Write ups of the last couple of shows going up soon, but just a note to let you know that our final show of the year is
Tuesday November 25th @ The Garrison.
Same deal as usual: doors 7.15pm, show starts at 8, free entry.
More as it comes!
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Ghost Stories Told Live – Tues Oct 28th
27 SepJust a date for your diary:
On Tues Oct 28th, we are doing GHOST Stories Told Live. Some are true. Some are just super-spooky.
I just heard the first one (from Laura DiGirolamo) and it’s SO SCARY!! And hers is TRUE!!
More news about this show as it comes – or if you want notification in your inbox, click on this sentence to join the very infrequent mailing list.
Next show: Monday Sept 29th @ The Garrison
22 SepFingers crossed for a balmy September – let’s usher (“nyoo relAYshunshp”) in Autumn with a warm evening of listening to some True Stories.
TRUE STORIES TOLD LIVE
Mon Sept 29th @ The Garrison, Dundas St West @ Ossington Ave.
Doors open 7.15pm, stories start 8pm sharp.
(latecomers admitted very quietly)
We’ll finish around 10pm
FREE ENTRY (no tickets required)
Turns for this month:
Laila Gomes
Heather Farrell
Olivia Rafferty
Annie Sass
Zabrina Chevannes
Hosted by me, Marsha Shandur from YesYesMarsha.com
It’s a really lovely night. The stories can have a sweet effect and often stay with you for days afterwards. It’s the kind of night where you can come on your own with a book – people always do. Also, please consider taking part in the…
STORY DISCUSSION GROUP (Optional, in one corner)
Runs 7.20 – 7.50pm, then again during the intermission. A place to discuss storytelling in general, storytellers you know and hear or read.
If you want to come early and grab some food, The Lakeview diner (est 1932) is a few steps away, with the best shakes and sweet potato fries in Toronto. Also, The Garrison has TACOS.
Free entry. You’ll need to get there early to get a good seat (latecomers had to stand at the back)
See you there!
Marsha
PS there’s a Facebook event here, if you’d like to join or share it:
https://www.facebook.com/events/742142975845756/759898954070158
What’s it like to tell a story at True Stories Told Live Toronto?
15 AugEver wondered what it’s like to tell a story at True Stories Told Live?
Deborah-Ann Armstrong, who opened the last show, has written a lovely, short piece about it, here:
When I agreed to tell my story at True Stories Told Live, I didn’t anticipate just what this would mean.
The process of telling a story amongst a hundred other storytellers becomes more than the simple unfolding I expected. As you unravel the details of your story, everyone else becomes deeply woven in. As I spoke, I could feel the intensity of a hundred other people weaving that story with me. Together, we twist the threads of meaning and experience; me thinking of you, thinking of me, thinking of you, thinking…together we are creators of all that we know.
This is a process that is both exhilarating and comforting. Through storytelling, we make ourselves vulnerable. And, when we are vulnerable, others come to lie down with us. In our revealing, others lay themselves bare. We are all just animals with our bellies exposed. This is a truth so simple and yet so profound.
I left TSTL nourished and changed. The drinks are good, the jokes are good, and the existential awakening just can’t get any better.
– Deborah-Ann Armstrong
PS next show Monday 29th Sept at The Garrison!
Heads-up: Next show is Monday September 29th
12 AugWe’ll have full details up here soon, but just to let you know that the next show will be Monday September 29th at The Garrison, Dundas and Ossington, doors 7.15, show 8pm. Free entry as ever.
Report: True Stories Told Live by Firelight!
25 Jun
Paul Hutcheson’s story also took place as the sun went down!
True Stories Told Live hosted its first-ever TSTL By Firelight last week in Dufferin Grove — but we very nearly didn’t! On the Tuesday night, Marsha’s dream of a campfire-side TSTL were under threat: big, black, Old Testament clouds were looming over Toronto, and the city had been issued with a tornado warning. Ever the optimist, Marsha told us we’d wait to the last minute before cancelling, and sent round a message which essentially said, “What do you want your memoirs to say?”. Team TSTL weren’t going down that easy!
