Free State Story Slam started off the new semester with a bang on January 15, with ‘Toys’ as the theme. The event takes place once a month at the Lawrence Arts Center, beginning with live music that lead into an evening of stories from some of the greatest raconteurs on this side of the Missouri River.
One of the largest crowds turned out to ‘Toys,’ during which, the storytellers did not disappoint. Some of the stories from that evening aired on Ad Astra on Wednesday, Jan. 27th. Take a listen if you missed it, or if you just want to hear it again. Here’s the breakdown of those stories:
- Rhonda kicked off the segment with a story called “Dad’s Buggy.” She recounted her dad’s hobby of restoring old Volkswagen cars, during a time in which the Internet did not provide all of the answers. This lead to many mishaps with the vehicles she drove to school each day.
- Charles then told of his daughter’s turmoil over her first move in a tale called “Moving.” The possibility of loosing all of her toys and books brought his daughter to tears – lots of them. However, she quickly welcomed the idea of moving once she discovered that her belongings also moved to the new house.
- In a story titled “Art Project,” January told an account of a memorable art project headed by a fourth grade class. Using old scraps never sounded fun until this group of creative forth graders got their hands on that scrap box.
- Grant recounted a hilarious incident in “Boy Toy Awry,” involving a golf cart. What began as an attempt to test a few spare keys quickly turned into an unforgettable afternoon.
- The Story Slam recap ended with a duo of fan favorites. Lana spoke first with “3233 Timberlake Lane,” also known as “the cool house on the block.” Family fun took on a whole new meaning with the latest game in the household: laser tag.
- Joe ended out the show with his story, “Two Toys.” He crafted two stories in one during this hilarious tale. First, Joe spoke about a family friend who received a toy that did not quite turn out the way they expected. Second, he talked about his prized car and the way his son took revenge.