Pitch your story

True, Live, Personal Stories (in 7 min or less)

Thanks for your interest in the SpeakeasyDC’s storytelling 2nd Tuesday Series (aka open mic). We couldn’t have a show without your courage and creativity.

Here’s what you need to know about telling stories on our stage. The mic is “open” insofar is anyone can sign up (which we encourage). That said, we will take into account a number of things when making a decision on the final lineup.

Some tips to bump up your competitive edge:

• Be sure that you are telling a true story – not doing stand-up, poetry, a reading, fiction, or folktales.
• Be sure that your story genuinely fits the theme of the night
• Take the time to make a strong story pitch that shows that you know what your story is about, what happens, and why an audience might want to hear it
• Make sure you are available for the rehearsal and show up
• Respect the time limit.
• We also tend to give priority to first-time performers.

Some things that may get in the way of being invited to perform:

• A history of withdrawing at last minute or not showing up to the rehearsal
• A history of being resistant to coaching or the parameters of the SEDC stage
• Being difficult to reach by phone or email and getting no response
• You have performed very recently in another SEDC show. (In order to give as many people as possible the opportunity to tell on our stage, we ask that people do not sign up for two consecutive months.)
• You have never seen an SEDC show or similar  storytelling performance and therefore may lack understanding about what is expected on SEDC stage

Getting on the Stage

All good? Ready to go? Great, here’s the process for getting on the stage.

1. Check your calendar to make sure you’re available for the performance and the mandatory rehearsal. See schedule below.
2. Fill out the form below.
3. Call 202-630-9549 to leave a 2-minute voicemail description of your story.
4. Expect notification about one month prior to the show about whether you’ve been selected
5. If invited, attend the mandatory rehearsal.
6. Show up to the show a half-hour early and rock the open mic.
7. Contact the open mic coordinator at stephanie@speakeasydc.org if you have questions or have not heard from her within 2 weeks of your expected performance.

Rehearsal Schedule

Rehearsals are held on Sundays from 3-6pm at St. Stephen’s Church, 1525 Newton St, NW 20010.

Sign Up Form

**Please note: We will not receive your request if you do not complete all the required steps. When filling out the form be sure to select the appropriate theme from the drop-down box, include all required information, check all the required boxes, fill in the spam protector word, and hit “send your information”.

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