Lesson Learned

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on August 26 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is Lesson Learned.

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 Lesson Learned?

Whether experience is the best teacher is debatable; that it can teach is undeniable. Tell us the stories of important lessons you have learned and how you learned them. Did you learn more from a mistake or a success? Was there an easier way to pick up that knowledge, should you have known better?

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 Wins Our Pick One Story Slam

Congratulations to Quinn Forlini, who won our July story slam. The theme was Pick One.

Quinn (left) is pictured here with this month’s emcee, Ashley Harbinson.

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

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

Pick One

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on July 22 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is Pick One.

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 Pick One?

Decisions, decisions. They are unavoidable, since not deciding is a decision. Prepare to hear stories about choices that had to be made, or choices made anyway—and how those choices have a habit of leading to unexpected consequences. We want to hear your stories of gratitude for choices made, or regret for options selected. Let’s hear stories exploring what might have changed your choices: time, experience, mere chance—pick one.

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.

Phoebe Gilman Wins Our Bad Advice Story Slam

Congratulations to Phoebe Gilman, who won our June story slam. The theme was Bad Advice, and as usual, we had a full house and 10 storytellers.

Phoebe is pictured here with with Lancaster Story Slam Co-Producer Tony Crocamo.

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

Our next story slam is July 22 and the theme is Pick One. Tickets are on sale now. Our events sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!

Bad Advice

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on June 24 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is Bad Advice.

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 Bad Advice?

Who hasn’t received or given bad advice? The effects of ill-conceived but ardently followed advice can have minor or monumental cascading consequences. Do you have stories of advice taken that should have been ignored, or advice given that should have remained unsaid? Is your story about the consequences of bad advice followed or ignored?

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.

Jon Heinly Wins Our Auto Renewal Story Slam

Congratulations to Jon Heinly, who won our May story slam. The theme was Auto Renewal, and as usual, we had a full house and 10 storytellers.

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

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

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

Auto Renewal

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on May 27 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is Auto Renewal.

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 Auto Renewal?

It’s not just that maze of streaming channels you signed up for to avoid the high price of cable—auto renewal controls most of our daily activities-where we work, our relationships, the media, food, culture, and politics we consume. Tell us your stories about the benefits of auto renewal when you were able to reflect on and appreciative the who, what, and why of renewing. Share your stories of how auto renewal, taking important aspects of our lives for granted, can obscure the value of people, places, and ideas we love and need.

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 Read the Manual Story Slam

Congratulations to Cliff Lewis, who won our April story slam. The theme was Read the Manual, and we had another full house and 10 storytellers.

Cliff is pictured here with with this month’s emcee, LSS co-producer JJ Sheffer.

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

Our next story slam is May 27 and the theme is Auto Renewal. Tickets are on sale now. Our events tend to sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!

Read the Manual

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on April 22 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is Read the Manual.

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 Read the Manual?

There are three types of people: those who read the manual before assembling or using the subject of the manual; those who read the manual after assembly or use to determine what went awry; and those who, despite repeated misadventures in assembly and usage, have yet to open a manual. Some people may think that the overwhelming majority of the latter two examples are men. LSS shuns such stereotypes. Share your stories of assembly disasters, or problems avoided by men and women who did or did not read the manual.

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.

Doc Yoder Wins Our All In Our Heads Story Slam

Congratulations to Doc Yoder, who won our March story slam. The theme was All In Our Heads, and we had another full house and 12 storytellers.

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

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

Our next story slam is April 22 and the theme is Read the Manual. Tickets are on sale now. Our events tend to sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!

All in Our Head

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on March 25 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is All in Our Head

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 All in Our Head?

Commonly, things that are all in one’s head are thought to be unreal. But then every manufactured item in our lives, from applesauce to xylophones, began in someone’s head. Every part of our lives--our impressions of our surroundings, our jobs, our relationships, likes and dislikes, values, beliefs are all in our head. Tell us your stories about false impressions, mistaken ideas, of insight and inspiration—the unreal and yet-to-be-real ideas that are all in your head and make up your world.

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 Wins Our There's No App for That Story Slam

Congratulations to Swapna Deshpande, who won our February story slam. The theme was There’s No App for That, and we had a full house and 10 storytellers.

Swapna is pictured here with with this month’s emcee, Tim McGuinness.

