Stories: quick as we can tell them!  More!Our annual Shortest Story extravaganza took place at the Centaur Theatre on January 13, 2023The storytellers in Part 2 are:Mike PellegrinMichele Luchs Julia Haney Ariel Shirker Yigal Judah Nisha Coleman Francesca Esguerra Myriam Ennajimi Sherwin Tija Jimmy ChowAmanda Perry If you want to watch the show, you can do that right hereAnd while you're on our page, please subscribe to our YouTube channel for more stories  @confabulationstoriesStay in the loop with all of our upcoming live shows by subscribing to our newsletter www.confabulation.ca   We'll be announcing next season's themes later this summer.Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continued support.Produced and hosted : Matt Goldberg and Deb VansletPost production: Deb Vanslet

Stories: quick as we can tell them!Our annual Shortest Story extravaganza took place at the Centaur Theatre on January 13, 2023Follow along, guess the storyteller! Here's the show order for part 1: Matt Goldberg Claire Sherwood Zahraa Chorghay Vadim GranErica SchmidtDeb VanSlet Alexia Cote Myke Wilder Johanne Cadorette Lukas RowlandJohanne Pelletier Naika JosephEmma Lanza  If you want to watch the show, you can do that right hereAnd while you're on our page, please subscribe to our YouTube channel for more stories  @confabulationstoriesStay in the loop with all of our upcoming live shows by subscribing to our newsletter www.confabulation.ca   We'll be announcing next season's themes later this summer.Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continued support.Produced and hosted : Matt Goldberg and Deb VansletPost production: Deb Vanslet

This episode features a story by Lea Beddia from our Good Date/Bad Date show in March 2022 at the Centaur Theatre in Montreal. Stay tuned after the story for an interview with Lea about, among other things, the intersection of her writing life and her storytelling life. Lea is a high school teacher and the author of two young adult novels. She is a compulsive reader and coffee drinker, and loves stories of family and childhood. You can follow her on social media and check out  her website at www.leabeddia.comFor more stories, please subscribe to our YouTube channel @confabulationstoriesStay in the loop with all of our upcoming live shows by subscribing to our newsletter www.confabulation.ca   New themes for a new season will be announced this summer!Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continued support.Produced and hosted : Matt Goldberg and Deb VansletPost production: Deb Vanslet

This episode  features Juliana Léveillé-Trudel, host and producer of Enfabulation, a French-language storytelling show in Montreal. Juliana also produces the Enfabulation podcast. Her featured story was told live on the Mainline Theatre stage in 2017.From June 22, 2023 to February 16, 2024, six Enfabulation shows will be part of the CAM on Tour program, a program that has been spreading the arts across the island of Montreal for 40 years.For a schedule of Enfabulation's summer tour, check out www.enfabulation.ca or go to their FB page.Check out their podcast, wherever you do your listening.For more stories, please subscribe to our YouTube channel @confabulationstoriesStay in the loop with all of our upcoming live shows by subscribing to our newsletter www.confabulation.ca   And if you see a theme that inspires a story, pitch it here!Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continued support.Produced and hosted : Matt Goldberg and Deb VansletPost production: Deb Vanslet

This episode features a story by, and an interview with, Keith Serry. The story is from our Summer Love event — and Keith uses this theme to reflect not on romantic love, but that temporary, fleeting feeling of a youthful moment.Keith Serry is a father, husband, performer, teacher, producer, host, journalist, and, when called upon, lawyer based in Montreal.Since 2020, Keith has produced and hosted The Volume Knob (www.volumeknob.net), a podcast where some of North America's most talented storytellers share stories about the way music makes us feel.Keith told this story live on the Centaur stage in September 2022.You can watch it hereAnd while you're doing that, please subscribe to our YouTube channel for more stories  @confabulationstoriesStay in the loop with all of our upcoming live shows by subscribing to our newsletter www.confabulation.ca   And if you see a theme that inspires a story, pitch it here!Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continued support.Produced and hosted : Matt Goldberg and Deb VansletPost production: Deb Vanslet

