story Slam YouTube Channel.

Our October Story Slam is "Trick or Treat!"

Join us on Tuesday, October 25th, 8pm, for the final regular season Story Slam of the year! Our Story Slam will be held at Tellus360 in downtown Lancaster and the theme is "Trick or Treat!"

What type of stories fit the "Trick or Treat" theme?

We want to hear your stories about tricks and/or treats! Tell us about the greatest trick, prank, or mischief you have pulled off in your life. Perhaps someone has pulled a humorous prank on you or maybe the trick was something more sinister like having your identity stolen. We also want to hear stories about amazing treats - what was the greatest day of your life? What was the most surprising treat you have ever had? Did someone trick you into accepting a treat? Wikipedia states - The "trick" is a (usually idle) threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given to them. We'd love to hear your stories about creating mischief! Of course, we would love to hear a few Halloween or Mischief night related stories but they don't need to be related to the holidays!

This will be the last chance for a storyteller to earn a slot in our 2016 GRAND SLAM, so don't miss out! We hope to see you on Tuesday, October 25th, 8pm, at Tellus360! Order your tickets below!

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David Smith wins our "Chaos" Story Slam!

David Smith won our "Chaos" Story Slam with his tale of taking a turbulent airline flight to Baton Rouge. David won a prized pint glass and earned a slot in our November Grand Slam. We heard about chaos in many forms and locations - including schools, amusement parks, and biker bars. A fun night! Thanks to all our storytellers, our judges, and those who came out to listen. 

Our next Story Slam is scheduled for Tuesday, October 25th and the theme is "Trick or Treat." Save the date and secure your tickets now by clicking HERE!

You can watch David's winning story below. To watch the other stories told on the night, click over to the Lancaster Story Slam YouTube channel.

Our September Slam is "Chaos!"

Our September Story Slam is themed "CHAOS!"

Join us on MONDAY, September 26th for what is sure to be a fun night of stories about chaotic times. Our Story Slam is being held at Tellus360 at 8pm. Click here to order your tickets.

What's been the most chaotic time of your life? What's been the most chaotic day of your life? Chaos is often caused by miscommunication. Growing up in a large family was chaotic. Not having the necessary information at the correct time breeds chaos. Being lied to causes chaos. Saying yes to everything causes chaos. Have you learned to prioritize after living in chaos? Disorganization and disarray causes turmoil and disruption.

If you want to tell your story, sign up upon arrival and we'll put your name in the hat. Don't worry if you don't have a story, storytellers need listeners. Come check out our "Chaos" Story Slam on a special night, MONDAY, September 26th. We hope to see you then!

Rebecca Thatcher Murcia Wins our "Panic Switch" Slam!

Rebecca Thatcher Murcia won our "Panic Switch" Story Slam with her vivid story of giving birth to her sons. Rebecca won the prized pint glass and earned a slot in our November Grand Slam!

Thanks to everyone who told a story about their panic attacks! Fun stories all around. Thanks to our judges and emcee Michael Sirianni and the staff at Tellus360!

A reminder that our next Story Slam will be held on MONDAY, September 26th. The theme is CHAOS! Tickets are available now. Click the TICKETS link at the top of the page.

You can watch Rebecca's winning story below. To watch other stories told this night, check out the Lancaster Story Slam YouTube channel!

Our August 23rd Story Slam is "Panic Switch!"

Don't Panic!

August 23rd is your next opportunity to win a slot in our Grand Slam! The theme for August is "Panic Switch!" Our Story Slam is held at Tellus360 and we start telling stories promptly at 8pm. Grab your ticket now for quick entry.

What are some ideas around the theme Panic Switch?

Tell us a story about a time you panicked - whether your reactions were warranted or turned out to be a panic for no reason at all. Perhaps you were in a situation where a friend or stranger panicked and you had to be the voice of reason and talk them down from the ledge. Stories could be about worldwide panic - war, 9/11, a plague, or other tragedies - or your panic could be of a more personal variety - dealing with a personal or family issues. When we reflect on life, some of our greatest accomplishments were preceded by anxious moments of self doubt. It's often said, "all conflict is internal." Maybe you or a loved one suffers from panic attacks, which has led to an insightful story about human nature.

