tapilipa Getty Images/iStockphoto
475951078
Sketch microphone on a white background with blots
“Story. Stage. You.” The succinct motto of Milwaukee’s original storytelling organization, Ex Fabula, says it all. Since its 2009 founding by Adam Weise, Amy Schleicher, Leah Delaney, Matt Sabljak and Megan McGee, Ex Fabula has worked to provide an ever-expanding range of events, workshops and inter-organization collaborations that foster organic storytelling by community members of all backgrounds and experience levels. Coming up next in the organization’s ninth season is a large-scale event titled “Risking It” coming to the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center (SMPAC).
The core requirement for all stories shared at Ex Fabula’s events is that they be true and personal. Participants use a simple central theme to guide their idea-generation process, and formats take a broad range at storytelling events, or “StorySlams,” as Ex Fabula terms them. Just a few of these formats are: “Solo,” in which an individual is allotted five minutes to relate a personal tale of interest; “Rashomon,” in which two storytellers tell their separate versions of the same story in 10 minutes; and “UltraShort,” a written story from one to five lines long that an audience member writes during a Slam and submits to be read anonymously.
Asked about Ex Fabula’s diverse offerings outside of the regular season of Slams, co-founder Megan McGee lists Ex Fabula Radio (weekly on 89.7 WUWM); the Puente Project (a bilingual English-Spanish storytelling initiative); Equal Access Project (for individuals with disabilities); and Fellowship (which uses stories to inspire conversation and action related to race and equity issues). She notes, “We also do dozens of smaller collaborations each year. For example, in September, we worked with the Chipstone Foundation and Milwaukee Art Museum to present a curated StorySlam inspired by the Rashid Johnson exhibit and the ‘Dave Project’ gallery. We also taught workshops for Veritas High School and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.”
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
‘Fiercely Local’ Talent at International Touring Venue
Ex Fabula is always seeking new collaborators, and the Friday, Nov. 17, event at SMPAC marks the first time the two organizations have worked together. “When Rachel [Sorce, SMPAC’s executive director] contacted me about hosting a Slam there, I thought it was a great fit for Ex Fabula. Many of their performances feature touring artists, but they always have at least one local performer—and Ex Fabula is fiercely local! Plus, we love bringing new voices to the stage, so I was glad to hear that they were interested in having workshops prior to the StorySlam.” She explains that the event’s theme, “Risking It,” was chosen “because it has a bit of drama and suggests that something is at stake—both great qualities in a story.”
This event is billed as a “curated StorySlam,” meaning that the first-time tellers included were chosen through a public storytelling workshop at SMPAC as well as a student workshop held at South Milwaukee High School. The latter involved three days’ work with Ex Fabula storytelling coach Nelson López to help students identify and structure their own “Risking It” stories, give one another feedback and practice storytelling sans notes.
A few Ex Fabula regulars are also on the docket for Nov. 17. In this category, McGee highlights Peter May, an Ex Fabula volunteer who has won the “Audience Favorite” storytelling award, and also performed and offered a workshop at SMPAC in the past with a capella group, Six Appeal.
Asked how community members can get involved with the organization, McGee recommends Ex Fabula’s monthly StorySlams as an entry point. As she explains, “Any attendee can put their name in the hat for a chance to tell a story onstage, and we do several drawings with just the first-time tellers in order to ensure that we’re hearing new voices.” If telling a five-minute story onstage seems too daunting, attendees also have the option of submitting an “UltraShort” to be read onstage.
“Of course,” McGee continues, “some people just come to listen, and that’s an equally important component of our events. And there are other ways to get involved too, such as participating in projects like Equal Access, volunteering, listening to our radio show or even bringing Ex Fabula programs to work, school or community groups. All the details are at exfabula.org.”
“Risking It” takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, 901 15th Ave. For tickets, call 414-766-5049 or visit southmilwaukeepac.org/event/exfabula/.