This episode features a story by, and an interview with, Gracia Dyer Jalea about channelling the stories of our ancestors. Gracia is an award-winning change leader, founder, and mother of twins. Her work as an artist and researcher focuses on transnational learning and storytelling as a means for community building, connection, and personal and social transformation. Gracia has a podcast called Meet Me in the Square, which you can find on various platforms.Gracia told this story live on the Centaur stage in May 2022. You can watch it hereAnd while you're doing that, please subscribe to our YouTube channel for more stories  @confabulationstoriesStay in the loop with all of our upcoming live shows by subscribing to our newsletter www.confabulation.ca   And if you see a theme that inspires a story, pitch it here!Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continued support.Produced and hosted : Matt Goldberg and Deb VansletPost production: Deb Vanslet Theme song: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water.Additional music : Epidemic Sound

It's all in how you look at it, where you're standing, or just who you are. In this episode, we'll hear a story by Michele Luchs, and then talk to her about perspective and what it means to get at a truth -- not the whole truth, just one of so many.Michele Luchs is a storyteller, media-literacy specialist, teacher trainer and curriculum writer. She is a producer at Confabulation, where she also teaches StoryLab, Confabulation’s storytelling workshop.And here's another perspective: watch Michele tell the story at our March 2023 show at the Phi Centre hereSubscribe to our YouTube channel for more stories  @confabulationstoriesStay in the loop with all of our upcoming live shows by subscribing to our newsletter www.confabulation.ca   And if you see a theme that inspires a story, pitch it here!Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continued support.Produced and hosted : Matt Goldberg and Deb VansletPost production: Deb Vanslet Theme song: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water.Additional music : Epidemic Sound

This episode, Déjà Vu, explores just how personal that feeling of familiarity really is through two stories from our live show.These two fantastic storytellers, Taylor Tower and Nathan Elliott, graced the Confabulation stage at the Mainline Theatre in April 2022. Taylor Tower is  a storyteller and communications professional based in Montreal. Her work has appeared on Public Radio Remix and CBC's WireTap with Jonathan Goldstein.Nathan Elliott writes fiction and nonfiction, teaches literature in colleges and universities, and provides a bit of commercial editing. He grew up in the United States, and he has spent time in Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, and Newfoundland; today he lives in Montréal with his spouse and child.Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more stories told live on various stages around town  @confabulationstoriesStay in the loop with all of our upcoming live shows by subscribing to our newsletter www.confabulation.ca   And if you see a theme that inspires a story, pitch it here!Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continued support.Produced and hosted : Matt Goldberg and Deb VansletPost production: Deb Vanslet Theme song: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water.Additional music : Epidemic Sound

Season 4, Episode 2 features Maryam Ganni telling a story at the Centaur Theatre in Montreal,  in March 2022. It was our first live show in two years, and what a thrill it was to be back in front of a live audience. Maryam's story is a study in courage, humility and humour. Stay tuned for the conversation afterwards between Maryam and Deb about what it means to be a storyteller.Maryam Ganni is a motivational speaker and disability advocate. Her background as a professional makeup artist inspires her with not only her storytelling, but also her life in general, in which she enjoys drawing outside the lines. For more about Maryam : www.facebook.com/seewithmaryamVisit our YouTube channel for more stories @confabulationstoriesStay in the loop with all of our upcoming live shows by subscribing to our newsletter www.confabulation.ca   And if you see a theme that inspires a story, pitch it here!Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continued support.Produced and hosted : Matt Goldberg and Deb VansletPost production: Deb Vanslet Theme song: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water.Additional music : Epidemic Sound

Season 4 of the Confabulation podcast is back with a fresh batch of stories, interviews with storytellers, and just enough chatter to keep it all rolling.The first episode features two storytellers from our Signs and Symbols show at the Centaur Theatre, Montreal in May 2022. Julia Haney  is an artist, designer and movement enthusiast currently based in Montreal. She tries to see the humour in life's more turbulent moments, because as Stephen Hawking noted, "life would be tragic if it weren't funny." Leigh Kinch-Pedrosa is a long time confabulator, lover of books, and baseball-obsessed Montrealer. Visit our YouTube channel for more stories @confabulationstoriesStay in the loop with all of our upcoming live shows by subscribing to our newsletter www.confabulation.ca   And if you see a theme that inspires a story, pitch it here!Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal and the Canada Council for the Arts for their continued support.Produced and hosted : Matt Goldberg and Deb VansletPost production: Deb Vanslet Theme song: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water.Additional music : Epidemic Sound

