Well here we are fall, and it’s time to blow the dust off ye olde Blowhard Presents. After a busy summer of lazing on the beach, it’s time to get back to curating stories and performances organized around a theme. For quite a while, we’ve been mulling over the theme of sibling rivalry, and we’ve officially decided to stop mulling it over, and start programming a night around it! We are close to confirming a date (I can tell you it’ll be some time in early or mid November) and we are starting to talk about some of our dream segments. Here’s where you come in, if you like. We are looking for all kinds of sibling stories, including: stories of half-siblings emerging from the woodwork; stories of siblings in blended families; siblings by sperm donor; black sheep siblings; white sheep siblings. Tales of battling siblings over inheritances. Or anything really. Sibling stories told by twins. Elderly siblings. Siblings who have competing versions of the same childhood memory.

If you have a story to tell, we’d love to worm it out of you. We have ways, and most of them will not be painful to you at all, even if you think you are shy/have stagefright/could never tell a personal story in front of the most amazing, friendliest audience in the world. Let us convince you! Drop us a line in the comments here, or email us at blowhard presents at gmail dot com. Take out the spaces, obviously. And the words at and dot. But you knew that. Right? Say yes, or I’m telling Mom!

We had a great brunch meeting on Saturday and confirmed our storytellers for the next iteration of Blowhard Presents. We’re delighted to announce our line up for Tuesday, April 12th:

Lee Anne Gillan with a whale of a tale about a singular obsession that takes us all the way to Malta…

The Most Reverend Bob Chaisson returns, with a story about friendship that’s clear as mud and gets downright dirty…

Sarah Mian with a chilling tale of girls gone riled…

And Bill Wood makes his triumphant Blowhard Presents return, with a story about a break-in in which nothing is taken, and something very unexpected is left behind.

Plus, we ask our audience that age old question: Tell us about a time you got more than you bargained for.

Hosted by the lovely and talented Tara Doyle.

Blowhard is…Andrea Dorfman, Jackie Torrens, Tara Doyle and Stephanie Domet.

As always, a mere five dollars gets you in the door. We start at 7pm, at FRED, 2606 Agricola Street. See you there!

We are always meaning to document our events, and we usually…forget. Or espouse a philosophy that Blowhard Presents is ethereal, and if you’re not in the room when it happened, then you missed it, and you should endeavour never to miss one. Yeah, that. Still, I managed to take a few shots at our storytelling workshop in January, Blowhard Presents: From Suck to Suck-cess.

Pictured: Our host, Andrea Dorfman…and demonstrating the physical art of storytelling, Jackie Torrens.

Calling all storytellers: Blowhard Presents More Than I Bargained For.

Our next Blowhard Presents is April 12th and we’re on the hunt for storytellers. So if you have a story to tell on the theme, we’re interested in you. Your story doesn’t have to be long — five or ten minutes will do. And if it’s a diamond in the rough, we’ll help you shine it up. In fact, we’ll work with you till it’s kick ass. Anyone who’s ever worked up the balls to tell a story to our great audiences has loved the experience. Because people love stories and the people who tell them.

So… about that theme. It’s nice and broad, y0u may have a story without even knowing it.

Ever made a deal but didn’t read the fine print? Or get in a situation that was over your head? More than you expected, good or bad? Ever made a “deal with the devil” (metaphorically or otherwise)? Email us now at email blowhardpresents@gmail.com – we want to hear from you!

Bargain: a type of negotiation in which the buyer and seller of a good or service dispute the price which will be paid and the exact nature of the transaction that will take place; “he made a bargain with the devil”; an advantageous purchase; over and above what is expected.

Blowhard Present is…Andrea Dorfman, Jackie Torrens, Tara Doyle and Stephanie Domet.

The Blowhard Presenters met last night to figure out next week’s event. Andrea Dorfman will once again lead a storytelling workshop–we first did this about three years ago, and it was great. We met some amazing people, and many of them went on to tell stories at subsequent events, so we’re really looking forward to what next week’s event will yield.

We all talked over which stories we’ll be telling. I cannot wait to hear the stories of my colleagues fleshed out. It’s gonna be a good one!

So even if you think you’ll probably never get the urge to tell a story to an audience, come see us next Tuesday night. There’ll be the usual good times, including audience participation…and dips by Whet! Five bucks gets you in the door. What else are you doing on a Tuesday night in January?

Jackie Torrens, Tara Doyle and Stephanie Domet will tell stories on the theme of That’s Why. Plus Andrea Dorfman tells you everything you need to know to shape your own story for a future edition of Blowhard Presents. Five dollars gets you in the door for this workshop, Tuesday, January 25, 7-9pm. FRED on Agricola Street.

Yes, though we usually prefer the good old fashioned technology of a simple story told well, we recognize the awesome power of the internet for bringing attention to stories, storytellers, and storytelling evenings.

We’re still working on the joint, but we want to let you know about our next event: