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Eblast Sept 3, 2010

Amy Saidman — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:05:23 +0000

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Eblast August 20, 2010

Amy Saidman — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:40:16 +0000

City Paper & SEDC Story Contest

Amy Saidman — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:38:40 +0000

As part of DC Beer Week, SpeakeasyDC, Washington City Paper and The Big Hunt are teaming up to present Fermented: A Night of True Tales About Beer and we need good stories. To submit your story idea, email hmcandrews@washingtoncitypaper.com by Aug 17th with a brief description of your tale. The description must be under 50 words.

Best stories will be posted on SpeakeasyDC and Washington City Paper sites and the winner will be one of the featured storytellers at the event. Wednesday, August 25. Doors 6:30pm/Show 8-10pm at The Big Hunt 1345 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC

Please note that this is a storytelling stage — not a stage for stand-up comedy or poetry or improv or a reading. It is a stage exclusively for true stories with a narrative arc that are performed, not read. Winner will be notified on August 18th and will have a chance to work with SpeakeasyDC to refine their storytelling skills.

For video examples visit SpeakeasyDC’s Director’s Picks on Vimeo.

Link to post in Washington City Paper

Help us choose the best of SpeakeasyDC

Amy Saidman — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:26:49 +0000

Hey everyone!! We are putting together a show (maybe 2) of our all-time favorite stories in the last few years and we’d like your input. So, dig back in your memory-banks and tell us what your favorite stories have been. You don’t need to know the name of the person or when you heard it, just give us enough details to help us identify it and add it to our list of possibles for the show. Keep in mind that since 2007, we have performed at HR57, Cada Vez, Station 9, Source Theatre, Rumberos, Chief Ike’s, Town Danceboutique, the Atlas Arts Center, and various venues as part of the Capital Fringe Fest. Feel free to pick favorites from the open mic or any one of our ensemble productions, including both Sucker for Love Valentine specials, Chocolate Jesus, Sin Show, Revenge of the Cat-Headed Baby, Showcase Showdown, Mommie Dearest, Who’s Your Daddy, The Big Read, and Wetbacks, Aliens & Towelheads: Stories from the First Generation.

To share your favorites, please post a comment by Aug 15, 2010. Thanks!

Showcase Showdown highlighted in Washington Post and MidCity DC

Amy Saidman — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:05:44 +0000

From The Washington Post – Fringe Festival: What we’ll be seeing

Speakeasy DC needs no help with publicity given that its Fringe shows routinely sell out. Yet, because last year’s “The Sin Show” was my favorite performance of the festival, I must give credit where it’s due. This year’s entry adds a dose of spectator participation, including the chance for audience members to decide whether the story they just heard is true or false.

See full article

From MidCity DC

SpeakeasyDC Comes on Down to “The Showcase Showdown”

Local storytelling collective SpeakeasyDC has never been af raid to take on some sensitive topics — the first genera- tion immigrant experience, the pit- falls of coming out, and one’s deep- est personal fears among them. But after staging a tribute to human fail- ings at their worst with the top-sell- ing “Sin Show” at last year’s Capital Fringe Festival, the Speakeasy crew has decided to bring a little levity back to the Fringe Fest stage and they’ve settled on an unlikely piece of inspiration — “The Price is Right.” Get ready to enter “The Showcase Showdown” — Speakeasy’s story- skewed adaptation of the games made famous by Bob Barker and thousands of play-at-home house- wives nationwide. “Last year was fun and funny, but it was heavy…This is like a palate cleanser, not for the audience, but for our own process – something light, playful and game-y,” said Speakeasy Director Amy Saidman. “’The Price is Right’ just sort of emerged as a great way to get to that.”

Taking a cue from their source material, Saidman and her eight- strong cast — featuring of a mix of Speakeasy regulars, workshop grad- uates and newcomers — are making audience participation the center- piece of their full-length production. Speakeasy’s raconteurs will host eight games during the 90-minute production, including four drawing that’ll be drawing on the infamous “Contestants’ Row.”
Instead of playing for cash, how- ever, the volunteers selected will be scoring points for guessing the true story in “Flip Flop” and the real end- ing in “Plenko” to name but two of Speakeasy’s “Price is Right” reinven- tions. In all, it’s a package that Said- man says “plays with the tone and kitsch” of America’s longest running game show — even if that all-ex- penses-paid Hawaiian vacation will have to wait.