It's almost September, and la rentrée this year is a complicated one. We're all adapting, or trying to. In this episode, Elizabeth Varvaro shares a story about responding and adapting to a super complex situation. It's from our October 2018 show recorded at the Phi Centre. Elizabeth Varvaro is a writer, tarot reader, and perpetual grouch. Her first ever collection of short horror stories called EVERYONE IS DEAD is free to read at horrificwriting.wordpress.com. She sometimes tells stories at Confabulation!This is the last show of Season 3! We'll be back in a month with lots more stories to share.Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal for their support of Confabulation.Podcast production: Stephen Trepanier and Deb VanSlet Music credit: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water. You can find more of their music at https://bentbyelephantsband.bandcamp.com/

Confabulation Montreal and Victoria are reunited (and it feels so good). This week's podcast is co-hosted by Matt and Cassandra Tognari, a producer and storyteller from Confabulation Victoria. This episode features Cassandra's story about the timeline of a friendship, and was told in February 2020, in Victoria, B.C. Cassandra is the co-producer, co-host, and story coach for Victoria BC's monthly Confabulation series. She has been living in Victoria for five years where she works in government communications and sits on the Board of Directors for Intrepid Theatre. Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal for their support of Confabulation.Podcast production: Stephen Trepanier and Deb VanSlet Music credit: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water. You can find more of their music at https://bentbyelephantsband.bandcamp.com/

This week Confabulation podcast producer and Technical Director Stephen Trepanier co-hosts the show with Deb, AND tells a story- from way back in January 2013, when he was still a kid, jumping out of runaway shopping carts!Stephen Trepanier is an audio engineer, podcaster, comedian, visual effects editor, and electroacoustic music composer from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and has lived in Montreal, Quebec for the last ten years. Since 2012 Stephen has been involved in the production of live theatre & dance in the city. Stephen's work as an audio engineer has been featured on television, and radio, in formats ranging from documentaries to comedy.Stephen is registered with the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office.Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal for their support of Confabulation.Podcast production: Stephen Trepanier and Deb VanSlet Music credit: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water. You can find more of their music at https://bentbyelephantsband.bandcamp.com/

In the wake of crisis, chaos and care, pandemic and protest: who are we ?This week's podcast features Sara Meleika telling a story about one of the turning points in her life.This story was recorded April 2019 at the Mainline Theatre in Montreal.*Note: Sara mentions a Charlene Nelson at McGill University, her name is actually Charmaine Nelson.Sara Meleika is an Egyptian improviser, storyteller, and high-school teacher. She produces and performs in Colour Outside the Lines – a show created out of a desire to see greater representation appear on Montreal’s improv stages. She is the (Anglophone) Inclusion Coordinator at Montreal Improv, co-produced Ladyfest Montreal 2017 & 2018, and co-artistic directed MPROV 2019. She has performed in MPROV, Montreal Sketchfest, Ladyfest Montreal, the Ottawa Improv Festival, Toronto’s Combustion Festival, the Big City Improv Festival and OFF-JFL/Zoofest.Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal for their support of Confabulation.Podcast production: Stephen Trepanier and Deb VanSlet Music credit: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water. You can find more of their music at https://bentbyelephantsband.bandcamp.com/

This week's podcast features a story by Kadi Diop on making a connection by disconnecting. Her story was recorded February 2020 at the Phi Centre as part of Black History Month.Kadi Diop is the francophone education director of Montreal Improv and an improviser, community organizer, storyteller, sexology student and devoted auntie. She loves sharing her many opinions with a flair of intersectional hullabaloo. She's performed at the Ottawa Improv Festival, Black and Funny, OFF-JFL and other North American festivals and loves plain chips.After the story stay tuned as Matt checks in with Kadi about among other things, getting comfortable with uncomfortable situations.In the interview, Kadi mentioned an online event she moderated -- a conversation with Dr. Myrna Lashley. The event, Systemic Racism and Allyship: Moving Forward Together, was a free event, hosted by the Westhaven Community Centre. Kadi also recommends Racism Explained to My Daughter, by Tahar Ben Jelloun, as a resource for your own essential, uncomfortable conversations.Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal for their support of Confabulation.Podcast production: Stephen Trepanier and Deb VanSlet Music credit: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water. You can find more of their music at https://bentbyelephantsband.bandcamp.com/

