CLEVELAND, Ohio — Dana Norris is working the crowd.

• Story Club makes telling stories for a good cause happen once a month in Cleveland
• The session has two featured speakers and an open mic segment, with donations going to a local charity
• The speakers are given 8 minutes to tell a story related to the theme, with the goal of connecting the speakers and audience

And she’s not the only one.

Jessica Shickel came to Story Club to tell stories as part of the back-to-school theme. 

“Yes. You can definitely get nervous the first time, but it’s such a nice crowd and everybody is really there to support you,” said Shickel, Story Club speaker.

Norris started Story Club after realizing stand-up comedy and poetry weren’t a good fit.

But she wanted a place where people could share experiences.

So, she set up a microphone, started talking, and others joined. 

Story Club is held once a month at Urban Winery in Cleveland and has featured speakers, as well as an open mic segment, with donations going to a local charity.

“What I hope they take away is that they leave feeling more connected to their community, feeling more connected to the other storytellers and just to strangers, and also to themselves and their own voice,” said Norris. 

In this room, there are plenty of stories to tell and connections to make.