About SpeakeasyDC

OUR MISSION

SpeakeasyDC (formerly Washington Storytellers Theatre) is a non-profit arts organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to give voice to people’s life experiences, support artistic expression, build community, and contribute to DC’s cultural capital and creative economy by promoting and teaching the art of autobiographical storytelling. Since time immemorial, storytelling has served to entertain, teach, touch and capture the human experience.

SpeakeasyDC is dedicated to preserving this age-old oral tradition, elevating artistic merit, cultivating new talent, and supporting seasoned and emerging storytellers in artistic and professional settings. To achieve that end, we offer numerous performance and learning opportunities for people who wish to learn, practice, and experience the art of turning personal narrative into compelling and entertaining performances and communications.

OUR PROGRAMS

Our monthly open mic storytelling series–entering it’s 13th year on the 2nd Tuesday of every month– serves an audience of over 250 people a month and trains 120 storytellers each year.  Each night features 8-10 true stories on a given theme. All are welcome to sign up for the open mic through our website. Free (and mandatory) coaching is provided.

SpeakeasyDC also produces several original ensemble shows, with unique casts, each year. Past shows include: top-selling and critically acclaimed Capital Fringe Festival shows The Sin Show, Chocolate Jesus and Revenge of the Cat-Headed Baby and Other True Tales of Life & Death; plus holiday specials like Sucker for Love Valentine’s Day Special; Mommie Dearest Mother’s Day Special, and an annual performance for DC’s Big Read. 

Each year, we  offer over a dozen educational opportunities, including a one-day Storytelling Boot Camp,  two four-week comprehensive courses–Storytelling 101 for beginners and  and Storytelling 102 for intermediate level students,  master classes on specific skills and topics, outreach programs, and on-site professional trainings. Our clients have included The American Heart Association, The Microcredit Summit Campaign, Amnesty International, the Congressional Hunger Center, and Brailsford & Dunlavey.  SpeakeasyDC has collaborated with many other organizations including:  the NEA’s Big Read, DC Independent Film Fest, , Capital Fringe Festival, Sixth & I Historic Synagogue and SilverDocs.

OUR ONLINE RESOURCES

We publish a free bi-weekly podcast called The Speakeasy Storycast and host video channels on Vimeo and YouTube. On these, you will find recordings of our live performances, promotional videos, and a handful of produced “radio-style” stories (not performed live). We also have a blog where we will post articles, insights, news, opportunities, and links to other resources related to storytelling.

OUR FUNDING

Funding for SpeakeasyDC comes from a combination of earned income from ticket sales, class registrations, and professional contracts and contributed income from local government grants (specifically the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, funded in part by the the National Endowment for the Arts),  private foundations like the Humanities Council of Washington, DC, and  individual donors.

OUR SOCIAL NETWORKS

Find SpeakeasyDC on Facebook and Twitter