by Jack Uslabar
Tonight’s StorySlam takes place in the backroom of Dandy, an antique store and event space on the corner of Vliet St. and 50th Pl. The space is eclectic: a wooden basketball hoop hangs over a room decorated wall to wall with assorted antique couches, lamps, and rugs. Vintage books and potted plants cover every surface. Behind the stage, a disco ball sparkles above an old piano next to a yellowed byobu.
It’s fitting that tonight’s slam, Growing Pains, is taking place in a room that celebrates the continued life of antiques. It’s fitting as well that the space is filled with members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, a continuing education program from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, writing UltraShorts and signing up to take the mic, many for the first time: a reminder that growth never stops.
Emcees Joel Dresang and Mark Weinberg take the stage and welcome everybody to the StorySlam, give a reminder that we are on indigenous land, and explain the format of the evening.
With a welcoming round of applause, Tony Anderson is the first storyteller to take the mic. Tears well in his eyes as he details his relationship with his deceased brother, from a youthful idolization to loving him as an imperfect person.
Next up is Tracy Stockwell, who opens her piece with an a capella version of Lauryn Hill’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” before launching into a side-splitting story about crashing the Milwaukee Mile.
Finishing off the first set is Dan Lococo, whose story about finding their identity as a blind person through skiing touches the audience all the way to its hilarious conclusion.
Following a brief intermission, Lindsay Galan-Skinner (Whim) comes up first in the newbie round, telling the audience about finding themselves as an artist through Wales, backpacking, and chance.
After a quick shout-out from the emcees to Ex Fabula’s sponsors, Anne Miller-Gurneau regales the time she took her teenage daughter scuba diving and lost her briefly in the process.
Elise Riepenhoff finishes off the second round, recounting her confusion when she learned “the facts of life” as a nine-year-old, trying to make sense of them with her experiences growing up in a conservative Christian household.
In a shocking twist, the third set of the night also consists of three newbies. Janet Grau is the first in the final round, sharing a story about a road trip she took in Texas during the 70s and the odd, bat-bashing first job that one of her classmates had.
I (Jack Uslabar) am the next up, sharing a story about the time I baffled my elementary school guidance counselor by saying I wanted a lifetime supply of moonshine.
Julie Cole is up next, finishing the night with a story about the insecurity that came with her growth spurt in the sixth grade and finding a kindred spirit in everyone’s favorite reindeer, Rudolph.
At the end of the night Tracy Stockwell is crowned the audience favorite for the passionate retelling of her epic escapade at the Milwaukee Mile, and she caps the night off with a short speech thanking everyone.
* * *
Tonight’s slam was a bit unusual as, instead of the traditional three newbies, six storytellers took the mic for the first time. Perhaps this is fitting for an event with a theme of growth, a point made even more poignant by repeated allusions— by the emcees and a few storytellers— to the precariousness of the world today.
The slam was a perfect encapsulation of the night’s theme, bringing people together to grow as a community despite the hardships everyone is facing, and that’s what all of the stories told tonight were about: they were not anecdotes of growing with pain, but growing in spite of it.
Upcoming Ex Fabula events:
AfterDark: For The Culture
A Competitive StorySlam Elevating Black and Brown Voices
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
Time: Doors open at 6pm, stories begin at 7pm
Location: Radio Milwaukee, 220 E Pittsburgh Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53204
Cost: $12 advance / $15 at the door / Limited pay-it-forward tickets available
Tickets: https://www.exfabula.org/product/afterdark-for-the-culture-4-9/
Teen StorySlam: And I Oop!
Celebrating the Voices of Our Community’s Young People
Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026
Time: Doors open at 5pm, stories begin at 5:30pm
Location: Greenfield Public Library, 5310 W Layton Ave, Greenfield, WI 53220
Cost: Free!
Tickets: https://www.exfabula.org/product/teen-storyslam-4-16/
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