Night Out

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on September 22 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is Night Out.

Tickets are on sale now. Please visit our Tickets page to get yours.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm that evening, and we start telling stories at 7 pm.

What kind of stories fit the theme Night Out?

Nights out may be couple- or group-centric—a night out with the girls, a night out with the guys, a night out with friends or with each other. Does changing whom we are with change who we are? Is that the allure of a night out? Escaping the routine, changing it up a bit? What does that say about our routine, or us? These and other ruminations on Night Out are sure to be explored during September’s Lancaster Story Slam.

However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. If you have a story, sign in at the table in the back of the theater when you arrive.

Swapna Deshpande and Tim Strawser Tie to Win Our August Story Slam

Congratulations to Swapna Deshpande and Tim Strawser, who won our August story slam. The theme was Road Trip.

Swapna (lright) and Tim (left) are pictured here with Lancaster Story Slam co-producer and this month’s emcee JJ Sheffer.

Our two winners each took home a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and earned spots in our 2026 Grand Slam on December 1.

Our next story slam is September 22 and the theme is Night Out. Tickets are on sale now. Our events typically sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!

Quinn Forlini Wins Our July Story Slam

Congratulations to Quinn Forlini, who won our July story slam. The theme was And Then…

Quinn (left) is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Cliff Lewis.

Quinn took home a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and earned a spot in our 2026 Grand Slam on December 1.

Our next story slam is August 25 and the theme is Road Trip. Tickets are on sale now. Our events almost always sell out in advance, so get your tickets now!

And Then...

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on July 28 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is And Then…

Tickets are on sale now. Please visit our Tickets page to get yours.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm that evening, and we start telling stories at 7 pm.

What kind of stories fit the theme And Then…?

Every so often a story slam theme approaches the merits of an everything bagel—the theme may, literally, embrace all options. And then…  comes close to having no limitations. All stories having no less than two actions qualify. Action one happens, And Then… action two. Youth followed by age, inexperience by experience, anticipation followed by memories. Perhaps we’ll hear of failure followed by success, sadness followed by joy, illness by health, or vise-versa. Whatever it is, decide to tell your story, And Then…tell it.

However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. If you have a story, sign in at the table in the back of the theater when you arrive.

Tony Mastrangelo Wins Our June Story Slam

Congratulations to Tony Mastrangelo, who won our June story slam. The theme was Just Missed.

Tony is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Marianne Sheely.

Tony took home a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and earned a spot in our 2026 Grand Slam on December 1.

Our next story slam is July 28 and the theme is And Then... Tickets are on sale now. Our events almost always sell out in advance, so get your tickets now!

Ashley Harbinson Wins Our May Story Slam

Congratulations to Ashley Harbinson, who won our May story slam. The theme was Rock Solid.

Ashley is pictured here with this month’s emcee and Lancaster Story Slam co-producer Tony Crocamo.

Ashley took home a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and earned a spot in our 2026 Grand Slam on December 1.

Our next story slam is June 23 and the theme is Just Missed. Tickets are on sale now. Our events almost always sell out in advance, so get your tickets now!

Rock Solid

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on May 26 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is Rock Solid.

Tickets are on sale now. Please visit our Tickets page to get yours.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm that evening, and we start telling stories at 7 pm.

What kind of stories fit the theme Rock Solid?

This month’s stories can explore so many topics—stories about dependability, a sure bet, or maybe hard-headedness and seemingly insurmountable barriers. A story might even involve the Mohs mineral hardness scale—OK, it’s a rock-solid certainty that we won’t hear many involving Mohs—but everything else is in play.

However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. If you have a story, sign in at the table in the back of the theater when you arrive.

Nina Groop Wins Our April Story Slam

Congratulations to Nina Groop who won our April story slam. The theme was Nice Save.

Nina (right) is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Phoebe Gilman.

Nina took home a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and earned a spot in our 2026 Grand Slam on December 1.

Our next story slam is May 26 and the theme is Rock Solid. Tickets are on sale now. Our events sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!

Nice Save

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on April 28 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is Nice Save.

