Storytelling Open Mic-WALK-INS WELCOME

DNS takes place the second Wednesday of every month. No Cover Charge!

Do Not Submit Lake Forest takes place in a cozy room in the Gorton Center, Lake Forest. It is a monthly storytelling open mic in an enthusiastic, supportive environment free from pressure, judgment, or scoring. No experience is necessary to participate. All are welcome to speak or simply listen. Arrive at 7:15 to sign up for a spot, and when your name is called, participants will have up to 7 minutes to tell/read/tap dance any personal story/fiction/essay on proper flossing they’d like. All language and content is acceptable except for hate speech. No cover charge. Beer, wine and non alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Hosted by Elizabeth Brown, Mary Lou Gilliam, and Sarita Miller and Jasmin Rodriguez

About Your Host

As a pathologist, Elizabeth Brown spent hundreds of hours hunched over either a microscope or a dead body.  She then worked as a consultant to the medical device industry writing technical reports, all dry as dust and utterly humorous.  Original thoughts were few, as all statements had to be referenced.   Spreading her wings to creative non-fiction has been a liberating joy.  Elizabeth has performed at story telling events in Highwood, Arlington Heights, Evanston and Chicago, but is delighted to be hosting an open mic in her home town of Lake Forest.

Mary Lou Gilliam is retired from two careers: English teaching and educational publishing. She has been on the stage since she was 10 doing dramatic readings, singing, or some combination thereof. An English major with a theater minor, she found that teaching extended the performance world when she began writing first person narratives to model both writing and speaking for her students. Because she was born and raised in a small Swedish farm town in western Illinois, think Garrison Keillor for thematic content. About ten years ago, while considering retirement, she took her stories on the road, so to speak, by joining Short Story Theatre in the Northshore suburbs. She has also performed at Story Lab Chicago, Truth Be Told, and Backyard Stories. Having lived quite a few decades by now, her narratives include both the travails and thrills of a long (and possibly over-examined) life. She keeps busy with volunteer work, private tutoring, international travel, and as much time with her four grandchildren as she can.