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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