Archive for April, 2013

Tour de Telling’s First Prize Unlocked!

Friday, April 12th, 2013

Our first ever Tour de Telling - our virtual bike race fundraiser - kicked off with much fan fare and fun at April’s Second Tuesday show at Town. In addition to a bake sale to support the teams, each team gave a 60 second pitch for support. There were costumes, there were props, there was even flying candy.

The efforts of the teams paid off – in less than 48 hours the teams  have raised a combined total of more than $1600! And as a result, they have unlocked the first prize hidden in the course. This prize was a drawing from among all of the donors to date AND all of the members of each team, to recognize everyone’s role in getting this event off to a great start.

The prize: A free copy of SpeakeasyDC’s first book Sucker for Love. Available as either a paper back or a free download.sucker-for-love book

The winner: Drawn at random from participants as of 10am on Friday April 12 is JAMES FARMER! Congratulations James!

But this is just the beginning!
The teams are planning events ranging from house parties, to game nights, to competitive power point karaoke. The race ends on May 18, and which ever team has raised the most money on that day, will be declared the winner and will be showered with prizes. (But the real winner will be SpeakeasyDC as we meet (and possibly exceed!) our spring fundraising goal!)But that’s  just the beginning.

And more prizes will be unlocked every week for the duration of the race. Some will be just for donors, some will be just for riders. Some will be for both. Some will be drawings and some will be enough for everyone. The point is, you never know what’s around the corner so give early and give often!

To see the leader board and see where each team is on the course make sure to visit the Tour de Telling website each week.

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This week’s prize sponsored by:

 

web banner 30 Sep 2012-final

 

 

Monthly Show: Miss Manners – stories about social gaffes, faux pas and inappropriate choices

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

miss manners for facebook

Tickets available at door – CASH only

A night of true tales told live

Come hear real-life stories about….

•What happens when a Miss Manners control freak is challenged to streak on her last day of university?

• When your dad won’t give you any clues re: the birds & bees, how many fumbles does it take to figure it out on your own?

• What serves as sufficient punishment when a guy violates The Friend Zone?

April 9, 2013
Doors open at 6:30pm, Show starts at 8pm
at Town Danceboutique
2009 8th St, NW,Washington, DC, 20009 (near corner of U Street)
$15 cash at door

  • Must be 21 and must have ID.
  • Bring-your-own-food. When possible, we will arrange a food truck and let you know on Facebook and Twitter.
  • Full bar – credit or cash
  • There is an ATM on the premises.
  • Wheelchair accessible

Driving: Parking on the street or paid lot next door for $15.

Metro: Take Green or Yellow line to U St/Cardozo and exit on 10th Street side. Walk two blocks east and turn left at 8th St. It’s the second building on the right.

 

Tentative line-up (alphabetical order)

Kevin Boggs
David Brooks
Allison Burg
Elissa Laura
Michael McVey
Erin Myers
Jesse Ormsby
Janelle Ramus-Jones
Nancy Safavi
John Tong

 

Thanks to Alexander Morozov for photographing our shows.

townLOGOwoodLOres-3w logo-alexander

Lend your voice to the DC Council to increase arts funding!

Monday, April 8th, 2013

April 9th is the National Arts Advocacy Day and on that day, we will let the Council members know that we need them to increase the Mayor’s budget for the arts. SpeakeasyDC has applied for eight grants this year and has yet to receive any funding from the city despite the fact that we were one of five nominees for the 2012 Mayor’s Arts Award for Innovation in the Arts. There’s just not enough money to go around and we could do SO much with more support from the city. And the same is true for other great arts organizations that contribute to the vitality of this city.  Councilmember Evans has a proposal on the table for $20 million to go into the DCCAH’s budget this year but needs the support of the other Councilmembers for this to happen. Read More

Speakeasy Storycast #45: Katy Barrett – Most Improved

Friday, April 5th, 2013

Episode #45 of SpeakeasyDC’s podcast features a story by and conversation with Katy Barrett about trapeze lessons and chimpanzees.

Barrett

Subscribe thru iTunes | RSS Subcription link | Speakeasy Storycast website

Though not much of an athlete, Katy is a natural storyteller and passionate about apes and animals. Her collection of “ape tapes” exceeds 44 and, just the other night, she forced me to go into a dog park — with no dog of our own — to hang out with other people’s dogs. A true enthusiast, she’s the only person I know who will say, sincerely, how much fun her government job at the FDA is; and she will talk for weeks about food she’s enjoyed. I’m still hearing about the hummus she had in in February.  Read More

Class: Story Workspace with Vijai Nathan (Class is full. Waitlist open.)

