After a year like 2020, it may be very hard for anyone to imagine, let alone re-imagine what the future could look like for our city.  With all the twists and turns of last year, one could say 2020 read like a classic mystery book. The community of Ex Fabula however, never disappoints with delivering a powerful story.

We recently wrapped up the first StorySlam of 2021, with the theme of “Re-imagining Milwaukee”. Five of some of our finest seasoned tellers stepped up to the mic (or screen rather) and shared stories about all the ways in which Milwaukee has been home to them.

The night started with Kimberley Shine, the storyteller/rap-stress that captured our hearts at the “In My Mind” slam last season. This time, Kim told a touching story about a co-worker turned lifelong friend who saved her from a car breakdown in winter 2017. The story ended with cheer and applauses about beautiful things that come out of the storm.

Following Kimberly, Juan Miguel Martinez took the stage. Juan Miguel shook the whole room with a story about a strike he led at his job to get the opportunity to work virtually during the pandemic. The story was the audience favorite at the end of the night, but there were still very wonderful stories to follow.

Maria Torres was next to the podium with a story about how her voyage to Milwaukee helped her gain knowledge of a new culture and community. This story was told in both English and Spanish, so every person in the crowd was able to catch the power of emotion from two angles.

Matthew Gutierrez took the stage next. Matthew was one of the poets who blessed the mic at our Backstory secret fabula. Matthew shared a different kind of art this time. Matthew’s story was about his teenage dream to be a creative writer and coming upon the realization that he didn’t have to leave Milwaukee to do it.

Wrapping the evening we heard a story from Tamika Marable, who shared a story about her healing journey after losing two of her sisters to a tragic drowning accident. Tamika was a beacon of hope for us in the end, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room as she finished. I believe everyone in attendance would agree this story was the perfect way to end the slam.

Welp! There you have it folks. Milwaukee storytelling never fails. Be sure to sign up for more events by simply clicking the ‘Attend’ section on our website!