West Side Stories
Everyone has a story and now it’s your chance to tell it. Every month there is a theme, hopefully that sparks a memory for you. You put your name in a hat (an actual hat!) and 10 people’s names are drawn at random. When your name is pulled you get 5 minutes to tell your personal true story. At the end of the evening everyone votes by text for their favorite story of the night. If that’s you, you get $50 and will join the other monthly winners in December for our GrandSlam at the Historic Mystic Theater. Sounds like fun, right?
When and Where
West Side Stories Petaluma happens on the
2nd Wednesday of every month at the
located @ 417 Western St, Petaluma, CA
with Barber Cellars selling at their bar.
The doors open at 7pm, but if you want a good seat you better get there early.
![Screen Shot 2022-10-12 at 10.32.20 AM[1].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/bc64f3_3148bedee0e548dcac2218c40c472d71~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_204,h_170,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-12%20at%2010_32_20%20AM%5B1%5D.png)
Rules
No fake accents.
If your story doesn't work in your own voice, or that of your people of origin, please consider another story. In our experience, imitating accents from another culture or race rarely works and often offends.
No standup routines please.
West Side Stories loves funny people but requires that all funny people tell funny stories.
Stories are told, not read.
We love how the storyteller connects with the audience when there is no PAGE between them! Please know your story “by heart” but not by rote memorization. No notes, paper or cheat sheets allowed on stage.
No essays.
Your eloquent musings are beautiful and look pretty on the page but unless you can make them gripping and set up stakes, they won’t work on stage.
No rants.
Take up this anger issue with your therapist, or skip therapy and shape your anger into a story with some sort of resolution. (Stories = therapy!)
Please use our stage to practice civility and respect.
Please don't include racism, homophobia, misogyny or any form of hate speech.
2023 Winners
Our 2022 Grandslam Winner:
Ben Bourdon
