Monthly nonfiction open-mic storytelling series hosted by Alan Olifson, where audience members share six-minute true stories around the theme 'Slipped Through My Fingers'.
Story Club Pittsburgh brings another Story Slam to City of Asylum on Tuesday, December 1, from 7 PM to 8:30 PM. The theme for the night is Slipped Through My Fingers, and the whole thing is built around open-mic storytelling: anyone who wants to take the mic gets six minutes to tell a true, personal story that fits the theme. At the end, the room votes for the best one, and the winner walks away with a City of Asylum t-shirt.
If you've never been, the format sits somewhere between a raw open mic and a live theater show. You don't need to be a pro to sign up—the whole point is hearing real people tell stories from their own lives. The six-minute limit keeps things moving, so you get a handful of different voices in one night rather than one long monologue. The voting part adds a bit of a competition to the mix, though the real draw is just seeing who shows up and what they bring to the stage.
Hosting the night is Alan Olifson, an award-winning humor columnist and comedian who's a regular fixture in the city's storytelling scene. He's hosted Pittsburgh's monthly Moth StorySlams, created the Wordplay series at Bricolage Theater, and produced the Speakeasy show at Arcade Comedy Theater. His book, Manchild: My Life without Adult Supervision, is available locally if you want to get a sense of his style before the show.
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Story Club Pittsburgh was started in 2022 by Olifson and Kelly Flanagan, both former producers of The Moth Pittsburgh. They launched it at City of Asylum as a more flexible, diversity-focused alternative to their predecessor, filling the gap left when The Moth closed here during the pandemic. The Story Slam is their monthly nonfiction series, and this one is just the latest installment.
The show is free, with both in-person and livestream tickets available, so you can catch it from the room or from home. Seating is first-come, first-served, so if you're heading to City of Asylum at 40 W. North Avenue, it's a good idea to arrive a bit early to grab a spot. The night runs from 7 PM to 8:30 PM on Tuesday, December 1.
