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92Y’s Storytellers

 

Moth regular Leslie Goshko brings a cast of colleagues to new showcase downtown.

 

By Bethany Trottier / Jester Correspondent

 

Performer and storyteller Leslie Goshko (a regular in The Moth and Liar Show storytelling series) hosted an evening of storytelling at the 92Y Tribeca on October 20, bringing together colleagues who could transform dark, stressful and embarrassing moments into funny and insightful tales.

The event began with Leslie's Goshko's jovial introduction to herself, the show and Dr. Michelle, an accordionist accompanied by her dog. (Every storytelling show should have an accordionist, I have decided. Accordions can sound sweetly sad, but still project light, jaunty sounds.)

Ed Gavagan began the yarn spinning with a riveting tale of the summer he and his little brother finally met their long ago disappeared Vietnam Vet uncle. The decidedly dark and wasted Uncle brings some real life POW experience to the two boys which would probably get the authorities involved in this day and age. The Vietnam War is not something one should try at home.

Work life seems to bring about very special humiliations for many folks, but nothing like on the level of Steve Burns. After hosting a popular children's television show, he agrees to become a brand ambassador for Children’s Tylenol. In Florida. Needless to say, it wasn’t the best timing for Burns.

Leslie Goshko takes us on a journey through one summer with her insane family, especially her drunk father, who had difficulties with wearing pants and other social niceties, her religiously possessed mother, and a sister who rips out nearly all of her own hair. Oh, yes and a Russian orphan.

The account of Tom Shillue's childhood finds him attempting to fit in by insinuating himself into the triumphant side of every single event in his school or neighborhood. Shillue recalls being a winner by osmosis. By latching on to the table with the cool kids whatever the personal cost and actually selling out his friends, its likely that no one from his childhood speaks to him anymore.

Between the stories, performers challenged the audience with various insane trivia questions. Mercifully, these were true-or-false – otherwise they might have been a head-scratching distraction from what was a fun and thoughtful set of storytelling performances.

Leslie Goshko performs next at 9 p.m. October 26 at Luca Lounge in New York.

 

   

     

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