Pocket Calliope
Whitewater, Wisconsin
Swearing Audience InteractionThe Buzz Intro Interview
Sarah Beth Nelson, co-creator and performer
1. Why should people see your show?
We are telling the story of what one of the most popular forms of oral storytelling in America is like today. This is part of the research and dissemination process, and it is entertainment. Open mic storytelling is referenced and sometimes poked fun at in popular culture, such as the TV shows Girls, Casual, The Sex Lives of College Girls and Difficult People. Even those who don’t participate in open mic storytelling themselves, may know something about it, and the stereotypes associated with it. We are having fun. We are spilling the tea. Ironically and mind-bendingly, we are also doing it through storytelling.
On a more serious note, open mic storytelling has great potential for building community and helping participants feel less alone in their life’s struggles. However, as stages become hotter and shows expect more from amateur storytellers, they may do unintended harm. This is a message we would like to get out there, to help producers think about how they are designing their open mic shows, and help storytellers think about where they want to share their stories. In our increasingly divided society, we need places to connect and to be heard without judgement.
2. What about festivals intrigues you? And why the Atlanta Fringe?
I am intrigued by all the weird things performers come up with when they are given an hour and a stage. Although I live in Wisconsin now, I'm from the Atlanta area, so performing in the Atlanta Fringe is "coming home." Some of the research this performance is based on was conducted with the Atlanta open mic show, Carapace and I'm especially excited about opportunity to share this show with that community.
3. What inspired you to create this?
I am a professor of library and information science. I use the method of performance ethnography to study information practices in the American open mic storytelling movement. Part of the performance ethnography method is sharing research findings through performance, so that's what I'm doing! I was inspired by all of the shows I've visited, people I've interviewed, and stories I've heard.