Brief language advisory -- this week's story contains a couple of words that may not be appropriate for all audience. They're well-earned words, but still present.This week's podcast features a story by Leigh Kinch-Pedrosa on the complexity of making medical decisions. The story was recorded November 2019 at the Phi Centre. The evening of storytelling was a collaboration with Broad Science, an initiative dedicated to making science inclusive, engaging, and intersectional, through podcasting. Learn more about them at https://www.broadscience.org.After the storytelling, Deb talks to Leigh about how she and her family are coping in Covid times.Leigh Kinch-Pedrosa is the marketing and communications manager for the Rebus Foundation and the former general manger of Confabulation Montreal. As a story producer and storyteller, Leigh finds creative ways to mesh the worlds of food and restaurants with contemporary autobiographical storytelling. She is the creator of Food Core/Essence Culinaire and a story producer for SOUNDBITES, both Phi Centre productions.*During the interview Leigh referenced a story about a Haitian asylum seeker working in a long term care facility who passed away from Covid. His name is Sony Innocent. This is the news story referenced. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/montreal-low-income-inequality-covid-19-1.5570296Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal for their support of Confabulation.Podcast production: Stephen Trepanier and Deb VanSlet Music credit: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water. You can find more of their music at https://bentbyelephantsband.bandcamp.com/

This week's podcast features a story by Smriti Bansal, recorded at our season opening show in September 2019 at the Centaur theatre. Bonus track: Matt checks in by phone with Smriti, who talks, among other things, about the silver lining of dating in the time of Covid. Smriti Bansal is a full time communications maven, and a part time Confabulation producer. She spends her days (and some nights) creating content that empowers companies to reach the people they need to achieve their wildest dreams.Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal for their support of Confabulation.Podcast production: Stephen Trepanier and Deb VanSlet Music credit: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water. You can find more of their music at https://bentbyelephantsband.bandcamp.com/

This week's podcast features a beautiful story by Emira Tufo about loss, escape and rebirth. The story was told before a live audience at our Families show in December 2017. Plus a bonus track! We catch up with Emira at home (where else) and talk about pandemical thinking and being--what to wear to the hardware store and recommended reading for these strange days. Emira Tufo is a Bosnian Canadian lawyer and writer. Her essays have been featured in The Globe and Mail, the Montreal Gazette and on CBC. She is the recipient of the 2019 CBC/Quebec Writers' Federation Writer in Residence Award and is the co-author of Montreal Murmurs, a blog that chronicles the curious, the funny and furious aspects of life in Canada's most mischievous city.Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal for their support of Confabulation.Podcast production: Stephen Trepanier and Deb VanSlet Music credit: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water. You can find more of their music at https://bentbyelephantsband.bandcamp.com/

This week we're doing something a little different with our podcast. We've paired a live event recording with a tale from our Stories in Isolation series.This episode on Loss features Mike Pellegrin x 2:  an epic story recorded live at the Phi Centre in December 2019, and another story, recorded in isolation, at home in front of his computer.Mike Pellegrin is a Montreal storyteller, teacher and craftsman.You can watch the video of Mike's Story in Isolation on our Facebook or Instagram pages -- as well as catch up on our whole #storiesinisolation series. You can send us your own 2-4 minute Story in Isolation to storiesinisolation@confabulation.ca.Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal for their support of Confabulation.Podcast production: Deb VanSlet and Stephen TrepanierMusic credit: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water. You can find more of their music at https://bentbyelephantsband.bandcamp.com/

We are very happy to launch another podcast! This week's episode features two very different kinds of stories about Bodies.Born and raised in Nairobi, Sehar Manji is a Montreal-based actor, writer, improvisor and instructor at Montreal Improv.Her hairy story is from our live show (remember those) in October 2019 at the PHI centre.Gina Granter is a comedian, storyteller and English teacher in Montreal. Her story is from way back on January 2016, the show was recorded at the Mainline Theatre and the theme was The Body.Thanks to the Conseil des Arts de Montreal for their support of Confabulation.Music credit: Can't Have You by Bent by Elephants from their album This is Water. You can find more of their music at https://bentbyelephantsband.bandcamp.com/