2nd Story

2nd Story Real stories by real people for real change. What We Do. We host story-sharing experiences in the form of both performances and workshops/classes.

Who We Are.

2nd Story is a collective of story-makers and story-lovers working together to build community through the power of storytelling. We host events (around Chicago and beyond) that fuse page, stage, and sound to deliver a unique, live, literary/theatrical experience. A typical show consists of four (or three or five) stories dispersed throughout the evening like courses in a meal. The st

ories range from the serious to the silly and can at once provoke and entertain. Each story is combined with expertly-performed musical accompaniment or well-placed audio accents to enhance the spoken story and the pregnant pause. Our venues are as varied as our stories, and run the gamut from intimate wine bars to spacious performance halls. Ditto for our storytellers, who come from all walks of life. A pastor, a bartender, a child psychiatrist, and a lawyer…their individual stories help to bridge the gap between the personal and the universal to break down the walls between artist and audience. We also run classes and workshops, in order to empower individuals to be the storytellers of their own lives. Our training program is based in our core beliefs of the power of ensemble and sharing stories, and is geared both towards artists/writers/performers seeking to hone their technique and individuals with no experience at all who just love what we do and want to deepen their own creative practice. Collaborative to our core, 2nd Story believes in the power of storytelling to change the world.

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out (Not A) Debacle from teller Julie Ganey! Listen here:
04/10/2026

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out (Not A) Debacle from teller Julie Ganey! Listen here:

In this week's story, teller Julie Ganey shares how she learned to take care of problems early and the difference it makes when past wrongs get forgotten.

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out Oh Hell No! from teller Geneva Norman! Listen here:
03/27/2026

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out Oh Hell No! from teller Geneva Norman! Listen here:

In this week’s story, teller Geneva Norman recalls how, in the wake of an unexpected pregnancy, her community banded together to blaze a path forward.

Today is the first day of spring. The season turns toward the light –– and so do we!This April 18, 2nd Story's Birthday ...
03/20/2026

Today is the first day of spring. The season turns toward the light –– and so do we!

This April 18, 2nd Story's Birthday Bash brings The Shape of Courage home to Chicago: the city that has always known how to meet hard times with creativity, resilience, and each other.

An evening of powerful stories. Real laughter. And the reminder that showing up — for your neighbors, for the truth, for the room — is its own kind of bravery.

Khanisha Foster. Matt Miller. Karla Estela Rivera. Michelle's Ballroom. Doors at 7:30.

Tickets from $50 — because everyone should be part of the story.

www.2ndstory.com/birthdaybash2026

Four storytellers. Four forks in the road.✨ Kim L. Hunt — searching for home on the continent of her ancestors. ✨ TL Sel...
03/19/2026

Four storytellers. Four forks in the road.
✨ Kim L. Hunt — searching for home on the continent of her ancestors.
✨ TL Sellers — choosing happiness after a lifetime of playing it safe.
✨ Aaron Talley — navigating a relationship fracturing along political lines.
✨ Nicholas Ward — standing in the crowd as riot gear closes in.

The Fork in the Road is this Sunday, March 22 at Haymarket. Come find out what they chose.

Doors 5:30 | Stories 6pm | Link in bio 🎟

Curated by CP Chang | Directed by Brandi Jiminez Lee | Produced by Stacey Saunders | Music by Tracie Kunzika & Dionne Addai

What do you do when the moment arrives and you actually have to choose?Sit by or stand up. Play it safe or go for broke....
03/18/2026

What do you do when the moment arrives and you actually have to choose?

Sit by or stand up. Play it safe or go for broke. Find home here or find it out there.

Join us this Sunday, March 22 for The Fork in the Road — four new stories about the pivotal moments that show us what we're made of.

Haymarket Pub & Brewery
Doors 5:30 | Stories 6pm

Featuring new stories by Kim L. Hunt, TL Sellers, Aaron Talley, and Nicholas Ward

Curated by CP Chang
Directed by Brandi Jiminez Lee Produced by Stacey Saunders



03/13/2026

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out Coming To Terms from teller S. Ferdowsi! Listen here:

Explore the largest community of artists, bands, podcasters and creators of music & audio

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out The Honeymoon Period from Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke! Listen here:
02/28/2026

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out The Honeymoon Period from Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke! Listen here:

In this week's story, teller Reshmi Hazra Rustebakke shares how counseling has helped turn her sixteen-year marriage into one long honeymoon period.

“Yes, there was some chaos in our home, but it was managed well. To successfully control our brood, my parents designed ...
02/19/2026

“Yes, there was some chaos in our home, but it was managed well. To successfully control our brood, my parents designed and implemented a rule book that rivaled the Napoleonic Code.” —PJ Gray

"As a single mom in a city far, far away from family, I have one rule—nothing could happen to me. Ever." —LaTanya Lane

"Our adult relationship had been built on headlines, not footnotes." —Dr. S

"Loving someone with a degenerative disease means losing them over time and attempting to make peace with the different ways to say goodbye." —Layne Dixon

Four storytellers. One unforgettable night.

Held Together | Sunday, Feb 22 at Haymarket Pub & Brewery
Doors 5:30pm | Stories 6pm

Tickets: www.2ndStory.com/upcoming

Featuring stories by LaTanya Lane, PJ Gray, Layne Dixon, Dr. S Simmons
Curated by Earliana "Earl" McLaurin
Directed by Aliza Feder
Music by Jake Sorgen
Produced by Sheri Tarrer and Ali Drumm

What are you doing for lunch tomorrow?We're hosting a StoryBuilds lunch & learn at 1pm CT and would love to see you ther...
02/19/2026

What are you doing for lunch tomorrow?

We're hosting a StoryBuilds lunch & learn at 1pm CT and would love to see you there. This is the first of this kind of free virtual event aimed specifically at giving folks a taste of what it's like to collaborate with us to make workplaces more humane - and we'd love to see some friendly faces AND get your smart feedback!

Head to our LinkedIn profile (search for 2nd Story–and if you're not already, give us a follow?) to register!

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out Man Cursed from teller Earliana McLaurin! Listen here:
02/13/2026

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out Man Cursed from teller Earliana McLaurin! Listen here:

In this week's story, teller Earliana McLaurin recalls some of her shaky moments in dating and the friendship that helped ground her.

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out Bon Courage from teller Liz Blondel! Listen here:
01/31/2026

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out Bon Courage from teller Liz Blondel! Listen here:

In this week's story, teller Liz Blondel shares a moment when, in the wake of a tragic loss, she had to learn how to support family through the haze of a language and culture barrier.

01/16/2026

NEW PODCAST FRIDAY! Check out The Friendship Market from teller Tiffany Moten! Listen here:

Explore the largest community of artists, bands, podcasters and creators of music & audio

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3001 West Lawrence
Chicago, IL
60625

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+17732798580

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