Tickets are on sale now. Please visit our Tickets page to get yours.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm that evening, and we start telling stories at 7 pm.

What kind of stories fit the theme Nice Save?

Who hasn’t made a nice save—caught that fragile object before it hit the floor, or tip-toed through a conversational minefield without detonating unpleasant emotions. Tonight, we’ll hear stories of holes dug and escaped from, eleventh-hour heroics, impressive sensitivity and awareness, and/or recoveries from a lack thereof.

However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. If you have a story, sign in at the table in the back of the theater when you arrive.

Cliff Lewis Wins Our March Story Slam

Congratulations to Cliff Lewis, who won our March story slam. The theme was DIY Project.

Cliff is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Ashley Harbinson.

He took home a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and earned a spot in our 2026 Grand Slam on December 1.

Our next story slam is April 28 and the theme is Nice Save. Tickets are on sale now. Our events sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!

DIY Project

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on March 24 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is DIY Project.

Tickets are on sale now. Please visit our Tickets page to get yours.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm that evening, and we start telling stories at 7 pm.

Do you feel as though the phrase, If you want something done right, do it yourself, rings false for any undertaking that involves a trip to the hardware store? Perhaps you see the majority of do-it-yourself projects as adventurous, optimistic, fools’ errands requiring mastery of new skills that feel like impenetrable mysteries. Tonight, we may hear stories of disasters and surprises, or  discoveries of hitherto unknown personal resources. We may get stories of perseverance, success, lessons learned, chastisements, a hunger for advanced capabilities, or a practical realignment of one’s reach and grasp when it comes to DIY Projects.

However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. If you have a story, sign in at the table in the back of the theater when you arrive.

Terri Shadle and Phoebe Gilman Win our February Story Slam

Congratulations to Terri Shadle and Phoebe Gilman, who won our February story slam. Since our January slam was canceled, we heard stories from both our January and February themes: I Meant to Do That and Close Call.

Terri (lright) and Phoebe (left) are pictured here with this month’s emcee and longtime LSS sponsor Alex King.

Our two winners each took home a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and earned the first two spots in our 2026 Grand Slam on December 1.

Our next story slam is March 24 and the theme is DIY Project. Tickets are on sale now. Our events sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!

January Story Slam Canceled

Photo by Randy Flaum

Due to the snow, ice, and cold temperatures, we are canceling our January story slam. Refunds are being processed by Ticketleap and should be complete in the next few business days.

Tickets will be on sale Wednesday morning for our February 24 story slam. The theme is Close Call, but we will also take stories with January's theme, I Meant to Do That, and will name two winners at the end of the night. Our MC for the evening will be longtime LSS sponsor Alex King.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm that evening, and we start telling stories at 7 pm.

What kind of stories fit the theme Close Call?

The choices we make daily create our lives. A different decision here or there would have meant a different life—better maybe, or worse. Perhaps only different. We may hear stories of disasters avoided, opportunities missed, dangers survived, or life-changing outcomes that so easily might have been different.

However you interpret these themes we look forward to hearing your true stories. If you have a story, sign in at the table in the back of the theater when you arrive.

Our 2026 Season Kicks Off January 27

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on January 27 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is I Meant to Do That.

Tickets are on sale now. Please visit our Tickets page to get yours.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm that evening, and we start telling stories at 7 pm.

What kind of stories fit the theme I Meant to Do That?

Maybe you did mean to do that or maybe not and you just wanted to avoid the embarrassment of unintended consequences by framing them as intended. Or maybe there was something you meant to do but never got around to it. We may hear stories detailing embarrassing outcomes covered by a veneer of intention, or we may hear of deeds not done that are regretted or celebrated. If you’ve meant to tell a story at Story Slam, tonight’s theme would be a good place to start.

However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. If you have a story, sign in at the table in the back of the theater when you arrive.

Quinn Forlini Named Best Storyteller in Lancaster at Our 2025 Grand Slam

Congratulations to Quinn Forlini, who was named Best Storyteller in Lancaster at our 2025 Grand Slam at West Art last night! Quinn is pictured here with our Grand Slam emcee, Lancaster Story Slam founder and producer emeritus, Carla Wilson!