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

StoryWorkspace_homepage1

An intimate four-session series with one teacher and 4-6 students. Each week, students bring in stories you want to develop.  Vijai will assess the needs of each student, and give individualized feedback and homework to best hone skills to become a stronger storyteller, in both content and performance.   This is meant to be student directed – that is, you come into it with an idea or your goals and we help you reach them.

Class is FULL. Click here to join waitlist.

Wednesdays, April 3, 10, 24, and May 1 – $200
St. Stephen’s Church, 1525 Newton St, NW
near Columbia Heights Metro
If there are 4 students, class will be 2 hours from 7:00 – 9:00 PM
If there are 6, then class will be 3 hours from 7:00 – 10:00 PM

(Note: April 17 there will be no class but there will be an option to sign-up for office hours with Vijai at an additional cost. For more information you can email [email protected])

Class: Storytelling 101 – Class FULL – Waitlist OPEN

Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013

Wednesdays April 3, 10, 17, 24, May 1, 2013 from 6.45-9.45pm. First four classes will take place at Mount Vernon Place Methodist Church at 900 Massachusetts Ave. Fifth class, which is the final showcase, will take place at a location TBD.  Closest metros are Gallery Place/Chinatown or Convention Center.  Limit 12 for 6:1 ratio. More info at www.speakeasydc.org

**CLASS IS FULL. CLICK HERE TO BE ON WAITLIST**

Payment

$350 can be paid online or send a check to SpeakeasyDC at 1525 Newton St, NW, Washington, DC 20010.  On check, please include your name, address, email, and phone number, and write the name of the class with starting date in the memo. Includes comp to our monthly show on Apr 9. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU RECEIVE AN EMAIL CONFIRMATION. IF YOU DON’T, IT MEANS THE CHARGE DIDN’T GO THROUGH.

About

Turn your life stories into performance. Learn the art of storytelling in SpeakeasyDC’s acclaimed 5-week class which will take your through the storytelling process from beginning to end, culminating in a public performance for your friends and family.  Students who join the class come from varied backgrounds and have different goals and applications. Some hope to perform on a SpeakeasyDC stage, others have found storytelling useful in the work they do, and others just enjoy the creative process and the community.  Your expert instructors have years of experience, coaching people through the storytelling process.

Detail

Week 1 – Wed, Apr 3 – Class– Finding story material + understanding story structure

Week 2 – Tu, Apr 9  – Comp to SpeakeasyDC’s monthly show (See Event Listings)

Week 2 – Wed, Apr 10 – Class – Crafting your story + developing characters

Week 3 – Wed, Apr 17 – Class – Editing + polishing

Week 4 – Wed, Apr 24 – Class – Practicing your story + Reviewing performance technique

Week 5 – Wed, May 1 – FINAL SHOWCASE - This is your chance to try your story out on a friendly invite-only audience of friends and family. Location TBD

Refund Policy

SpeakeasyDC does not give refunds (full or partial) for voluntary withdrawal from the class. There are limited slots in the class so that we may give sufficient attention to each student. Because of this, we typically have to turn people away. Should you choose to withdraw, we will have a vacancy that we can no longer fill.

 

Comments from alumni of SpeakeasyDC classes

I’ve had the great opportunity to participate in a class, an open mic, and a performance workshop with Speak Easy DC and in each event I took away a whole difference set of skills and “tricks of the trade”. I would highly recommend the experience to anyone wanting to learn how to craft an engaging story and/or learn to perform your work on stage. Not only is the crafting processes enjoyable, but you will never find a more embracing and accepting audience to present your work than those that attend the Speak Easy shows. I truly believe that Speak Easy DC is an exceptional NGO that affords novices and practiced storytellers alike with the opportunity to share their stories and grow as artists. — posted by jarkarta1

I’m about to take my second class with Speakeasy and I’m very excited. I learned so much on the first go around and many of my fellow classmates ended up telling their fantastic stories at open mic. What an entertaining evening…I laughed, I cheered, I cried and I can’t wait to go back again! — posted by ter