Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me?

Marc Moss with storytellers from Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me Tell Us Something event. Photo by Steven Begleiter

Another sold out show at The Wilma! 710 people came to listen to their neighbors & friends share stories. And what an incredible night! We heard stories of science, survival, and gratitude; rivers, the call of nature, and the eternal struggle of managing trouble makers; questionable medicinal drinks in Hong Kong; Philipino cowboys; sleeping in the car in LA as a homeless person; learning about string cheese; masturbation & flooding the study; burning down the apartment in Billings, MT; and cluelessness & lies from the man during a breakup.

We experimented.

For years Tell Us Something has shunned the intermission because the energy of the crowd might dissipate. Last night we included the crowd so that did not happen. Celebrating Haloween in Japan, skirts tucked into tights all day, giving in to disposable diapers, film directors dying leaving actors in the lurch, meeting and liking Ann Coulter. It was a great experiment that worked well.  People were able to be part of the storytelling fun, get a drink, stretch, smoke, use the restroom.  We’ll be doing it again.

I had a crew of volunteers for the first time. I learned a lot from that and the next time we have volunteers I will be more organized. I spent the evening behind the curtain listening to stories and coordinating a three-tiered Instagram effort that went really well and let me focus on my other responsibilities. I shuffled the papers less.

We had a few hiccups, I flubbed my opening greeting. Everything worked out and the stories were fantastic.

The stories were fantastic. Did I already say that? The storytellers fell in love with each other & every time I do this my heart melts. I am so lucky to be doing this work. So lucky.

Thank you, Missoula. I love you.

–Marc