We are grateful to everyone who told stories this year, showed up to listen, or volunteered (or got "volun-told") to be a judge.

Special thanks to our season sponsor, Alex King of Caring Transitions of Lancaster, for his continuing partnership.

The Grand Slam concludes our 11th season. We’ll be taking a break for December, but we’ll be back at Zoetropolis on the fourth Tuesday of the month throughout 2026.

Click here for our 2026 dates and themes.

Our 11th Annual Grand Slam: What Now?

It’s time for our 2025 Grand Slam! It will take place on Tuesday, December 2 at 7 pm at West Art Community Center.

Tickets are on sale now. They’re limited, so get yours while the gettin’s good.

The theme of the evening will be What Now?, and our emcee will be Lancaster Story Slam founder and producer emeritus, Carla Wilson!

Our Grand Slam is the culminating event of the year where we bring back our monthly winners from this year to compete for the the title of "Best Storyteller in Lancaster," their name engraved on the Storytellers’ Cup, and a trophy to take home. Our finalists this year include:

David Welden - January/First Impressions
Swapna Deshpande - February/There’s No App for That
Doc Yoder - March/All in Our Head
Cliff Lewis - April/Read the Manual
John Heinley - May/Auto Renewal
Phoebe Gilman - June/Bad Advice
Quinn Forlini - July/Pick One
Beth McLaughlin - August/Lessons Learned
Marianne Sheely - September/Only Human
Nina Groop - October/BYOT (open theme)

Here’s a playlist of all the winning stories from this season!

Nina Groop Wins Our Final Open Mic Slam of the Year

Congratulations to Nina Groop, who won our October story slam. It was an open-theme slam.

Nina (right) is pictured here with with this month’s emcee, Phoebe Gilman.

Nina won a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and the last spot in our 2025 Grand Slam.

Save the date for our Grand Slam on December 2 at West Art Community Center. We announced the theme at the end of the October event: What Now? Tickets are on sale now.

Bring Your Own Theme

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on October 28 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm that evening, and we start telling stories at 7 pm.

Tickets are still available. Please visit our Tickets page to get yours.

We hear it all the time. “I’ve got a story I’d tell, but it never seems to fit the theme of the month.” Not in October—it’s Bring Your Own Theme night at LSS, all bets are off, the sky’s the limit, no holds barred, it’s a free-for-all, whatever all-inclusive cliché you want to employ is fine with us. Any story will do, even that one. This is the night you’ve been waiting for, your chance to tell THAT great story. To share THAT moment. We’ve asked you upon arrival at our monthly slams, “Are you telling a story tonight?,” Aand many of you have said, “Maybe some night, but not tonight.” Tonight’s your night. Go for it.

We look forward to hearing your true stories. If you have a story, sign in at the table in the back of the theater when you arrive.

This is the last open mic event of the season, so it’s the last chance to earn a spot in our 2025 Grand Slam. And speaking of the Grand Slam, we’ll announce this year’s theme at the end of this event.

Marianne Sheely Wins Our Only Human Story Slam

Congratulations to Marianne Sheely, who won our September story slam. The theme was Only Human.

Marianne (lright) is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Luanne Sims.

Marianne won a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and will compete in our 2025 Grand Slam on December 2.

Our next story slam is October 28. It is an open-theme slam, and the final regular-season event before our 2025 Grand Slam. Tickets are on sale now. Our events sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!

Only Human

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on September 23 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is Only Human.

Tickets are on sale now. Please visit our Tickets page to get yours.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm that evening, and we start telling stories at 7 pm.

What type of stories fit the theme Only Human?

The phrase only human implies a frailty, a flaw, a rank somewhere below perfection. We can all cop to that. But with the advent of AI, does it mean something else, something more? Perhaps genuine understanding, compassion, love? We want to hear your non-AI assisted stories about how doing one’s best as a human, imperfect as that may be, has its own nobility.

However you interpret this month's theme, we look forward to hearing your true stories. If you have a story, sign in at the table in the back of the theater when you arrive.