ANANSI THE SPIDER
Story by Bill Zarchy
at The Monkey House, Berkeley
One very hot day, Anansi the Spider, a trickster and maker of mischief, gets his comeuppance.

I gave a talk on Storytelling at my 50th Dartmouth College Reunion last month. Following is the text of my ten-minute introduction. If you want to see the whole, one-hour presentation, including video clips and stories, click on the video player below. Closed Captions (CC) available.

I never wanted to be a performer until I discovered storytelling.

About two-and-a-half years ago, a friend of mine had a gig playing classical guitar at The Marsh, a club in Berkeley that was hosting a monthly storytelling night called Tell It On Tuesday. She urged me to come along. After she finished playing, five people, all roughly my age, stood up in turn and told stories.

One-Man Solo Storytelling Soirée Salon

4/20/18 at Silk Road House, Berkeley

I guess gratuitous self-promotion pays off, eh? Every single chair was in use. I was so pleased with the turnout and the enthusiasm of the audience, even if most of them were friends!

They laughed a lot, usually at appropriate moments, and applauded each story. What fun!

Part 2 includes these stories:

• “FDR: Fear Itself”
• “Evelyn’s Story: Alex and the Cole Porter Show”
• “Mendocino: The Essence of Nature”
• “Snow Story: The Moon and Dr. Zhivago”

One-Man Solo Storytelling Soirée Salon

4/20/18 at Silk Road House, Berkeley

My solo storytelling show last Friday was amazing, a real peak experience!

What a fun evening! I had a terrific time and feel wonderful about having challenged myself like that. I did eight stories, about 75-80 minutes of material in all.

The place was packed. About 48 people in a medium-smallish room.

Part 1 includes these stories:

• “Anansi”
• “Dog Years: Pop, Sophie, and the West Wing”
• “The Seven Lies”
• “Chartres: Ecstasy at the Altar”