After a couple of tense hours with excessive window-watching, the torrential rain swept over downtown Toronto and then… it was gone. By 8:30pm, kindling was being assembled at the Dufferin Grove fire pit, and an impressive amount of hardcore True Stories Family members were getting comfy on the tarpaulin.
Storytelling favourite Sage Tyrtle spoke first, telling us about a childhood bus trip to Universal Studios where it was revealed that she and her peers would be facing the iconic Great White Shark, Jaws!
She and the other children on the bus managed to wrestle with their terror, thanks to an excellent mantra provided by her Dad. You can catch up with Sage’s goings-on over on her website (including the details of her latest AMAZING storytelling workshop which TSTL family can get discount on! See our FB group for more details): www.tyrtle.com
Becky Bays then came up and recounted her memorable experience of seeing Titanic for the first time… and her rowdy drunk “boyfriend” who got a bit over-excited about the sinking ship (whom she impersonated excellently). You can find Becky at www.beckybays.com
Our host Marsha herself then told us a hilarious and heart-warming story about her Russian grandmother’s last few days, and how they were some of the best she’d spent with family. It’s not normal for a story that partly takes place on a family member’s death bed to have people in stitches, but somehow Marsha managed to make that happen! You can find Marsha and her stellar networking tips, over at YesYesMarsha.com!
Kate Hodgson wasn’t on the bill, but Marsha pulled her out of the audience to tell us a story that I’m pretty sure we were all secretly envious of — telling us how she took action and eventually managed to work up the courage to speak to the handsome stranger she’d see on her walk through High Park every morning, involving an awkward Christmas card. Story aficionados should check out Kate Hodgson’s new show featuring true stories from the workplace, called 9 to 5 Narrative: 9to5narrative.com
Marilla Wex then took us back to her years with the National Youth Theatre and their trip to Moscow, including tales of her sort-of “first time” as well as her awkward brush with British royalty which had us all squeaking! Marilla Wex’s site is www.marillawex.com and you can catch her show in the fringe this year, more info at Marilla Wex in “Lost and Found” at the Toronto Fringe. [Note from Marsha: I’ve seen it, and it’s AMAZING!!]
Marsha then hopped up again to bring us some classic campfire fodder: a ghost story, which, I’ll ashamedly admit, sent me jumping about three feet in the air at the climax!
Sage then got back up, to tell us a local story about her time living just off of Dufferin Grove, and the woman who became a temporary resident of the park itself. Sage had us all captivated and clutching our hearts by the end of her tale.
Then Paul Hutcheson wrapped up the night’s storytelling with a dynamic recount of his trip to Australia, and his terrifying Close Encounters experience in the outback, which had us all perched on the edge of our tarpaulins, and of course, clutching our sides with laughter. You can find Paul on twitter @WogProductions and Facebook here.
By the end of the stories, the fire was in great form, and we busted out the marshmallows for toasting, just giving the night that extra bit of gooey, campfire authenticity!
Thank you so much to all of you who came — I’m sure you can agree it was a super-special evening (thanks to the Biblical storm beforehand as well!) and I’m sure we will be back in Dufferin Grove soon for another round of True Stories Told Live – By Firelight!
Our next show will be back in our usual spot of The Garrison, on Wednesday July 30th, 8pm. See you then!
Your Story Commander,
Olivia x
As you can see, we also had our youngest ever TSTL attendees – Rosie (9), Briar (6) and Robin (4 months!). Just behind them, was Nelly, our first ever TSTL dog-attendee.
Impromptu, secret(ish) show at Dufferin Grove Firepit, Tues 17th!
10 JunOn a bit of a whim, I’ve decided to have a show around the fire pit at Dufferin Grove.
We’re only legally allowed 50 people there, so I’ve not put posters up, and am only announcing it now. As we’re a bit tight for space, I’d hold off holding your Staff Summer Party at this one. But I’d love to see you there. All the storytellers are seasoned and brilliant – I’ll remind you of which you’ve seen before:
TRUE STORIES TOLD LIVE – BY FIRELIGHT
Tuesday 17th June @ Dufferin Grove Fire pit
Gather 7.30pm. STORIES START 8PM SHARP
FREE
Sage Tyrtle
Becky Bays
Clare Farmer
Marilla Wex
Paul Hutcheson
Hosted by me, Marsha Shandur
BYOM
(Bring Your Own Marshmallows)
(and byot – Bring Your Own Tarpaulin. But don’t byob – we don’t want to get shut down. Thanks!)