“The Showcase Showdown” hits the stage at the US Navy Memorial for just four shows at 8 p.m. on July 9, 10, 15 and 16. Tickets are $15. For information, visit SpeakeasyDC online or the Capital Fringe Festival homepage at www.capfringe.org. 701 Pennsylvania Ave. NW • www.speakeasydc.com

See original article, then click “Hit the City”

Friends in the Fest 2010

Amy Saidman — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:28:18 +0000

We know a lot of folks doing shows in this year’s Capital Fringe Festival. Be sure to check them out.

Give Them Vagina: Tips from Mom, Dad, & Cosmo with Vijai Nathan. A one-woman comedy boobs, Barbies, Spanx, and porn. Info | Tickets

Logic, Luck & Love with Molly Kelly, Jennifer Howe, Dustin Fisher, and Kevin Boggs. Directed by Amy Couchoud and Joseph Price. Info | Tickets

Pushing Boundaries with Ellouise Schoettler. Info | Ticket

_	Nick Newlin will be performing at the Baldachinno Gyspy Tent as part of Fabulous Variety & Vagabond Amusementsw/Full Service Cabaret Dining. Free \| Info

Nick Newlin can also be seen performing in the Baldachinno Gyspy Tent as part of Provessor Burgestic’s Musical Experiments. Free | Info

Baltimore’s Stoop Storytelling is looking for storytellers

Amy Saidman — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 03:13:13 +0000

Baltimore has a Speakeasy-esque show, too, and they need storytellers. Below is a list of themes and dates for their next 4 shows. If you’d like to get in the show, send a few sentences about your idea to info@stoopstorytelling.com. If they do invite you to tell, please let us know, tell them SpeakeasyDC sent you, and include us in your bio.

Monday / October 18, 2010
Haunted: Stories of ghosts, regrets, and things from the past that won’t stay in the past

Monday / November 15, 2010
War Stories: Stories of skirmishes, battles, victories, and defeats

Monday / February 07, 2011
Gimme Shelter: Stories about finding, creating, and losing a home

Monday / April 25, 2011
Culture Shock: Stories about confronting the new, strange and often scary

Listen to stories from the first National Story Slam on WBEZ radio

Amy Saidman — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:24:45 +0000

Windy City Story Slam hosted the first-ever national story slam in Chicago, IL during the Printer’s Row Literary Festival on June 13, 2010. Ten cities were represented — Portland, OR; Minneapolis; Philly; Boston/Providence; Westcheser, PA; Chicago; San Francisco; Greenville, SC; Baltimore, and of course, DC. Each city brought one storyteller. Regie Cabico represented well for DC with a shortened version of his story from “Wetbacks, Aliens & Towelheads: Stories from the First Generation”. He came in second in both the judges favorite and audience favorite (beat out only slightly by the local Chicago teller). The winning story by Nancy Donavan was aired on WBEZ (Listen) Chicago and and two stories were posted on their website — Regie’s story and Michelle’s (Greenville) story about a “goat incident”. Both are hilarious. Listen.

Watch DC’s winning team at the First Person Arts Story Slam in Philly

Amy Saidman — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:12:54 +0000

This took place on April 17 2010. SpeakeasyDC went head-t0-head, toe-to-toe, story-to-story with Philadelphia’s team and we won! A Philly storyteller took home the prize of best individual story, but we one the team prize with Twain Dooley, Meredith Maslich, Christopher Love, and Stephanie Garibaldi. Watch the video here.

SpeakeasyDC goes to Nationals in Chicago – June 13

Amy Saidman — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:46:39 +0000

Windy City Story Slam hosts the first ever national story slam competition

On Sunday, June 13th, 3 PM, at the Harold Washington Library’s Pritzker Auditorium, witness the biggest literary showdown Chicago’s ever seen. Storytellers from across the country will come to the City of Big Shoulders to rep their hometown Slams and compete for the National title (and huge bragging rights). Regie Cabico will be SpeakeasyDC’s ringer for the evening, and will surely do right by DC in kicking some story-slamming buttocks. Other organizations and cities represented so far: Porchlight (SanFran), 1st Person Arts (Philly), Mass Mouth (Boston), Baltimore Stoop (MA), Portland Story Theatre (Portland, OR), Twin Cities Story Slam (Minn), and Anderson Story Slam (SC). This event is just one of many kick-ass literary offerings during the 2010 Chicago Tribune Printers Row Lit Fest. The show is free, but you can reserve your seat now here.