Told is a live storytelling event.

We organize and run live storytelling shows in the Cleveland area.

Told #17: Twist of Fate

Prepare for anything to happen on November 9th at 7pm. We’ll meet at Market Garden Brewery in the Harbor/Spirits room, which we will open up at 6pm before the show.

On the eve of a job interview, you set your alarm clock early to beat traffic. How could you have accounted for the nail that lodges in your tire? Then the good Samaritan who stops to help you extends her hand and says her name, which just happens to be the name of the woman interviewing you in twenty minutes. Fate capriciously toys with all, sometimes bailing us out of a jam, sometimes jamming challenges down our throats. Audience members can expect a roller-coaster of near-misses and unexpected hits on Nov 9th at Told #17: Twist of Fate.

Our featured storytellers for Told #17 are KC McKenna, Lee Chilcote, and more to come. As always, we expect to hear many stories from audience members.

All audience members are welcome (but not required) to prepare a story on the theme and put their names in the bucket for a chance to tell their tales. Stories should be under 6 minutes, true, and have yourself as a central character. Run through your story for a friend, a pet, or a Told staff member for extra practice. Check out our page on storytelling advice for more. Let us know if you want to toss your name in, though advanced noticed is not required.

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Summer Workshops and Shows

We have several workshops and shows around Cleveland.

June 21, 6pm – 8pm Neighbor Up University Skill Share Told will partner with Neighbor Up and the Cleveland Association of Black Storytellers for a workshop covering the basics of storytelling. Location: Neighborhood Connections Office at 5000 Euclid Avenue

June 28, 7pm – 9pm Transformation with Neighbor Up Join Neighbor Up members and hear their stories of transformation at Told CLE: Transformation, a live storytelling event. Then volunteer to tell your own. Location: Happy Dog at Euclid Tavern

July 6, 7pm – 9pm Toldcraft: Finding and Fostering Your Story In this workshop, participants will engage in brainstorm activities to build story ideas and then workshop their stories in a supportive environment. Storytelling Week will culminate with a storytelling showcase on Saturday, 7/9 from 6-7 pm (participants are encouraged to attend). Location: Lake Erie Ink, 2843 Washington Blvd., Cleve. Hts. Register here

July 9, 6pm – 7pm Storytelling Week Showcase This open mic event will feature participants from the week’s workshops. Location: Grog Shop

July 27, 7:30pm Behind the Music: Cleveland Stories Music Box is hosting a panel of well-known Cleveland musicians who have spent many years in Cleveland’s Music Scene. They know the ins, the outs, the highs and the lows. They’ll delve into their personal history and experiences with music in Cleveland.  Attendees will hear how these artists got started, what the early years were like, and what it was like to juggle a day job while chasing their dreams of music. Admission is free, but registration is required here.

Told #16: Center Stage

Storytellers will tread the floorboards at Mahall’s with special help from friends of the Beck Center for the Arts on June 8th at 7pm with doors opening at 6pm.

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely storytellers,” or something like that. As players, we find ourselves the center of attention at one time or another–intentionally or not. After moments of hubris, we may realize that the attention we sought only backfired, revealing our weaknesses. During times of humility, the spotlight finds reluctant players from whom the rest of us can learn. Expect calculated, accidental, and cathartic moments in the spotlight at Told #16: Center Stage.

This show is presented in partnership with the Beck Center for the Arts. The show is open to the public, and we’re excited to welcome alumni of Beck Center programs especially.

Our featured storytellers for Told #16 are Beck Center alumni Rachele Alpine, Nick Castele, and Rachel Spence. As always, we expect to hear many stories from audience members. Dave Sabol will host.

All audience members are welcome (but not required) to prepare a story on the theme and put their names in the bucket for a chance to tell their tales. These true stories should be under 6 minutes and feature yourself as a central character. Run through your story for a friend, a pet, or a Told staff member for extra practice. Check out our page on storytelling advice for more. Let us know if you want to toss your name in, though advanced noticed is not required.

Told #15: Family Ties

The Told Cleveland family will join together once again on May 17th at 7pm for another evening of stories at Market Garden Brewery in the Harbor/Spirits room, which we will open up at 6pm before the show.

As we all learned from Michael Corleone, Don’t ever take sides, with anyone, against the family. But there’s the family that raises you and then there’s the family you create as you break off from the proverbial tree and make your own path among the branches. Some families are built by blood while others prove that water can, indeed, be thicker. Whether it’s a silly childhood argument among siblings, an embarrassing in-law introduction, or a heartbreaking history that leaves gaps in our genealogy, expect to hear stories of all variations on familial bonds at Told #15: Family Ties.

