Local Storytellers Serve Thanksgiving Mishaps at IndeTale

If the ghost of Thanksgiving Past is haunting you this week with memories of botched recipes and family disputes, distract yourself with something healthier: alcohol and stories of others’ downfalls. IndeTale’s first storytelling event, with the theme “Don’t Burn the Turkey: Stories of Holidays Gone Awry,” is Wednesday, November 26, at 9 p.m. at Fountain Square Brewery. WFYI’s Sharon Gamble will host the event, at which seven Indianapolis storytellers will share their personal accounts of holiday mishaps. All stories will be recited live, with no script or notes.
The event is free, and Fountain Square will offer discounted pints.
IndeTale follows the model of The Moth Radio Hour, the radio broadcast of The Moth, a live show in which storytellers share a personal experience based on a theme. The Moth is touted for its range of stories as well as its poignancy. A listener for many years, Indy resident Maria Srour wanted to bring something similar to Indianapolis. She and two like-minded friends founded IndeTale.
Srour says the seven stories being featured at Fountain Square Brewery range from downright goofy to one that is “quite sad.” Regardless of genre, she assures that all of the stories are exceptional. They were chosen through an application process that included a written synopsis of the story and a three-minute audio recording sampling the teller’s tale.
Wednesday’s storytelling event is a trial run. Srour said that if attendance is good and interest is high, the first IndeTale event won’t be the last. “A lot of people have expressed interest,” she says. “A lot of people want this to be a regular thing.”