Storytelling is a valuable part of the human experience. Passed down from generations, stories allow us to share valuable life lessons and personal anecdotes with the people around us.
Hyde Park Storytelling, a local event centered around storytelling, draws Austinites from near and far for a backyard night of fun, kolaches, and the sharing of stories at Batch Kolaches in East Austin. The event allows eight storytellers to take the stage and share a story with the audience.
Matthew Stoner, the co-founder of Hyde Park Storytelling, originally got the idea to host an event like this from listening to podcasts during the pandemic. Specifically, he was inspired by “The Moth” podcast, a way for people to share their stories and life experiences during a time of isolation.
“I was just moved by people’s stories [from “The Moth”],” Stoner said. “At that point in 2014, I was only in Austin for two years, and I just wanted to get to know people.”
Motivated to form connections and a community of Austinites, Stoner and his roommates started Hyde Park Storytelling from the backyard of their studio apartment in Austin. What started as a small event in a backyard setting has evolved into an Austin spectacle at Batch Kolaches with ASL interpretation and ample space for audience members.
Theresa Donlin, a professional American Sign Language Interpreter and member of the Sign Language Access for Social Justice: ATX organization, volunteers to interpret stories at the event. She believes that having interpreters for spoken events like Hyde Park Storytelling is important for representing the Deaf community in Austin.
“[Having interpreters] makes everybody more aware of the fact that Deaf people exist,” Donlin said. “It exposes everybody to sign language and to the Deaf community and normalizes a different aspect of accommodations and accessibility. Often, small local events like this are overlooked, so having that access is really important.”
Despite Hyde Park Storytelling becoming more of an official production, the initial laid-back backyard vibe and feeling of community remain. Sarah Tarrance, a first-time storyteller who shared a story at the May 3rd event, was drawn to this distinct Austin vibe and close community.
“I thought [Hyde Park Storytelling] was a very cool representation of Austin and just the kind of community that Austin brings,” Tarrance said. “When I came, I just instantly fell in love with the overall vibe of the place and how many people and families were here.”
Additionally, Hyde Park Storytelling does not look at the stories prior to the show. However, they do offer optional guidance to help storytellers practice beforehand. Stoner believes this surprise aspect of the event can form pure human connections and community.
“In the age of social media, everything is curated, everything’s perfect all of the time,” Stoner said. “ [But] life isn’t perfect. It’s messy, and we like to have some of our storytellers show up in that way. It’s not a perfect performance, and showing a person being vulnerable and unraveling parts of themselves in real-time matches the human element where it’s kind of messy.”
