There’s a buzz in Salt Lake City, and it’s getting louder. The Bee: True Stories from the Hive is an event that is just finding its wings but is already gaining altitude.
The Bee: True Stories from the Hive is a night of storytelling co-founded by Giuliana Serena and her sister Francesca Rosa. Serena resides in Salt Lake as the event’s “Beekeeper, with a capital B.” The sisters kicked off the The Bee last month at the Urban Lounge with resoundingly positive results. As a result of the phenomenal turnout, the event has been slated to occur once every other month, alternating between the Urban Lounge and other locations. The event at the Leonardo will be open to anyone 18 and over in the hopes of attracting more participation from the younger demographic.
“This event is a great way to build community in that it gets young people to hear first-hand the experiences of our elders and elders to hear the stories of our youth,” Serena said.
So what can you expect from a night of The Bee? Ten storytellers, their names drawn at random from a hat, will tell true, uncensored, five-minute stories on the theme of the night. Also expect an atmosphere of “competitively compassionate storytelling” with three teams of judges consisting of one experienced storyteller and one member of the community.
Despite the judges, Serena reinforces the element of compassion. “We make it a point to make the storytellers feel really safe. It is not about an elite gathering of people. We’re not judging the storyteller, we are judging the story … We want people to get up on that stage and revel in the feeling of being witnessed by the community,” she said.
Whether or not individuals have experience with writing or storytelling, they are encouraged to put their name in the hat and have a story prepared on the night of the event. In fact, Serena said that it is those with little or no experience who are encouraged to offer up their tales.
“We really want a strong call to action. We welcome storytellers and anybody who is looking to improve their skills with public speaking, theater, anything … just anybody with a story to tell,” she said.
When asked if the uncensored storytelling at The Bee changed any of her perceptions about the local community, Serena answered that it only reinforced what she already knew. “Salt Lake is the place for stories. We have such a rich and diverse community here, we have a lot to say. What we didn’t realize was how hungry Salt Lake was for this type of gathering,” she said.
The Bee: True Stories from the Hive, with the theme ‘Attachment,’ will take place Feb. 12 at The Leonardo, with doors opening at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 and libations will be available for those 21 and over. Names can be ‘put in the hat’ by writing to [email protected]. More information can be found at thebeeslc.org.
@ChronyArts