Take a few moments and think of some of your moments of panic, how they came to pass, and how you resolved them. And then, overcome your fear and hop on stage Tuesday night, August 23rd at 8pm and tell your story! Order your tickets today!

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Our "Career Opportunities" Story Slam ends in a tie!

Jamie Beth and Bryan Caine pose with emcee Donna Talarico

Congratulations to Jamie Beth and Bryan Caine, co-winners of our "Career Opportunities" Story Slam! Jamie Beth told about her tough time adjusting to first-time motherhood while teaching high school. Bryan Caine told the story of being the only white person in his workplace and the bond he and his co-workers shared. Both Jamie and Bryan won prized pint glasses and earned slots in our Grand Slam, which will take place in November.

We heard a wide variety of stories about workplace situations that were both inspiring and traumatic at times. Tony told about his unsuccessful attempt to unionize a newsroom. Joe talked about the inspiration he garnered from a West Chester University professor. Burton told how he came to be a successful painter. Meg talked about her passion for marketing and her current job search. We heard about being a radio deejay, a television producer, and a designer. Interesting stories all around.

Thanks to all our storytellers, the judges and the audience for coming out and telling stories. Thanks to our emcee Donna Talarico. If you want to learn more about Donna's 2016 HippoCamp Writing Conference, which takes place right in Lancaster August 12-14th, click HERE.

Our next Lancaster Story Slam will be August 23rd and the theme is "Panic Switch!" Order your tickets off our Tickets page!

You can watch the two winning stories below. To watch more stories, click over to the Lancaster Story Slam YouTube page.

Our July 26th Story Slam is "Career Opportunities!"

Our July 26th Story Slam is themed "Career Opportunities!" We start telling stories at Tellus360 at 8pm, so order your tickets now and arrive early to get a pint and find the best seats.

What type of stories fit "Career Opportunities?"

We want to hear about the best job you had! We want to hear about the worst job you ever had! Tell us about the magic moment where you decided what your career would be. Tell us about the job you had when you were just working for beer money. How did you stumble into your career opportunity? We want to know about that mentor who helped you discover your potential. We want to hear about the asshole boss who broke your spirit. We want to hear about the best of times, and the worst of times! Career Opportunities!

Join us on July 26th at 8pm at Tellus360 for "Career Opportunities!" Order your tickets now for quick entry!

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Audrey Lopez Wins our "Foreign Soil" Story Slam!

Emcee Michael Sirianni poses with Story Slam winner Audrey Lopez!

Congratulations to Audrey Lopez! She won tonight's "Foreign Soil" Story Slam with her touching story of moving to the USA from Peru as a child and slowly adjusting to life in America. Audrey won the prized pint glass and has earned a slot in the November Grand Slam!

We heard an array of stories celebrating diversity tonight, tales of Americans in foreign lands and stories of immigrants adjusting to America.

We heard about the strangeness of arriving in America on Halloween, about crossing the border solo as a nine-year-old, and about adjusting to American school lunches. We listened to a tale of craving Ovaltine while traversing the mountains of Vietnam and a story about hiking in the misty countryside of England. We heard about meeting one's father during a mournful trip to Germany and getting arrested in Bosnia. We heard a hilarious story of traveling in southern Italy, and a touching story of learning the culture of Bahrain. Thanks to all our storytellers tonight!

Our next Lancaster Story Slam will be July 26th and the theme is "Career Opportunities!" To order your tickets, click HERE!

Check out Audrey's winning story below! To see all the stories told at our Story Slams, check out the Lancaster Story Slam YouTube channel!

Our June 28th Story Slam is "Foreign Soil!"

Summertime means travel, so let's hear stories that have happened on "Foreign Soil." That's the theme of our June 28th Story Slam at Tellus360! We start telling stories at 8pm, so order your tickets now and arrive early to get a pint and find the best seats.

What do we mean by "Foreign Soil" stories? We're looking for stories about travel! Tell us about your near death hallucinatory experience in Tijuana. We want to hear about your epic pub crawl in London or that time you were carried home from Oktoberfest. Explain how you survived that ski disaster in the Swiss Alps, that love affair in Madrid, or that safari in South Africa. Have you taken part in an Indian wedding? An Irish wake? We want to hear about the awkward cultural exchanges, the customary faux paus, that time you came across as the ugly American. In fact, "foreign soil" insinuates a foreign country, but perhaps you had a sudden realization about the diversity of the USA during a trip down south or out west that made you feel liked you stepped onto foreign soil.

