WE ARE BACK!
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2nd Tuesday of Every Month Starting on Oct. 12th at our temporary new home Ravenswood UCC 2050 W Pensacola Ave., Chicago 7:30 PM (Doors at 7:00) FREE |
Proof of vaccination required.
Please see below for full safety precautions
This Much Is True is the longest running monthly storytelling show in Chicago, IL. (Since 2008). Every month, we come together for an evening of true personal stories from some of Chicago's most fascinating people. An all new cast takes the stage each month to let you in on the heartbreaking, the hilarious, and everything in between.
Past guests have included writers, actors, chefs, theologians, SNL alums, musicians, bloggers, activists, professional storytellers, comedians, and more from our city and around the world. We hope that you can join us.
Past guests have included writers, actors, chefs, theologians, SNL alums, musicians, bloggers, activists, professional storytellers, comedians, and more from our city and around the world. We hope that you can join us.
SAFETY PROTOCOL FOR OUR TEMPORARY HOME
- Proof of vaccination will be required for entry. Paper or a picture on your phone will be fine.
- Ravenswood UCC is a huge venue, seating 400+ in regular times. We will spread out to maintain lots of spacing.
- Proper masks will be required at all times (No gaiters or bandanas please.)
- Hand sanitizer and wipes will be available for all.
- Unmasked performers will be at least 20 feet away from audience while speaking.
- Mic and stands will be sanitized between performers.
- If you feel sick or symptomatic at all, or have a known exposure, we expect you to stay home!
- Ravenswood UCC is a huge venue, seating 400+ in regular times. We will spread out to maintain lots of spacing.
- Proper masks will be required at all times (No gaiters or bandanas please.)
- Hand sanitizer and wipes will be available for all.
- Unmasked performers will be at least 20 feet away from audience while speaking.
- Mic and stands will be sanitized between performers.
- If you feel sick or symptomatic at all, or have a known exposure, we expect you to stay home!
OCTOBER CAST
Margaret Burk
Fascination with story has engaged Margaret since her first career years ago as an actress and theatre teacher to today when she produces storytelling shows and tells throughout the Chicago area. She says even her 20 year career in fundraising for arts organizations was all about telling compelling stories. A good story, well told, can open people's hearts and minds and move them to action. Margaret is the co-producer of Back Room Stories which this summer and last has been BackYARD Stories - (which is both live and zoomed.) Margaret is also co-host of Do Not Submit Oak Park and dearly misses those story shares at the cozy East Gate Cafe in Oak Park.
Jimmy Carrane
Jimmy Carrane is the host of the popular podcast Improv Nerd and former host of Studio 312 on WBEZ. He has performed numerous one-man shows including "I am 27, I still live at home and sell office supplies." at The Annoyance Theater and "Living In Dwarf's House" at Second City. He has been teaching and performing improv in Chicago for more than 25 years and also does private coaching for story tellers.
He grew up in Kenilworth and lives in Evanston with his wife Lauren and his two and half year old daughter. For more about jimmy you can go to website jimmycarrane.com
He grew up in Kenilworth and lives in Evanston with his wife Lauren and his two and half year old daughter. For more about jimmy you can go to website jimmycarrane.com
Shawn Cobb
Shawn Cobb has worn many hats over the years, working jobs ranging from forklift operator to Cosmetologist and pretty much everything in between. He finally settled in at the railroad where has worked as a mechanic for over 15 years. There, he has worn many hats as well: Crew Leader, Car inspector, or Car Knocker, as the old timers used to say, Engine Man, where he got good and dirty servicing and rearranging locomotives to ensure the safest possible departure. Safety Chairman, where Shawn carved a niche for himself as an artist, painting murals, illustrating posters, even desiging a safety periodical with a comic strip in the back. Shawn has always been passionate about creating art, and is currently on book two of a Sci-Fi Trilogy. However it was through Toastmasters that he found his voice as a storyteller. For Shawn, to be vulnerable while operating from a place of love has proven to be the perfect counterbalance to the sometimes harsh and less forgiving conditions of the railroad. He aspires to inspire through life experiences and stories that find and exposes that common thread that binds us all.
Phyllis Porché
Phyllis Porché is a writer, storyteller, teacher, and fiber artist. She was born and raised in Chicago, and she believes the best stories come from the absurdities of life. She is a 30-plus year cancer survivor, and she never leaves home without earrings.
Dan Terkell
A lifelong city kid, Dan has been an eyewitness to, and sometime participant in the urban circus that is Chicago since the 1950s. For all his lengthy work life, he's held straight jobs including budget analyst and planner, copywriter, teacher, and CTA bus pilot. A shameless bleeding-heart liberal, Dan also publishes a politically-fueled blog, Hardwired to Reason. He believes in spreading the light by being the light (with all due respect to Yoga Bhajan).
Tracy Lytwyn
Tracy Lytwyn has been part of Chicago’s live storytelling community since 2018. Some of her favorite stories to share feature her former religious life, her late mother and, naturally, her misadventures in dating. When she’s not on stage, Tracy loves to play and write music, rock climb, be outside, travel, sing karaoke and dance. Tracy also professionally tells stories as a public relations manager in health and science. She lives in Ravenswood with her dog, Juno.
Scott Whitehair
Host/producer of This Much Is True
Scott Whitehair is a storyteller, teacher, and producer living in Chicago, IL. He is the producer of This Much Is True, creator of Story Lab Chicago, which has put 700+ new storytellers on stage since 2011, and director of Do Not Submit, a grassroots network of open mics across the city bringing people together to connect with each other. Scott tells anywhere someone will listen, including The National Storytelling Festival Exchange Place, Steppenwolf Theater, the historic Green Mill, and on NPR, the Risk podcast, and Siruis XM. He is a frequent guest instructor at the city's top universities, and his personal narrative class has been selling out every month since 2012. Scott is in demand as a coach and trainer, spending his days helping individuals, companies, and non-profits develop their voices as storytellers.
Scott Whitehair is a storyteller, teacher, and producer living in Chicago, IL. He is the producer of This Much Is True, creator of Story Lab Chicago, which has put 700+ new storytellers on stage since 2011, and director of Do Not Submit, a grassroots network of open mics across the city bringing people together to connect with each other. Scott tells anywhere someone will listen, including The National Storytelling Festival Exchange Place, Steppenwolf Theater, the historic Green Mill, and on NPR, the Risk podcast, and Siruis XM. He is a frequent guest instructor at the city's top universities, and his personal narrative class has been selling out every month since 2012. Scott is in demand as a coach and trainer, spending his days helping individuals, companies, and non-profits develop their voices as storytellers.