Elizabethtown Gets Their Own Storytime!

Bell Fire Arts Collective Brings SpeakEazy Storytelling to the Social Center

ELIZABETHTOWN, NY – So you think you know your neighbor?  You’ll be surprised to hear stories you’d never expect - from people you think you know!  Join Mac Macdevitt and Loree Griffin Burns of Bellfire Arts for Elizabethtown’s first ever SpeakEazy storytelling evening.  Come tell a story of your own or just listen to others. Stories can be heartwarming, hilarious, or anywhere in between. Come with a carefully written story or tell that rambling story about the fish that got away. As Mac says “My co-hosts and I tell people that every story is perfect. It takes courage to stand up in front of a group and speak – whether your story is simply amusing or deeply personal. We promise to be obnoxiously supportive." 

Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 26th from 6:45 to 9:00 PM at the Elizabethtown Social Center (7626 US-9).

The SpeakEazy experience goes beyond just the telling. Mac describes the fundamentals of a SpeakEazy, "As each teller approaches the stage, we slow clap them up, until the audience explodes into a frenzy of clapping as they reach the microphone." Each person gets no more than seven minutes to tell their story. After the event, people often stick around, sharing how stories personally connected with them.

Regular storyteller Heather Maxey calls open mic storytelling "a true highlight of my month. We get to peek into each other's lives, learning about everything from growing the perfect tomato to the feeling of driving off a bridge during an earthquake… we discover the richness of experience through the simple act of telling stories."

For those worried about stage fright, fellow teller Colin Powers offers reassurance: "My comfort level talking in front of a group went up surprisingly quickly. After just one story my adrenaline didn't go through the roof."   

Come ready to listen, perhaps share your story, and definitely connect with your community in a whole new way!

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, June 26th

• Time: 6:45 - 9:00 PM

• Location: Elizabethtown Social Center, 7626 US-9, Elizabethtown

• Cost: Free and open to all

• Story Length: 7 minutes maximum

• Hosts: Loree Burns and Mac MacDevitt

Media Contact:
Bell Fire Arts Collective
https://www.bellfirearts.org/

About Bell Fire Arts Collective:
Bell Fire Arts Collective brings community-centered arts programming to the North Country, fostering connection through creative expression and storytelling.