Join us on June 28th, 8pm, at Tellus360 for "Foreign Soil." Order your tickets now for quick entry!

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Tony Crocamo wins "Brush with Fame" Slam!

Tony Crocamo (R) poses with emcee Matt Kabik.

Our "Brush with Fame" Story Slam set a record - fourteen storytellers put their name in the hat - and throughout the course of the night we heard about many celebrities - but in the end, Tony Crocamo won the prized pint glass with his nearly perfect story of making plans to become a celebrity among his grade school classmates. Tony has earned a slot in the November Grand Slam!

We heard so many remarkable stories about embarrassing and funny interactions with celebrities such as the Dalai Lama, Jake Gyllenhall, John C. Reilly, Mickey Rooney, and more. We also heard other fun stories about storytellers who strived to claim their fifteen minutes of fame. So much fun that was actually included all fourteen storytellers.

Thanks so much to all those who put their name in the hat, our judges, and everyone who came out to cheer the storytellers on. Our next Story Slam is Tuesday, June 28th and the theme is "Foreign Soil!" Think about your best story from traveling to a foreign country and come on out!

Watch Tony's winning story below. To see the other stories told at the May Story Slam, click on through you the Lancaster Story Slam YouTube channel.

"Brush with Fame" is May 24th!

Our May 24th Story Slam is themed "Brush with Fame!" We start hearing stories promptly at 8pm at Tellus360, so arrive early to get a pint and a good seat. Order your tickets by clicking HERE.

What stories are we looking for with "Brush with Fame?"

We want to hear about your most famous moment or when you had an interesting incident with someone famous. Perhaps you achieved a bit of notoriety after something went wrong - maybe you were featured in the newspaper or on the local news. Did you have "fifteen minutes of fame" for something you accidentally did? Were you rewarded with meeting someone famous? Maybe you happened to spot a celebrity doing something rather silly or had a rather awkward run-in with a celebrity. Tell us about your Brush with Fame - whether it was drinking with a movie star, getting stoned with rock star, dining with a famous author, etc. or tell us about what led to that moment in your life where you were the rock star!

Join us at Tellus360 for "Brush with Fame" on May 24th at 8pm!

Here is a story from Kyle Hudson about his celebrity sighting.

Aaron Spangler wins our "Respect" Story Slam!

Winner Aaron Spangler (center) poses with John Strogus (left), and David Lasky (right)

A shout of "Respect" goes out to all our storytellers from the April Story Slam! What a night of thought-provoking stories on the the theme of "respect." At the end of the Story Slam, we had a three-way tie and our judges were pulled to the side of the stage and forced to make a difficult decision - this was our version of a brokered convention!

After much deliberation, Aaron Spangler emerged as the winner of the night's Story Slam. Aaron told the story of taking a trip to Ireland when he was sixteen and seeing a sorrowful woman singing "Danny Boy." Aaron won the prized pint glass and earned a slot in the Lancaster Story Slam Grand Slam, which is coming this November.

Carter Grimm at the mic.

We have to mention some other stories from this remarkable night. Runner-up John Strogus told the story of being tutored by a remarkable woman after breaking both his legs as a child. David Lasky told about landing on an island on Christmas Eve and being very afraid about the locals. Beth Horenkamp, who has already earned a slot in the Grand Slam, told about joy and the hardship of her profession in oncology. Matthew Kabik, another storyteller who will be in the Grand Slam, told a tale of his short-lived glory days as a baseball player. We heard two stories about learning to respect mom - from Donna Talarico and also from Bill Speakman. Emily Meola told about her frustrating day canvassing neighborhoods in Lancaster. Aaron Lewis told of a surprising visitor to an open mic night and Carter Grimm discussed his love of funions!

We had a blast hearing these tremendous stories in April. Thanks to all our storytellers, our emcee Luanne Sims, and those who judged the stories.

