Stories are truth, connection, legacy.
Since the beginning of time, the story has been the conduit of relationship, the bridge across culture, proof of our humanity and, when deftly told, a gift for the ages.
It is the story that explains, humors, frightens, explores, sets straight, sets adrift, travels, unravels, inspires and, yes, lulls us to sleep at night.
A good story is cause for pause.
And it is entertaining enough to pack a brewery in downtown Lockport on a bitter cold Wednesday evening.
It is 7 p.m. on a brutally chilly February night, yet the tables inside Nik and Ivy’s Brewing Company are packed. Beer is flowing. Anticipation is building.
A quick check of the mic and the first of the evening’s five performers takes the stage.
You can’t tell it is Ruth Davies’ initiation into the world of story performance. The Joliet resident’s humorous tale not only resonates with anyone who knows the childhood pain of moving and starting at a new school, it carries a message about the joys of learning to assimilate.
A native of England, Davies remembers being called an “English bastard” by Scottish schoolmates after her family moved north for a short time. And, just as vividly, she remembers being called a “Scottish bastard” by English peers once her family returned home. In between, she regales the crowd with a unsavory deconstruction of haggis and the power of coping mechanisms.
The audience applauds.
A range of 30-somethings, middle-agers and shuffling seniors, the onlookers have come to hear this month’s lineup of real people sharing honest, sometimes amusing, always poignant, personal accounts of events that not only hold one’s attention but, with a little finesse, have become eloquent bundles of empathy.
This is Stories R Us, a free stand-up show that changes monthly and routinely packs the house.
The presenters are a mix of talented performers and ordinary people with extraordinary tales to share.
There’s first-timer Nicki Alander, a great grandmother and former Joliet West High School teacher, who vividly shares how she miraculously survived the 1992 Plainfield tornado.
There’s Errol McLendon, an award-winning Chicago storyteller who spent a lifetime fearing he wrecked a friend’s life in an account he describes as “changing the name to protect the guilty.”
Mother of two Simi Krishnan is one of the producers of The People Tree, a storytelling event in Naperville. Her story about surviving the bombing attacks of London in 2005 is also her reminder of the importance of living consciously.
“Treasure every second,” she said.
And there’s Oak Lawn resident Sandra Vincent, who took to the stage to talk about how expectations and prejudices on the job can undermine our own achievements.
“When you hear a story and it touches you or reminds you or it takes you back, that makes you feel so connected and so much a part of community,” Vincent said after the show.
“Since the dawn of civilization,” she said, “people have been telling each other stories. There’s something about it that is very healing to me.”
Stories R Us, storiesrus.fun/home, is the brainchild of Joliet resident Barbara Eberhard, who started the group in October 2022 as an outlet for writers to share their work.
“I went to an open mic at Nik and Ivy’s, signed up, told a story and then went up to the owner afterward and asked if we could do storytelling here,” she said.
Paul Ivnick, she said, told her to “Pick a Wednesday.”
Since then, performances are held the third Wednesday of the month. Live music kicks off the festivities at 6:30 p.m.
A graduate of Lewis University, Eberhard said she is driven by her love for both theater and art.
“One of my goals was to develop a community of storytellers,” Eberhard said.
Each fall and spring, she hosts free workshops for aspiring storytellers, many of whom are local — hailing from Homewood, Naperville and Chicago — as well as performers she meets at other venues.
“We now have a community of 20 to 25 people who are considered part of the Stories R Us family,” she said.
Admission is free. Donations support the website and cover costs for printing the programs, she said.
All of the Stories R Us tales are personal narratives, Eberhard said.
“I ask that they don’t push religion, politics or anything X-rated,” she added.
The best stories, Eberhard said, are the ones that are relatable and in which the teller undergoes a transformation.
“There has to be something you learned or changed or realized or accepted,” she said. “There has to be some development that has changed you in some way.”
Because when the storyteller is affected, the listener is too.
Donna Vickroy is an award-winning reporter, editor and columnist who worked for the Daily Southtown for 38 years. She can be reached at donnavickroy4@gmail.com.