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

Our next story slam is March 25 and the theme is All In Our Head. Tickets are on sale now. Our events tend to sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!

There's No App for That

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on February 25 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is There’s No App for 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 type of stories fit the theme There’s No App for That?

Being on that first date, beginning a new job, accepting new responsibilities, or chucking it all to paint in Tahiti—we arrive at some situations and realize there is no shortcut, no easy way out or technological fix for how to do this. We want to hear about how you plowed ahead or how you arrived on the shore of these unexplored waters. We want to hear your stories about walking life’s tightrope without a net. It’s what we all do.

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.

David Welden Wins Our First Impressions Story Slam

Congratulations to David Welden, who won our first story slam of the year. The theme was First Impressions, and we had a full house and 12 storytellers. Our 11th year is off to a great start!

David (right) is pictured here with with Lancaster Story Slam producer Tony Crocamo.

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

Our next story slam is February 25 and the theme is There’s No App for That. Tickets are on sale now. Our events tend to sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!

Our 2025 Season Kicks Off January 28

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on January 28 at 7 pm at Zoetropolis for this month’s story slam. The theme is First Impressions.

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 First Impressions?

Many of life’s misunderstandings flow from assumptions we make about another’s motives or intentions. First impressions—immediate assumptions—are impossible not to make or form. They may be spot on or disastrously wrong. Tell us your stories about how acting or not acting on first impressions led to unexpected actions, perplexing behavior, life changing decisions, missed opportunities, joy, and sorrow. Or share how the first impression you formed about someone, someplace, or something have shaped your life.

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.

Jon Heinly Named Best Storyteller in Lancaster at Our 2024 Grand Slam

Jon Heinly was the winner of our Misunderstood-themed Grand Slam.

Jon is pictured here with our Grand Slam emcee, Lancaster Story Slam founder and producer emeritus, Carla Wilson.

We are grateful to everyone who competed in this year's Grand Slam, our judges, our volunteers, everyone who told stories this year, and especially our audience. Thank you!

Special thanks to our season sponsor, Alex King of Caring Transitions of Lancaster.

The Grand Slam concludes our 10th season. We’ll be taking a break for December, but we’ll be back at Zoetropolis on the fourth Tuesday of the month throughout 2025.

Click here for our 2025 dates and themes.

Our Tenth Annual Grand Slam: Misunderstood

It’s time for our 2024 Grand Slam! It will take place on Tuesday, December 3 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 Misunderstood, 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:

Kelsey Kman and Kate Prisby - January/Great Escapes
Cliff Lewis - February/Lost in Translation
Tim McGuinness and Jamie Beth - March/Truth Be Told
Swapna Deshpande - April/If Only
John Heinley - May/Thrill Rides
Rebekah Jewel - June/Out of Reach
Becky - July/Did I Do That?
Ashley Harbinson - August/Tangled Web
Phoebe Gilman - September/Surprisingly Strong
Corey Wolfe - October/BYOT (open theme)

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

Corey Wolfe Wins Our Final Open Mic Slam of the Year

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

Corey (right) is pictured here with with this month’s emcee, David Smith.

Corey won a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and the last spot in our 2024 Grand Slam.

Save the date for our Grand Slam on December 3 at West Art Community Center. We announced the theme at the end of the October event: Misunderstood. Tickets are on sale now.

BYOT

Photo by Randy Flaum

We hope to see you on October 22 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.

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?” And 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.

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

Phoebe Gilman Wins Our Surprisingly Strong Story Slam

Congratulations to Phoebe Gilman, who won our September story slam. The theme was Surprisingly Strong.

Phoebe is pictured here with with Lancaster Story Slam producer JJ Sheffer.

Phoebe won a prized Lancaster Story Slam pint glass and will compete in our 2024 Grand Slam on December 3.

Our October 15 event is an open-theme slam, meaning there is no theme. So if you’ve had a story in mind you want to tell, but couldn’t figure out how to make it fit one of the themes this year, now’s your chance!.

This is the last open mic event of the season, so it’s the last chance to earn a spot in our 2024 Grand Slam. And speaking of the Grand Slam, we’ll announce this year’s theme at the end of the October event.

Tickets are on sale now. Our events tend to sell out well in advance, so get your tickets now!