Seemed like a great idea at the time? Ex Fabula wants to hear it!

You’ve planned, you’ve envisioned and you’ve fantasized about that moment. You were sure it was going to work out just as you had hoped….What happened? Did it turn out as planned? Tell your true story -or just come to listen- at the next Ex Fabula event at 8 pm on Tuesday April 12th at The Bay View Brewhaus, 2535 S. Kinnickinnic Avenue. The night’s theme is Theory and Practice.

Think your true, personal story is so “out there” that no one would believe you, or so universal that everyone will feel like they’ve been there? Come to Ex Fabula! Dozens of people will be there to lend their ears and their support as you share your very own story on stage.  Those who are interested in vying for a storytelling spot on Tuesday April 12th should put their names in the hat by 7:45 pm. Would-be storytellers should prepare stories that tie into the night’s theme. Be sure to practice reciting your tale before the event (friends and pets make for a great audience). On stage, you must tell your story without notes and within five-minutes– there will be a cut-off cue if a story runs over the time limit.  The audience favorite of the night will have the opportunity to tell a story at the ALL STARS event in early June.

Speaking of ALL STARS, Ex Fabula fans should go to http://www.pabsttheater.org/show/exfabulaallstars and purchase their tickets for Ex Fabula ALL STARS, which will take place at Turner Hall on Thursday June 2nd. This event will feature brand new, ten-minute stories told by favorite storytellers as voted by audience members from our past monthly events.

Keeping within the theme of the evening, Secrets and Lies, Ex Fabula will also reveal a secret of its own: the trailer for a special, upcoming storytelling project starring a notable, terminal Milwaukeean. Put an excellent theory to practice and don’t miss the ALL STARS event!

For more information about Ex Fabula, go to www.ExFabula.com.

Announcing Our Events on November 9th and December 11th!

Whoaaaa Nelly! Ex Fabula is back in a big way! The second season kicked off in style at Stonefly Brewery on Oct. 13 with an incredible lineup of stories—including nine from audience volunteers. Ex Fabula’s second event of this season will be Tuesday, November 9^that Bay View Brew Haus. The theme: “Neighbors.” Expect hours of entertainment starting at 8pm for just $5 at the door!

And since we’re nary days away from the joyless ubiquity of Christmas music flooding the airwaves entirely too early, let’s announce something you can actually look forward to this holiday season: Ex Fabula will be returning to Turner Hall on December 11^th at 8pm for its first ever December Spectacular, themed “Gifts.” The evening will feature new, longer stories from Ex Fabula veterans and a few special guests. We will have plenty of surprises on-hand, including a kick-off drawing that could propel one lucky audience member onstage to tell their story.  Get your tickets now at http://www.pabsttheater.org/show/exfabulaspectacular.

Lest you have forgotten, let’s review the stats: Less than a year ago, the Ex Fabula event series was merely a concept. Fast-forward nine months to May 2010, and Ex Fabula had grown into a well-attended, monthly event series climaxing at Turner Hall Ballroom, where nearly three hundred people came out to see the season’s audience favorites, or “all stars,” take the stage again and share their original stories.

Here are some other highlights from Ex Fabula’s 2009-2010 season:

• 7 events at 7 different locations
• 5 distinct Milwaukee neighborhoods: Riverwest, Wauwatosa, East Side, Bayview, Downtown
• 70 different storytellers who shared tales from sex changes to drunken bicycling
• Nearly 1,000 happy listeners served

As at past events, audiences at the upcoming Bay View Brew Haus and Turner Hall can expect to hear stories in multiple formats. The Bay View event will end familiarly, with the audience crowing their favorite. The December Spectacular will come to a close a bit differently, though we guaranty just as much ballyhoo and general merrymaking.

Those who are interested in vying for arandom storytelling spotsat either eventshould put their names in the hat by 7:45 pm. The volunteer storytellers for the evening will then be randomly drawn to compete side by side with storytellers arranged in advance. Would-be storytellers should choose stories that tie in to the theme “Neighbors.” They should practice without notes and to the five minute time limit as they will be cut off if they run over five minutes. This time limit will be strictly enforced so everyone has a fair opportunity to tell. Storytellers should pay particular attention to the first and last lines of their stories and ensure that they are vivid and compelling.
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Recap: Grown-up Show & Tell at The Milwaukee Art Musuem

Listeners and Showers & Tellers gathered in "Milwaukee's Best Backyard." Photo by Kat Berger.

