Conundrum Chronicles
(A StorySlam)
Hosted by Fred Brill
Where Stories are Told * Moral Dilemmas Unfold * Judgements are Bold!
In Person at The Marsh San Francisco Mainstage
Click for In-Person Tickets
Second Tuesdays at 7:00 pm
Upcoming Performances
September 28 (10 am – 11:30 am)
Theme: Stuck/Unstuck
In partnership with 826 Valencia
Performances will be students involved with 826 Valencia, an educational nonprofit that provides free writing workshops and support to students in San Francisco
October 9 (7:30 – 9:30 pm)
FREE Pop-Up Show @ The Marsh Cafe
(Shows every 30 minutes | 20 min runtime)
Join us during Valencia LIVE (powered by Square) for an evening of true stories told by past Conundrum performers. While the street comes alive from 16th to 19th, take a short walk to The Marsh Café for intimate, powerful storytelling — for free!
October 14
Theme: Who are You?
Featured Storyteller: Angeli Fitch
November 11
Theme: Privilege
Featured Storyteller: William Humnicky
December 9
Theme: Illusion of Choice
Featured Storyteller: Tanna Samone Hall
Ticket Information
Tickets: $10 – $25 General Seating sliding scale | $50 & $100 Reserved Seating
Online ticket sales close 2 hours before each performance,
and additional tickets may be available for purchase at the door.
105 minutes | No Intermission | All Ages
Please do not bring infants to the show
Please read our
Health, Safety and COVID-19 Information
Our commitment to our patrons
Theme & Featured Storytellers
October 9
Beau Ryder Davis (Host) is a comedian and storyteller based in Oakland, California. He is a 8-time Moth Story Slam winner, most recent Bay Area Moth GrandSlam winner, and has appeared on the nationally syndicated Moth Radio Hour. He’s currently working on a show about growing up in the rural mountain town of Hazard, Kentucky, which was rated “the least happy town in America” in 2008 by the esteemed Dr. Oz television show. He promises this show is funny and not as sad as Hazard. To earn money, Beau is a Marketing Manager for Kinder’s Barbecue.
Storytelling comedian Keith Lowell Jensen has performed all over the world, including headlining the First International China Comedy Festival in Shanghai. He has recorded 8 comedy specials, including his latest, Not For Rehire. He’s also published three books with a fourth on the way. He co-created and hosts the In a Nutshell Storytelling show in Sacramento.
Amy Bee writes short-form memoir and has been published in places like New Ohio Review, Ozy, Atticus, Heartwood, Salon, and other cool places. Her work has been loosely collected into an almost-memoir called The Wilderness Years on Substack. She has also been a book editor since 2018 and loves helping others tell their stories. Amy is the co-creator of In a Nutshell Storytelling in Sacramento and has secretly always wanted to tell her stories out loud to an audience. She also wants you to know that she’s failed at hiking the Pacific Crest Trail three times.
October 14
The Theme for October 14 is “Who are You? In moments of challenge, heartbreak, or triumph, the truth of who we are comes into focus. Identity can be an amalgamation of memory, culture, choices, and dreams. This month’s theme invites storytellers to reflect on the journeys, encounters, and turning points that shape us. Who are you today—and how did you become that person?
Featured Storyteller, Angeli Raven Fitch is an attorney and AI educator who also loves to write children’s books, design jewelry, and step on stage to tell stories. Offstage, she is a daughter caring for her mother, a role that has redefined her sense of love, resilience, and understanding of dementia.
How it Works
The Conundrum Chronicles uses a StorySlam format that challenges storytellers to share a five-minute story about a moral dilemma they have confronted. (First-time storytellers are especially welcome!) Audience members are then invited to discuss, and score each story based on the elements of the stories, giving meaningful feedback to the storytellers.
Guidelines:
- Seven storytellers are drawn from a hat on the night of the performance. There will also be a featured storyteller
- All stories must be true, about you, and connected to the theme.
- No notes are allowed.
- Stories must be respectful of individuals, avoiding disparagement based on culture, class, race, sex, religion, language, gender identity, sexual preference, age, and ability/disability.
- Stories must be five minutes long (with a one minute grade period).
- After each story is told, audience members will have the opportunity to discuss the qualities of the stories with their friends and elbow partners.
- Audience members will then score storytellers using a Google Survey based on:
- Authenticity
- Entertainment
- Stakes/Tension
- Heart-touching
- Reflection and Resolution
Through this unique scoring system, not only will the winning story be determined, but storytellers will receive real-time feedback on the impact of their narratives. Celebrate the power of storytelling to entertain, inspire reflection, and empathy.
Each year, the winning storyteller from each month will be invited to participate in THE STORYTELLING SUMMIT OF THE CONUNDRUM CHRONICLES!
Storytellers may purchase videos of their performances for $35.00