WILDCARD! True Stories Told Live By YOU (Oct 21)
WILDCARD! True Stories Told Live By You, An Open Mic Story Swap presented by In a Nutshell Storytelling
Hey, Sacramento. We're back. 👻
WILDCARD! is happening Wednesday, October 21, and we really, truly want you there.
Here's how this works now: eight names get pulled from the NOT HAT. Eight storytellers get up and tell their truth with craft and intention. And at the end of the night, the storytellers themselves vote for their favorite story. The winner takes home $50 and a featured spot at the next show.
It's part open mic, part StorySLAM, part something Sacramento has never quite seen before. And it keeps getting better.
True stories, told live, by you. With stakes! We love it.
Our Featured Storyteller:
John Keenan—Last month, John got up in front of a room full of strangers and told a harrowing childhood story about friendship and a gun. It was the kind of story you don't forget. The storytellers voted. John won.
A little about John: he's the seventh of eight siblings, grew up with a nuclear engineer father in Spokane, spent 46 years as a licensed contractor, raised a family, and is currently still living in his first home in Orangevale, surrounded by 7 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. He recently became an award-winning storyteller.
He's also been told he's handsome. We can confirm.
This month John's back with a feature spot and a new story he's not ready to tell us about yet. We respect the mystery. We trust the storyteller. Come find out what he brought.
And of course, the NOT HAT.
Eight storytellers drawn from the NOT HAT. Eight minutes. True stories. Come early to sign up — spots fill fast.
Some people tell their first story at WILDCARD. Others come back month after month to stretch their craft, compete for the prize, or just be part of a room where humans actually listen to each other.
Either way, you belong here.
Your Nutshell Three:
Keith Lowell Jensen — host, comedian, and the kind of person who makes you feel like you've known him for years, approximately four minutes after meeting him. He will hold this night together with warmth, wit, and probably at least one perfectly timed callback.
Amy Bee — creator, producer, co-host, and the woman who decided Sacramento needed something like this badly enough to actually build it herself. She is equal parts nervous and delighted about everything, always.
Aaron Carnes — author, music journalist, and the quiet force that keeps WILDCARD running smoothly every single month. According to Amy Bee, also an absolute treat to look at. He appreciates the acknowledgment. Probably.
📅 Wednesday, Oct 21| 7pm (doors at 6pm — come early to sign up and put your name in the NOT HAT!) 📍 Teneral Cellars | 1050 20th St #110, Midtown Sacramento 🎟️ $15 in advance or at the door
Teneral is a beautiful wine tasting room in the heart of Midtown. Come early, get a glass, settle in. Stay after and keep talking. The night doesn't have to end when the stories do.
We are building something wonderful here in Sacramento. Come help us build it.
🌀 October's Optional Theme: HAUNTED!
Ghosts. Grudges. Places you can't go back to. People you can't stop thinking about. Decisions that followed you home. Whatever haunts you, this is the month to tell it.
No theme required, as always. But if you've got a story that fits... you know what to do. 👻
A note on craft:
Stories are true, personal, and told live. We strongly encourage telling without notes; there’s something that happens when a story lives in your body rather than on a page. But we welcome every storyteller as they are. What we always ask for is intention. Show up ready to share something real. Practice it. Polish it. PERFORM IT!
“Anyone can step up to the mic. All we ask is that you step up with intention.” — THEE Amy Bee
🏆 And mark your calendars: the WILDCARD! Shiny Thing Showcase is coming November 14th at Two Rivers Cider. All of this season's winners on one stage. One extraordinary night. Tickets at [link].
🖤 Also coming up: In a Nutshell Storytelling presents DARK HEARTS
If "Haunted!" speaks to you, you might also love our October mainstage show. Four storytellers. One very dark and beating theme. October 16th at The Sofia.