Save the date! Our next Story Slam will be Tuesday, May 24th and is themed "Brush With Fame!" You can reserve your tickets by clicking HERE. 

Check out Aaron's story below. Our other stories are available on the Lancaster Story Slam YouTube Channel.

Our April 26th Story Slam is themed "Respect!"

Lancaster Story Slam returns to Tellus360 on Tuesday, April 26th with the theme "Respect!" The storytelling begins promptly at 8pm, so we recommend arriving early to grab some food and a pint before securing a good seat. Grab your tickets now for quick entry. Click HERE.

Lancaster Story Slam is a live event where people take the stage with no notes or props and tell a 5 minute true story in front of a rowdy live audience. Some stories are hilarious, others are sad, but they all share aspects of the human experience. You can take the stage to tell your story, or simply hang out and watch with friends. If you want to tell a story, simply sign up upon arrival and we'll put your name in the hat.

What does the theme “Respect” mean?

We want to hear stories about earning respect and losing respect. How hard have you worked to earn the respect of someone you love? Maybe you respected a mentor who turned out to be a fraud. Perhaps you once had a job where you didn’t feel respected. A lack of respect is often a disastrous road that leads to messy divorces, quitting jobs, getting fired or even violence. Let's hear your story on "Respect!"

The winner of our "Respect" Story Slam will return in November to compete in the Lancaster Story Slam Grand Slam for the title of Best Storyteller in Lancaster!

If you missed our last Story Slam, be sure to listen to the podcast which features three of our favorite stories from the "Caught" Story Slam. Click on Podcasts at the top of the page or download through iTunes!

Beth Horenkamp Wins our "Caught" Slam!

Congratulations to Beth Horenkamp! She won our "Caught" Story Slam with her hilarious tale of being caught making a U-turn on the highway by the police. Beth took home the prized pint glass and has earned a slot in the Lancaster Story Slam Grand Slam, which will be held in November.

It was a magical night of stories tonight. We heard about a mother catching her son having sex, and another story of a mom who will finally realize her son called a sex hotline from her home. We listened to one story about a trip to Italy where the tension was all in the traveler's head, and a tale about a night in a Paris prison cell. We heard about a teen taking a two-hour road trip to see a comedian and arriving at the theater a month early, only to have the comedian make fun of him on social media. We heard about an Amish Chippendale, and being bullied in school, and crying in the back of a police car after a desperate attempt to score a Coca Cola.

Thanks to all our storytellers tonight! Also thanks to our judges and everyone who came out to cheer on the competitors. A fun night of stories!

Tickets for the April 26th Story Slam, which is themed "Respect," are on sale now. Start thinking of your story!

You can watch Beth's winning story below. All the "Caught" stories are available on the Lancaster Story Slam YouTube channel.

Our "Caught" Story Slam is March 22!

Our March 22nd Story Slam has one of our favorite themes ever - CAUGHT! We start telling stories promptly at 8pm, so arrive early and grab some food and a pint at Tellus360. Order your tickets by clicking HERE.

What do we mean by CAUGHT?

Have you ever been caught red handed? Have you ever been caught in a compromising position? Perhaps you once caught someone you trusted - a spouse, a significant other, a boss, a parent - and your world was shaken to the core. Have you ever played whistleblower - been considered a "snitch?" Did you ever catch someone who had left the scene of an accident? Let's hear embarrassing, funny, dramatic, entertaining stories about the theme of Caught. 

Need some inspiration? Here is a story about being caught in a very awkward situation!

Douglas Wins Late Night Story Slam!

We heard so many fun stories at the debut of Late Night Story Slam! The theme was "Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n Roll" and we heard plenty of all three throughout the night. Congratulations to our winner Douglas, who won the Late Night "Sex, Drugs, and "Rock 'n Roll" Prize Pack, which included a Barry White Greatest Hits album, a Late Night Munchies gift card for Spyro Gyros and a growler of Panic Room Double IPA from Levante Brewing Company.

We did not record videos of last night's stories, because what happens at Late Night, stays at Late Night! Thanks to emcee Frank Melvin for sharing several hilarious stories throughout the night.

Our next Lancaster Story Slam will be Tuesday, March 22nd and the theme is "Caught!" Grab your tickets and come out to Tellus360 to tell your story or just listen.