JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County Library’s “Cabin Fever Story Slam” returns for the 50th time tomorrow night at The Virginian Lodge. Beginning at 7 p.m., the theme for the evening is “the story you’ve been wanting to tell.”
The popular community event offers storytellers the chance to share their personal, true tales and compete for prizes.
Storytellers who wish to compete throw their names into a bucket upon arrival at the venue, and if their names are chosen, they’re charged with telling true, personal, five-minute stories relating to the theme. A panel of judges awards prizes to their top three storytellers at the end of the evening.
“The theme for our 50th story slam is basically wide open, and we’ve posted the list of the previous 49 competitions for inspiration,” says Leah Shlachter, library Adult Program Coordinator. “When we held the first slam at Pinky G’s pizzeria in January 2015, we had no idea the event would grow into a community institution with attendance numbering in the 200s. It floors us that all ages of people come out to tell stories–and that the audience listens so respectfully.”
Shlachter credits emcee Jeff Moran for the supportive atmosphere of the programs; he warms up the audience each time with a story of his own that relates to the theme of the night. “Jeff understands the art of storytelling,” says Shlachter. “He shares great details and weaves in humor that often makes fun of himself, establishing a safe environment for the storytellers who follow him to be vulnerable.”
After outgrowing Pinky G’s, the story slam moved to Pink Garter Theater for several years, also hosting an all-stars event at the Center and offering outdoor story slams in the summer months. During the pandemic lock-down, the story slams moved online, then returned to an in-person format in November 2021. The Pink Garter closure led to the trial of new venues and the Virginian Lodge conference room as the current home of the event.
Details about how to compete, examples of previous stories, and a list of all the past themes can be found at tclib.org/storyslam.
No story to tell? Audience members can participate by contributing mad libs that Moran reads aloud between stories.
Library programs are free and open to the community with support from your donations, large and small, to the Teton County Library Foundation and Friends.