Limit: 50 people!
Here are those reminders:
Sage Tyrtle recently told the story of living in the yurt with her two year old – and will here, be telling a kid-friendly story.
Becky Bays will be telling one of my favourite True Stories OF ALL TIME. She’s a very funny lady.
Clare Farmer a few months ago, played guitar and told us the HILARIOUS story about singing at the wedding of her room-mate and the room-mates husband-slash-professor
Marilla Wex is one of the best storytellers I know and, if she’s telling the one I hope she is, has ROYALTY in her story
Paul Hutcheson at March’s TSTL told the story about the first visit to his sweetheart’s parents, and how his stomach didn’t agree with the evening, that had the whole of The Garrison literally SCREAMING with laughter.
See you there!
x
Report: True Stories Told Live, Tuesday April 29th
10 Jun(Photo to come!)
Stories not for the faint this month!
Bryan Spitz began with the astonishing story of how, aged 31 – and perfectly healthy – he had a heart attack. There were so many striking parts but the one that stood out for me was how surreal he found it, hearing distant ambulance sirens and knowing that they were coming for him.
Next, Rob Norman melted each of us (and made us snort laughing through our “aw”s) by telling us about his first big love crush – and how she reacted when he declared it to her. He’s now with someone else… though this first may have had an influence. You can find out more about his AMAZING comedy group, Mantown, at mantown.ca.
Our musical turn of the night was the magnetic Jeni Walls, who talked us through her first big musical crush and proper rock concert, and why Alanis is responsible for her current career choice. You can keep up with her shows by following her on twitter, here: @Jeni_Walls.
After the break, Erin Rodgers made the entire room simultaneously weep with laughter and fall wildly in love with her, as she relayed her attempts to haul herself out of depression by going to her first ever burlesque class. In sweatpants and two cardigans. While singing the Rocky theme song to herself. Erin runs AMAZING events and mixers, which you can learn more about at 42plusone.ca.
We topped the show with our first ever story that had a warning attached to it, for the squeamish or easily nauseated. Ted Morris told us the fascinating – and, let’s be honest, pretty gross – story about his summer spent working at a slaughterhouse. Thankfully, he avoided getting thrown in the blood pit. (There was a blood pit). Ted is also a WONDERFUL stand up – you can hear him telling more funny stories (many about his day job as a vet) here: tedmorris.ca.
The night, as ever, was hosted by me, Marsha.
Thanks so much to you lot for being such an awesome audience, truly the best one in Toronto. Thanks also for your game-ness when it came to taking part in one of my videos for YesYesMarsha.com. You can see yourself screaming about your Dork Goblin, here:
Next official show at The Garrison will be Wednesday July 30th at 8pm.
If you want to get notifications of the shows (and a reminder the day before), then you can join the (very infrequent) email list by clicking on this sentence.
You rule!
xMarsha
Next Show: Tuesday April 29th @ The Garrison!
4 AprLast show until July!
True Stories Told Live
Tuesday April 29th @ The Garrison, Dundas St W @ Ossington, just a few steps West of it.
Doors 7.15pm, (come early if you want a seat), stories start 8pm sharp.
(latecomers admitted very quietly)
7.20pm-7.55pm: Story Discussion Group (optional, in a small corner of the room). We discuss storytelling and related things. Anyone welcome, at any point during that time! It’ll then run again during the intermission.
FREE ENTRY (no tickets required)
Turns for this month:
Rob Norman
Erin Rogers
Jenni Walls
Brian Spitz
Ted Morris
Hosted by me, Marsha Shandur, of www.yesyesmarsha.com.
Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/387532061386303
Please do join our Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/truestoriestoronto
If you want to find out about each new show, I send emails no more than twice a month (and usually not that often). You can join the list for show reminders here: http://yym.ca/tstlto
See you there!
Marsha
Marsha Shandur onstage at True Stories Told Live, by Connie Tsang
True Stories Told Live Toronto 