Spark Off Rose

This is a good place to get your storytelling feet wet. Check online for upcoming show themes (past ones have included “addicted,” “trapped” and “fearless”), and email the staff with an outline of your story idea. If they like it, you’ll be booked for an upcoming show. Sounds a little intimidating, but many of the performers here are new, and it’s a super-inclusive crowd. You’ll also have a chance to practice your delivery at a pre-show rehearsal—but no improvisations allowed! All pieces must be read off the page at showtime, which sometimes leaves stories sounding a little stiff. The producers also expect you to “work with them to shape and structure” your story. You’ll either find this helpful or harrowing: if you just want to get up and do your thing (or watch others do theirs), this may not be the place for it.