The ancient art of storytelling morphed into the North Shore debut of “Truth Be Told” at the Gorton Community Center in Lake Forest on Feb. 25. The event featured an urban-centered brand of intimate face-to-face storytelling, produced and curated by Scott Whitehair, creator of Story Lab Chicago and producer of the “This Much Is True” storytelling series, and co-produced by Anne Purky of Lake Forest.
The setting was the Gorton Center’s Stuart Community Room with its crackling fireplace, where patrons were invited to enjoy cocktails during the telling of live personal narratives.
“With the storytelling genre evolving on a national level, it falls directly in line with our mission to bring unique and city-centric experiences to Gorton, providing access to this growing art form without having to hop a train to the city – an event that appeals to the intellect, to the emotions, and to matters of the soul,” said Ann Wildman, director of special events.
Whitehair’s lineup included multiple Moth GrandSLAM winners and award-winning solo artists.
“These storytellers are some of the finest around, and we put together an intimate evening of telling to share the heartbreaking, the hilarious and everything in between,” Whitehair said.
Hilary Ward Schnadt of Grayslake brought her husband Corky to “Truth Be Told.” Schnadt’s grandfather was an Irish storyteller in vaudeville, and Schnadt started spinning her own tales while studying at Northwestern University in the mid-1990s.
“The current trend is telling personal stories that you can certify are true,” Schnadt said. “Twenty years ago, I was telling folk tales inspired by a Hmong story cloth (stories embroidered on cloth), and translating these into stories that I could tell.”
The storytelling format differs from that of other theater or a play, as the performance requires speaking directly to the audience. The contemporary resurgence of storytelling gained popularity, Whitehair said, mostly through podcasts, radio shows and story slams like The Moth storytelling group based in New York City, featured on the Moth Radio Hour and on NPR.
Melissa Cook of Fort Sheridan says she likes to share storytelling with her third grade students at Greeley School in Winnetka.
“An event like this in Lake Forest is really fantastic,” Cook said. “It’s an opportunity to gain insight into our common humanity, and it’s always comforting when you can see yourself in someone else’s story.”
Whitehair says the next step will be to get people from Lake Forest and the surrounding North Shore communities to share their stories on stage.
“We all want connection, and telling our stories is a good way to build empathy, to understand ourselves and each other,” Whitehair said.
Gina Grillo is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
