There’s a little ditty in the play Avenue Q called “Schadenfreude.” It’s one of those, funny-because-it’s-true songs, about taking pleasure in the misfortune of others. Well, last week I was having one of those days where nothing seems to go right and I was just in an all around crummy mood and feeling sorry for myself. So when I discovered that SpeakeasyDC was hosting an open mic event called “Rock Bottom: Stories about falling flat, bombing out, and bouncing back” somewhere in my head a little Gary Coleman-esque voice began to sing, “and when I see how sad you are, it sort of makes me…Happy!”
SpeakeasyDC has been hosting Open Mic nights on the 2nd Tuesday of every month, since 1997. They have jumped around a bit, hosting at the Black Cat and HR57, before settling in a Station9 (1438 U street) just about 2 years ago. Every month 8-10 storytellers take the mic to tell an original tale based on their life experiences, always to the tune of a different theme.
Open mic night with SpeakeasyDC isn’t your traditional open mic night in the sense that story tellers sign up ahead of time and are required to participate in a coaching session before hitting the stage. However, for those that prefer a more off-the-cuff approach, there is an opportunity to sign up for a three minute “live-wire” slots, time-permitting, to tell a story at the end of the night. This time around we heard about 13 stories (including a couple live wires) ranging from, blowing it on a Public Access TV dating show, to watching a divorce turn one’s life into a soap opera, to a confrontation with a goose that led to an unhealthy addiction with daytime television (my personal favorite!) Story continues after the jump. (more…)
