Arctic Entries - Anchorage Story Telling

I'd heard about this project before, so when I got the email about Monday night's story telling I wanted to go.  But we also wanted to see the German movie playing at Bear Tooth - Soul Kitchen.  It looked like we could do both.  Soul Kitchen was ok, but nothing special.  But it got out at 7:15 pm which gave us time to boogie down to Cyrano's for the story telling.

So, here's their deal:

What’s Your Story?

In the spirit of “This American Life” and other urban storytelling events, Arctic Entries brings Alaskans to the stage to share their personal stories, funny, sad, and sweet. At each performance, 7 people each tell a 7-minute true story relating to this show’s theme, along with performances by local musicians. Let Arctic Entries warm you with great homegrown stories. Monthly performances from September-May at Cyrano’s Off-Center Playhouse in Anchorage.

Proceeds benefit the homeless.  Supported by the Storytellers’ Guild of Anchorage.

Dr. David Baines

 Stories are powerful and if you have a good story that you really believe in, it will be compelling for the audience.  And these were.

Max Rafferty

• Wayne Johnson •  how he got into fencing.  
• David Baines, who was a late replacement, • medivacing a patient out of Dutch Harbor.  
• Jeff Ellis • being a wax technician for the Australian cross country ski team at the Vancouver winter Olympics.  
• Dave Rittenberg • his last day at work at an Appleby's in New Hampshire.  
• Regan Brooks • the only time she [Update Sept 10, 2015:  I'm getting rid of the original language here at Regan's request because people are finding it on google and not actually looking at the post and in her current career, it's causing problems, because, as I said in the earlier update, it isn't what it appears. deleted, deleted, deleted] [UPDATE April 27, 2011:  Future employers - this isn't exactly what it sounds like, so if you're concerned, ask her about it in the interview]
• A psychiatrist named Kennedy was recruited from the audience to replace one of the story tellers whose back had gone out •  treating a patient with the Vines.   
• Max Rafferty •  his efforts to build morale (mostly his own it seems) at a tech company in the early 1990s. 

 As you can see, the intimate space at Cyrano's was packed - they even had people sitting on pillows in front of the front row.

The next one (from their website again):

Monday, December 13th at 7:30pm at Cyrano’s Off-Center Playhouse, $7 tickets at the door
“The Holidays” – Stories of the families we choose, the ones we don’t, the traditions we celebrate, and the festivities of the season
Storytellers TBA

This is live entertainment for less than the price of a movie.  And it was really an optional donation so people who really (that means you don't have lattes every day) can't afford it.  The proceeds go to help the homeless.