As part of every Drunken Telegraph show, after the featured storytellers, audience members are invited to take the stage and share their own five-minute story on the theme. Five minutes isn’t a long time, and sometimes people go a wee bit over. (If Megan Sukys, the timekeeper, is caught up in the story, she might forget the clock.)
Following our Crossing The Threshold show, we heard six totally different reactions to the six mainstage storytellers. Remember, most people are telling a story straight from their heart, with no practice or prep time.
Brook West &
ASL Interpreter Jane Brazell
Brook West, Working Title
With a little help from paper plate notes, Brook West shared a beautifully crafted story about her path her from secret doodles of Special Agent Dana Scully to a public declaration of love to her partner.
Michael Smith
Michael Smith, Mormon Mission
The Mt. Rainier backdrop reminded Michael Smith of a similar mountain in South America, a place where he came to grips with what he could change about his life – and what he couldn’t.
Pat “A” + B. Gallagher
Pat “A” + B. Gallagher, Embracing the Second Rainbow
Our Mt. Rainier set also brought back memories for Pat, who started off by leading the crowd in an old Rainier Beer tag line. Then, Pat shared insight from living in-between the extremes of pink and blue, and thriving in the vast middle ground of purple.
Jarrette Bowen
Jarrette Bowen, How Many Times Does It Take To Come Out?
Jarrette’s story echoed a recurring theme from Crossing The Threshold, trying to reconcile his identity with his family’s religious beliefs.
Sandy King
Sandy King, Ask The Questions
A big rule for Drunken Telegraph is “No Notes”, but the audience response/story slam is a “No Rules” kind of time. Sandy King prepared a provocative, fast-paced account of coming to understand and empathize with a new transgender neighbor.
Sega Kaposi &
ASL Interpreter Lori Moriarity
Sega Kaposi, The Incredible Life
Our youngest storyteller, Sega was moved to share how she came to understand her younger brother, who is transgender and currently transitioning to become Sega’s younger sister. It’s hard to translate intense emotion to words, and Sega showed bravery to publicly open up about her struggle and love.
PHOTOS: Scott Haydon