Jonah Solheim
A person onstage at the Wil-Mar Center.
Madison Story Slam returns to bold storytelling from people who care.
Adam Rostad hosted his first story slam at Johnson Public House in September 2013, taking over from former host Greg White.
Initially, the crowd was a group of 20-30 close-knit regulars. With each event, the crowd grew. By January 2015 audiences of 150 had outgrown the Johnson Public House space. The JPH Story Slam became Madison Story Slam, and Rostad began holding the events at the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center — until COVID-19 shut down the state.
There was one silver lining — Rostad had been diagnosed with diabetes in December 2019 and the shutdown allowed him to focus on his health, without the temptation to frequent bars and restaurants. But over time he felt the weight of the isolation.
On May 20, he’s heading back to the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center to rebuild the Madison Story Slam community. He’ll be helped by his wife, Ashley, who manages a lot of what happens behind the scenes. (She’s been doing so since November 2013, as part of the couple’s second date.) The slam’s May theme matches its mission: “Boldly.” Rostad is looking for storytellers and stories that straddle that fine line between audacious and embarrassing, stories that are told shamelessly and deeply.
While the slam has always been meaningful for Rostad, before the break he hadn’t realized it also fulfilled that role for others. Last summer, Rostad heard that his good friend from Madison Story Slam, Dave Nelson, lost his battle with anxiety and depression. The struggle with depression was often a focus for Nelson’s stories and the news pushed Rostad to examine what the story slam meant for others.“For him, it was a pillar of his mental health. It was a pillar of community for him,” Rostad says.
“For some people [the story slam] was just an opportunity to practice their comedic storytelling,” he says. “For some people, it was an opportunity to get some cheap drinks and have some fun with friends. But for a lot of people, it is a real community that cares about you and has your back.”
The fundamentals of the slam will remain. Storytellers can prepare in advance and sign up on the Madison Story Slam Facebook page or live in the moment and volunteer on the spot. The event is free, although there is a $10 suggested donation. Rostad is still unsure if the slam will be a competition going forward. He may initially include judging “to just see how it goes.”
Rostad says he chose the ‘boldly’ theme for Dave Nelson. “He was the boldest storyteller I’ve ever met. He would get up there and just tell you anything, as long as it connected.”
The theme is also a nod to the Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center in the way that it strengthens its community by meeting people where they are, says Rostad. A portion of the proceeds from the event are being donated to the center to support its mission. Rostad is also considering turning Madison Story Slam into a nonprofit.
For Rostad, storytelling is his way of contributing to the community: “People get to experience that cathartic feeling of just getting up in front of strangers and kind of ripping your chest open and saying, ‘Here I am, please accept me,’” he says.“Storytelling is this really cool thing that draws a line of connection between every single person in the room individually and the person on the stage.”
