WAUPACA – The Waupaca Story Project (WSP) returns again with another storytelling session on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Grand National Lounge in downtown Waupaca. The stories start at 6:30 p.m. and will end around 8:30 p.m. According to organizer Rebecca Thieme, the story submissions are still rolling in and the final selections will be made by the end of the week. Each event has seven storytellers, with one slot available for a “wild card” which is new to the events this year.
“I attended a Moth Storytelling Slam in Madison and at those events, attendees put their name in a hat if they want to tell a story. Then they pick at random. So, this concept has been added to WSP. One name is drawn for the wild card spot. Everyone really enjoys it,” said Thieme.
The Waupaca Story Project was on pause for a few years as Thieme attended to other things in life. People kept asking her about it everywhere she went. The owners of The Grand National Lounge offered to host the event and that was the sign for Thieme to revive the project.
There have been four storytelling events this year. They were well attended and more people are showing up to listen to true, personal stories or share their own.
“All stories are based on a theme that can be broadly interpreted. Storytellers are from all walks of life. We may not be able to connect on a lot in our world right now, but stories and the human experience will always be a connecting thread,” said Thieme.
Thieme is collaborating with a Wisconsin Public Radio event and another with the Waupaca Area Poetry Group. The Holly Historical Center asked for a couple storytellers for their fundraiser dinner in February and Thieme recently taught a storytelling class for adults at the Waupaca Arts Hub and was a guest teacher at the Chain Exploration Center for 5th and 6th grade students to learn about storytelling during their personal narrative project unit cycle. Their teachers organized a story showcase at the Waupaca Public Library where some students had their stories written or pre-recorded, while 10 others told their stories live in front of an audience.
She also arranged for some student storytellers to share their personal experiences with digital media at a meeting with ThedaCare and Supporting Youth, Nurturing Connection, a group focused on understanding the impact of digital media on youth mental health and wellbeing.
The Oct. 27 event will be the last of 2026 and the next one will be held in January or February. The goal is to do one every couple months. The Waupaca Story Project is free WSP events but relies on donations to stay afloat.
People can follow on the Waupaca Story Project Facebook page and the contact is waupacastoryproject@gmail.com.
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