STAMFORD STORYTELLER FRAN DORF TAKES IT TO THE BIG APPLE

The artful fun of Storytelling did not begin in the State of Connecticut but you would be hard pressed to convince anyone who has attended any of the numerous and hilarious and sometimes touching Storytelling events presented by Ina Chadwick’s MouseMuse Productions of that historical fact.

Ina Chadwick, a well-known writer and a longtime Westport resident and a native New Yorker, began presenting her Storytelling events four years ago in venues in and around Fairfield County, Connecticut including The Fairfield Theatre Company, Westport Arts Center, Landmark Academy, La Roue Elayne, Fairfield Museum and History Center, The Gaelic Club, the Bijou Theatre, and Wilton’s Pulitzer Prizewinner Matt Davies’ Carriage House. Under the banner of “Real People, Real Stories,” Chadwick created different themes for each event – “End of Innocence,” “I’ve Got a Ticket to Ride,” and “Some Like It Hot” to name a few.

Over the years, the storytellers, who tell, not read, ten minute tales all on the same theme, grew in numbers and in expertise; the audience grew in numbers, and the press was into it. Chadwick knew it would be just a matter of time before the ultimate call would come – the call of the Big Apple!

Musical composer, playwright and performer and also a native New Yorker, Duncan Christy, introduced John Forslund, founder and owner of The Underground - New York City’s hottest showplace for eclectic and au courant entertainment located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side - to Chadwick. According to Forslund, The Underground, mostly known for its local band vibe and NYC's premiere talent showcase Bound for Broadway, is excited to be bringing this type of spoken word Storytelling to its Sunday matinees! Forslund remarked, “Being in partnership with Ina and MouseMuse Productions is something we are looking forward to. Our intention in working with Ina is to create a more robust and cultured theatre going crowd.” The programs will run monthly on Sundays and “we are expecting to meet the unique entertainment needs of people on the Upper West Side who have never seen this type of showcase,” says Forslund.

Sunday December 8 at 4 PM will be MouseMuse Productions’ debut at The Underground in Manhattan. Titled “True Tales – Six Storytellers of The Human Comedy,” this show will be the first under the banner of “Live Magazine at The Underground,” a spoken word variety show that’s like a different issue of a magazine every month. The show is presented in a cabaret setting where drinks are served tableside.  

Chadwick will bring a troupe of her seasoned storytellers, all gifted in this form of un-written memoir, who either began or who honed their craft under her direction, as well as of Bill Bosch of Oxford, CT, has been with her for three years coaching new storytellers.

Maureen Hallock, recently featured in a one-woman storytelling show at La Roue Elayne in Weston, said, “I lived in NYC in my twenties, when I was teaching. I split my free time between poetry readings and comedy clubs and longed to find a voice in either. It wasn't until years later when I was raising a family in the suburbs that I discovered The Moth. Suddenly there was a genre that could blend my two passions. When MouseMuse was born out here in the ‘burbs, I felt I had found a home for my voice.” Hallock’s story about discovering she had diabetes has become an audience favorite.

The other storytellers appearing with Hallock at The Underground on December 8 are Pete Pastorelli, Rob Jackson, Tom Fiffer, native New Yorker Ivy Eisenberg, Joshua Kaplan, and Stamford's Fran Dorf.  Fiffer adds appropriately, “While the greatest stories inevitably transcend the venue, the venue inevitably affects the story. New York to me has always meant biggest, boldest, and best, and I think performing in "the City" inspires a higher level of craft.”

Ivy Eisenberg is “going home.” She currently lives in White Plains but says of performing in New York, “It's great to perform in my hometown. And what is great about performing in New York is that you are working with fellow performers who hustle and can't be lackadaisical about life (otherwise they get trampled). The energy of the other performers is important to working in a great show. I also like that no one laughs at my accent.”

Fran Dorf  (Stamford resident) and Rob Jackson chimed in. Said Dorf, “I'm thrilled to be returning to the scene of the crime, where I said ‘yes’ to what turned out to be the most insane first date in history, in the greatest city in the world, New York City.” Dorf’s story on December 8 chronicles that first date, and usually brings the house down into convulsive laughter. And finally, Jackson put it this way, “I make 30-second television commercials, so short-form storytelling is a home away from home. New York City won’t believe what its been missing!”

So don’t miss it. Sunday December 8 is the launch date; the show starts at 4 PM. The Underground is located at 955 West End Avenue at 107th Street. For reservations call 212-531-4759. There is a cover charge of $15 with a 2-drink minimum. For more information contact Ina Chadwick at ina@mousemuse.com.