SpeakeasyDC: Maybe one day...

SpeakeasyDC. Simple concept: Step up to the microphone and tell a story. But, it is not so simple knowing the time and effort people put in to perfecting their storytelling craft to be a part of this group. I am thoroughly impressed with the talent and confidence the people involved in SpeakeasyDC have in telling a story, and telling it well, to a 100-plus person audience. The stories are real and usually very relatable. The ticket to attend only costs between $10 and $15 and is a great way to spend an evening with friends and simply be entertained. Every month there is a themed SpeakeasyDC storytelling night usually held at Town Danceboutique. One by one people step on to stage and tell us, the audience, a story based on that evening’s theme. To quote their website directly: “Our mission is to give voice to people’s life experiences, support artistic expression, build community, and contribute to DC’s cultural capital and creative economy by promoting and teaching the art of autobiographical storytelling. Since time immemorial, storytelling has served to entertain, teach, touch and capture the human experience.”

Now to go back to the location, yes, the performances are held at “the largest gay nightclub in Washington, DC” So, not having been there on a weekend night yet, I am going to assume that the stage that holds the storyteller and a microphone transforms into a dance platform/stage on the weekends. Next goal is to hit up Town when it is actually a weekend night and experience the dance party scene which I hear is a must (especially for me). But this is definitely a more subdued evening, and the dance floor is filled with chairs facing the stage and plush couch-like seating around the perimeters.

The SpeakeasyDC events are well-attended therefore, arrive early. It is a bar so you can throw your coat on a seat or in my case ten seats, grab a drink from the bar and eat your dinner, read a book or make new friends. Town does not have a kitchen so you have to bring with you, but I find that more enjoyable. Also, the bar usually arranges for a food truck to be right outside its doors for those who forget to bring in their own food.

Bottom line, this is a D.C. gem and highly entertaining. I have always enjoyed live show with unknown talent and the stories I have heard at SpeakeasyDC more often than not, make me laugh. This group/show definitely impressed and was well worth the ticket price. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll get up on stage to tell one of my many embarrassing stories…