Floyd's Blue Ridge Story Space highlights 'shared humanity'
“The bottom line is that it is intended to be a social environment that is fun for all,” Jonas said. “[It’s] definitely an event to be attended by solitary folks, or with a group of friends on an evening out, or even as a ‘cheap date night'.”
Later this week, multiple story tellers will gather in the Black Box Theater at the June Bug Center for the month of November’s Blue Ridge Story Space on Saturday, Nov. 14, sharing stories about “A Useful Lesson Learned.”
Blue Ridge Story Space is hosted on the second Saturday of every month and was founded in 2018. This is a non-competitive inclusive way for participants from in and around Floyd County to share stories. Each month, a new theme is decided upon and posted on Facebook, and stories can either be rehearsed ahead of time or told for the first time at the event. During each session, participants telling stories submit their names into a random selection and typically 10 stories are told per session. Each story is between five and seven minutes long.
“One of the precepts of Blue Ridge Story Space is that storytelling is inherent to each of us by virtue of our shared humanity,” says Blue Ridge Story Space Emcee Peter Jonas.
Blue Ridge Story Space is inspired by NPR’s Moth Radio Hour, where stories are told live on the air by performers and community members, but the event is also modeled after a similar organization founded by Christal Presley in Atlanta, Georgia.
“The bottom line is that it is intended to be a social environment that is fun for all,” Jonas said. “[It’s] definitely an event to be attended by solitary folks, or with a group of friends on an evening out, or even as a ‘cheap date night'.”
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The free event is hosted at the June Bug Center, which not only provides the physical space for storytellers to gather but also helps to cover expenses with the sale of concessions, including beer, wine, popcorn as well as other snacks and refreshments.
“Our part has always been simple,” says June Bug Center Executive Director Joanne Woodward. “We open the doors, turn on the lights, pop the popcorn, and the storytellers do the rest. Keeping it free matters to us, because we want anyone who's curious to feel welcome walking in.”
Both Jonas and Woodward want the partnership and Blue Ridge Story Space to continue for years to come at a regular cadence for Floydians to attend.
“I truly believe it's important to Floyd,” Woodward adds. “Storytelling runs deep in Appalachian culture. For generations, families here have passed down their history, their humor and their wisdom through stories told on front porches, around kitchen tables and at gatherings like this one. Story Space carries that tradition forward and makes room for everyone, whether their roots in these mountains go back generations or they just arrived last year.”
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Find more information about Blue Ridge Story Space on its Facebook page. The next themed event starts at 5:30 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Black Box Theater (251 Parkway Lane S.).
“There's something special about sitting in a room and listening to your neighbors tell their stories,” Woodward said. “Nobody's competing, nobody's being judged, and you don't need any special talent. You just need something to say, or a willingness to listen. Every story is someone saying, ‘Here's a piece of my life’,’ and every person in the audience is saying, ‘We're glad you shared it.’ That's a beautiful thing.”