Just for the people of the “beautiful, f*#*ed up fabric of Milwaukee” Ex Fabula conjured up the loveliest of summer evenings in the loveliest of intimate settings for the latest story telling event on August 5th. The audience was treated to a Grown Up Show & Tell at the fieldtrip Mecca, Milwaukee Art Museum terrace.

Dana Lovrek kicked off the stories by holding up her keys and telling how they made her “bad day even worse.” Dan Neiderloh’s bag of cassette tapes stood as evidence to his tween obsession with recording his own voice and anything else the mic could capture. “Move over Catwoman, there’s a new kid in town:” his name is Randall Anderson and he has a bullwhip with which he amazes crowds at the Renaissance Fair and Ex Fabula. The lakefront hasn’t witnessed as many ooohs and ahhhs from an audience since the Big Bang.

Jacqueline Luettgen held our hearts in her hand along with a business card that pays tribute to her cousin and best friend who was recently lost in the Iraq War. A night of Ex Fabula stories is nothing if not varied and the evening took a turn toward the funny and uncomfortable when Mike Brenner brought a wad of toilet paper to show and tell a story that could be titled “Home Depot: Clean Up on Isle 8.”

Playing off of Jacqueline’s story, Mike began, “There is god. There is the holy spirit. And there’s shitting your pants at Home Depot.”

Ex Fabula first timer Lisa Gatewood offered up a box of letters to delve into the correspondence she’s had with her former school guidance counselor for the last 15 years. As he crossed the lines of a “professional relationship” and crossed into a life of addiction and jail sentences, she learned more about herself than one does from traditional visits to the guidance counselor. Mike Heider brought along artifacts of his career as a news cameraman since he couldn’t find the letter of apology from the chief of Milwaukee Police Department to illustrate tales of being assaulted on the job.

In addition to a gorgeous setting, the Milwaukee Art Museum offered up its Director of Visitor Experience to the audience. Bambi Grajer has worn every day for the last 11 years a sterling bracelet made by a Navajo silversmith. Every day it reminds her of the conscious choices she has made about what her life would be.

When Adam Carr took the mic, he took a minute to comment on the “fabric of the city” before starting his story and finishing his apple, core and all. He told of a philosophy professor who ate apples the same way and was his “Knight in Shining Armor” on several occasions. The sun finally behind the skyline, Amy Losi made her way to the front on crutches. They are making her life difficult, but they help her remember it was the sixth time she fell this year that put her on them.

Recap of Ex Fabula ALL STARS at Turner Hall Ballroom

***Thanks to our guest blogger and Ex Fabula volunteer Lane Burns!***

How else do you tie up an epic first season of Ex Fabula? You bring your Audience Favorite storytellers to the Turner Hall Ballroom, and give them twice as much storytelling time and the theme of Epic Fail, of course!  Add in live art by dwellephant, hilarious UltraShorts, and great sponsors, and you’ve got a night to remember.

Friday night, May 14th, 300 people poured into Turner Hall for two hours of hilarious and teeth-gritting personal stories of EPIC FAILs. Emcees and founders Leah Delaney and Megan McGee introduced the speakers and shared audience ultrashorts, while founder Amy Schleicher was the timekeeper.  The event was sponsored by WMSE 91.7 and WUWM 89.7. During the stories, local artist dwellephant created visual interpretations of the tales; at the end of the night, the drawings were raffled off and taken home by 7 lucky winners.

The first storyteller of the evening was our special guest Anthony Umlauf.  Anthony has had his name drawn from the hat several times during our events and always has a story to keep the audience involved.  He’s been a big supporter since day one. Anthony finished his season of Ex Fabula with the tale of how he was banned from the state of Ohio.  Alcohol WAS involved.

Next Leah Leone, winner of Ex Fabula #2, told the story about how it took a trip to China to realize that it was time to break up with her “boyfriend”, much to his relief.  Then, Brian Moore – Winner of Ex Fabula #4 – Barney Baggett and Liza Bielby of the Hinterlands took us all on a side-splitting Technicolor rollercoaster ride in their Rashomon about Special Milk and the last celebration of the Hindu holiday Holi in Humbolt County, California.

