Laura Wexler knows everyone has a tale to tell.
“I don?t care who you are. You have a seven minute story in you,” she said. “Not everyone has a book in them, but then again, not everybody needs to.”
Wexler is the founder of Stoop Storytelling, a series in which seven people tell unscripted stories in seven minutes about a specific theme. The next performance is Monday at Centerstage.
The Baltimore resident started the series in 2006 after she had seen a similar performance on a visit to San Francisco. “It was one of the best performances I?d seen in ages,” Wexler said.
“I had a very cliche moment of saying, ?I gotta do this in Baltimore!? ”
Wexler created Stoop with her friend Jessica Henkin, the monthly performances focus on different themes with unique speakers. This month?s theme is Corpus: Stories About The Body. The speakers include: Hilary Hansen, a writer, mom and serial surgical patient; Walter Lomax, a wrongfully convicted murderer freed after 39 years in prison; and Mike “The Persecutor” Paschall, a professional boxer.
Pin-up photographer Stacey Barich plans to talk about how her childhood affected her passion for taking ?50s-style women?s pinups. “Basically, my story is about how my nontraditional childhood drove me in the direction of pin-up,” she said. “My dad was a man?s man, and he had some nudie magazines laying around, and I was exposed to that when I was child, but not in a weird way. It?s funny ? I never really thought about it until Laura asked me to do it.”
Foresic scientist and former Baltimore County Police CSI Dana Kollman is bringing her own unique perspective to the show. “I?ve just got ridiculous stories. Some people are telling stories about being in accidents, and I just have a bizarre twist on the whole body thing,” she said.
At intermission, a couple of lucky audience members have a chance to tell their story. “It?s been a really exciting part of the show,” Wexler said. “The stories are stunningly articulate ? if you didn?t know they were impromptu, you wouldn?t believe it. They have been some of the best stories we?ve heard.”
IF YOU GO
Stoop Storytelling Series: Corpus ? Stories About The Body
WHERE: Centerstage, 700 N. Calvert St., Baltimore
WHEN: 8 p.m. Monday, September 24
TICKETS: $12 to $15
