Oh yeah! Ex Fabula’s first story slam of Season Six brought us back to the Times Cinema. The packed house was treated to a true mix of tales pertaining to the theme of Crossing Over. Dasha Kelly and Leah Delaney, such a vibrant pair those two, shared emcee duties, laughs and UltraShorts throughout the evening. 

First to the stage was Anja Notanja. Her tale of two cities spring break quest included vegan friends, fast food and a nice moonlit trip to a cemetery that was prison adjacent. After Anja, the crowd and stage were blessed with stories from newbies (Yeah!). Jennifer Hoepner shared how it felt to transition from the meek to the mighty when standing up to a bully in third grade. No one should be denied the joys of jumping rope. Fellow first timer Peter Woods’ story of just barely crossing over the Canadian border was a treat. A van, a band, a sword, a flare gun attached to a T-shirt and a very poorly mislabeled box? Nothing too out of the ordinary here folks.

After a brief intermission, there were more stories from first timers. John Bedalov took to the stage reminiscing about a business trip to India, complete with a sweet hotel and not so sweet car ride. Tuesday Morn’s narrative of how a terrible accident enhanced her life hushed the crowd. As did Jonathon Gorton’s eerie tale of an unknown dying woman who seemed to know intimate details concerning his health.

Libby Wissing kicked off the last segment of the evening. Her hilarious tale about the seriously awkward joys of student teaching abroad brought out the middle school kid most of us suppress. Ahh, New Zealand (blank). Brooke Maroldi’s raw story of self examination and resentment after a health scare appeared to have struck a chord within the audience. Last, but certainly not least, up to the mic was new comer Nancy, no last name. She shared a touching tale of female cousins bonding and a surreal dream involving a deceased loved one.

Votes were collected and counted. The audience was warmed with a tale of love & patience; of crossing boarders and boundaries, courtesy of guest duo Jose Fernando Gutierrez and Matt Shreck. In the end congratulations were in order for Brooke Maroldi. Way to go!

It was a wonderful evening! Thanks to all of our storytellers for braving the stage and sharing. Thanks to Leah and Dasha for being such wonderful emcees. Special thanks to the evening’s sponsor, Meritage, as well as the Times Cinema. Ex Fabula appreciates all of its members, volunteers & sponsors for their continued support and contributions in helping to further build the community. We look forward to seeing you all as this season is only just beginning!