Winner of Ex Fabula #5 Drew Brhel followed up with a tale of his first, and last, experience living a double life when he found himself explaining to airport authorities why he was flying under the name Nehasapenapetalam when his American Express said Brhel.  There was a short intermission, and right away, Paul Finger (winner of Ex Fabula #1) led the crowd through a merry romp along Milwaukee’s Mitchell Street where his holiday spirit was sorely tested.

Then, Laura Halfmann and Stephanie Halfmann, winners of Ex Fabula #6, performed a dynamic duo including story, song, and dance about their quest to EPICLY FAIL specifically FOR this event – by becoming Erotic Movement Technicians for an amateur night. Closing the night was Tom Crawford of WMSE, winner of Ex Fabula #3, who gave us a heart-wrenching solo story of a son and his father just beginning to come to terms with over 20 years of conflict and loss.

At the end of the night, the audience voted and crowned the Halfmann sisters the Grand Champions of Ex Fabula Season 1.

If you’re not on the Ex Fabula mailing list, contact us at exfabulamilwaukee at gmail.com with your request. We’ll notify you of upcoming events, which include a podcast on WMSE, Guerrilla Story Slams around town, and even mobile storytelling booths done in conjunction with WMSE and WUWM. See you soon!

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Amie Losi – Now or Never – You Feel Things Really Hard

Crying at a Gap, clapping louder than everyone else, crying in terror at your own wedding and why it’s ok to feel really hard.

Audio – Now or Never – Dan Niederloh

Listen to Dan Niederloh’s Story from Ex Fabula 4

Dan describes his “now or never” moment(s) leading up to the birth of his first child.

Endearing, raw and entertaining, this is what Ex Fabula is all about.

Recap of Ex Fabula 2 (Second Thoughts)

On Wednesday December 16, over 75 people packed into Sugar Maple for the second Ex Fabula event. Although the stories varied in format, style, and tone, all touched on the night’s theme of “Second Thoughts”. The event was sponsored by 91.7 WMSE, 89.7 WUWM, and Sugar Maple.

The first storyteller to take the stage was Ex Fabula founder Matt Sabljak; his 5 minute Solo story about a break up also explored his relationship with art and writing.  Mike Brenner then took the stage to recount the time he sang Prince’s song “Purple Rain” at a beer tasting. As he acted out parts of the story, it became clear to the delighted audience exactly why cops escorted him out and banned him from the beer testing. Then Ex Fabula founder Leah Delaney interviewed Niclaus Ortiz in a format called “The Terkel”. Niclaus works at José’s Barber Extraordinaire along with his father and brother, and the interview touched on his relationship with his family and the balance between hot emotions and cool logic.

After a short beer break, Rosie Ricks described the night she was the only black person in Lake Geneva, a night whose conclusion surprised her. The next storyteller, Scott Berkes, was the first of three audience volunteers whose names were drawn from a hat; in college, he purchased a 1977 Ford Fiesta for $75 only to discover that getting the car home would pose some special challenges. The last storyteller of the second triad was Leah Leone. “I often imagine making a comic about my marriage and subsequent divorce from an Argentine man who was ten years my senior. It would be called: What Red Flag?” she cheerfully exclaimed, looking back at her former, 23-year-old self.

Adam Baus came from the audience to contrast two times when he felt artistically stifled and out of place; along the way, he commented on the necessity of being true to yourself, a theme that had popped up in other stories as well. Anthony Umlauf was the last audience volunteer, and he thrilled the audience by describing a booze-soaked bike ride that led to a comical encounter with the law. Gina Ryther and Nita Cordova rounded out the night with a story in “Rashoman” format. First, Gina shared her memories of a birthday party. Her worries about the food, drink, and other party details melted away when she caught the rare sight of two people holding hands. Then, Gina’s friend Nita described an awful day that turned into a memorable one because of someone she met at the party. Their stories highlighted the fact that at every moment in time, people around us are having life changing moments.

Interspersed with the stories, emcee and Ex Fabula founder Megan McGee read Ultra-Short stories written by audience members during the course of the 2-hour event. Stories ranged from several lines about a couple debating a move back to Milwaukee to “Should I have eaten that Monkfish Liver?”

At the end of the night, votes were tallied and Leah Leone was crowned the audience favorite; she was presented with prizes provided by WMSE and Sugar Maple.

The next Ex Fabula event will be Tuesday January 19 at the Hi Hat. The theme will be announced before the end of 2009; Ex Fabula fans should feel free to post ideas for themes on the Ex Fabula facebook page and blog.