Our featured storytellers for Told #15 are Scott Hicken and Kendra Proctor. As always, we expect to hear many stories from audience members. Jill Grunenwald will host.

Hunger: A Storytelling Show

Satisfy your appetite for a good story on April 12th at 7pm. We will gather at Packy Malley’s on Waterloo in Collinwood to support the Greater Cleveland Food Bank.

Everyone has cravings. Whether they are for Girl Scout cookies or a meaningful existence, cravings represent gaps in our hearts, both tiny and huge. The least fortunate find that without basic hunger satisfied, it’s a challenge to work on the big picture, to satisfy existential cravings, to dream big. Stories about every kind of hunger—from an empty stomach to satiating the soul—will be on tap at Hunger: A Storytelling Show.

Our featured storytellers for this show are TBA.

A $10 suggested donation at the door will benefit the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s Harvest for Hunger campaign.

ToldCast: Amanda Hicken

Amanda followed her heart through a tragic loss to find her sole mate. Recorded at Told#13 on February 10, 2016 at Market Garden Brewery.

Told #14: Transformation

Step out of your winter cocoon and into spring on March 30th at 7pm for an evening of transformative storytelling. We’ll meet around warm friends and brews at Market Garden Brewery in the Harbor/Spirits room, which we will open up at 6pm before the show.

Many say that every story marks the boundary between two states of mind in the storyteller–the one before the story’s events and the one after. In the most substantial or trivial of moments, our lives make a bend down a path that is changed forever. The birth of your child may have been a three-point turn, while your 4th birthday party was a mere lane-change, forever altering the way you look at clowns. Expect to hear about many moments turning one way or the other at Told #14: Transformation.

Our featured storytellers for Told #14 are Nick Brilla and Paige Boyer . As always, we expect to hear many stories from audience members. Dave Sabol will host.

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ToldCast: Ellie

Ellie – I Can’t Get It Nearer to Me

This story from Ellie is produced by Jeffrey Miller. Ellie explores early memories of a lost sibling and tries to understand what place he holds in her life now and since.

Told #13: Follow Your Heart

Regardless of whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s Day, or Singles Awareness Day, you’ll want to join us on February 10th at 7pm for our 13th evening of storytelling, which will center around the theme Follow Your Heart. After a successful trip to the east side, we will be returning to Market Garden Brewery and the Harbor/Spirits room, which we will open up at 6pm before the show.

Told13

The heart can be a fickle creature but following it can often bring you immense joy and happiness. Sometimes you gain new adventures in undiscovered cities, a lifetime of happiness nestled in the safe cocoon of adoration. But just as often, following your heart means protecting it, leaving lovers and jobs behind as you leap blindly into the great unknown. From stories of blossoming love to travels down roads best left untaken, we hope you’ll follow your own heart and join us for Told #13: Follow Your Heart.

Our featured storytellers for Told #13 are married couple Amanda Hicken and Matt Heyman. As always, we expect to hear many stories from audience members. This will also be the debut of previous Told storyteller Jill Grunenwald in her new role as co-producer and host.

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2015 in Review

Happy New Year from Told! As people take a moment to reflect on the past year and plan for the next, we’d like to think that your highs and lows have and will be defined by inspiring, funny, and human stories. Hopefully you have benefitted from hearing a good tale at a Told event or on the podcast–or maybe you have benefitted from telling one!

Over 60 stories have been shared at live Told events in 2015, and about 24 have been shared over the podcast. Check out a special Best of 2015 podcast episode we posted that features some of our favorite stories from the year. If you haven’t yet, give us a review in the iTunes store–this helps tremendously with visibility.

In 2016, Told will see some exciting changes. Jill Grunenwald has been a Told storyteller both as a feature and audience volunteer. In 2016, she will come aboard as a co-producer of live events. She and Dave will alternate hosting and curating duties for all live events. They will also both curate the podcast. In addition to telling stories at Told, Keep Talking, and Story Club Cleveland, Jill is a blogger and podcaster in her own right. Jill is developing her podcast, Running with Police Escort, into a book to be published by Skyhorse Publishing in 2017.

We will continue with our live events this year, starting with Told #13 on February 10 at Market Garden Brewery. Info on the theme and featured storytellers will roll out soon. Check the Cleveland storytelling calendar for tentative dates on all our 2016 shows as well as dates for all the storytelling shows in the area.

If your organization would like to partner with Told for a special event, let us know! We have had great success hosting events in many capacities, and our format is highly customizable to your needs.

As always, we want to help you tell your story. If you have a story to tell, contact us to help you craft your story and then get it out in our live shows or podcast.

Thanks! Resolve to create some inspiring stories in 2016!