About Us

For the past ten years, Porchlight has been San Francisco's premier storytelling series. Each month, co-founders Beth Lisick and Arline Klatte invite six people from different backgrounds to tell ten-minute true stories without using notes or memorization. Past storytellers include some of the area's most entertaining school bus drivers, mushroom hunters, politicians, socialites, sex workers, musicians, authors, systems analysts, and social workers.

Join us, either in the audience or on stage, or hone your storytelling skills at Porchlight Open Door, a monthly open mic at the Hemlock Tavern.

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GET ON OUR MAILING LIST

Receive advance notice of upcoming shows and special Porchlight events by joining our mailing list. Add your name to our mailing list here.

Additionally, you can befriend Porchlight on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @porchlightsf

COME TO OUR SHOW

After six years of presenting monthly shows at San Francisco's Cafe du Nord, a nightclub, restaurant, and live music venue on upper Market Street, Porchlight moved to a new venue. Beginning with the September 'O8 show, Porchlight is being presented monthly at the historic Verdi Club, which has plenty of seating, a full bar, and lots of street parking. Advance tickets are available and can be purchased through brownpapertickets.com or at the door, which generally opens one hour before our 8 p.m. show time.

Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is also standing room aplenty. Drinks are available throughout the club, making it appropriate only for the 21 and up crowd. At times, Porchlight collaborates with others in unique locations. Join our mailing list or check this site often so you won't miss announcements of these special events.

Like the Europeans, we take August off in order to go on holiday. Just kidding about that last part, but it's true that we have no show in August. We'll be back in action in September though, so join us.

TELL A STORY

See an upcoming theme that brings to mind that night you sped through tollbooths from Manhattan to Jersey to catch Donald O'Connor in the Jerry Lewis Telethon? Neither do I, but if you think you have a great story to tell, think you want to tell it, and it relates to an upcoming theme, let us know. E-mail a brief story description to us at aklatte@sbcglobal.net. We'll get back to you and who knows? You might be standing on stage at our next show.

Additionally, we're always open to novel ideas for our monthly story theme. If you have a great idea, send it our way as well.

PORCHLIGHT OPEN DOOR

Porchlight Open Door is a small stage open mic event launched by Porchlight in September 2009. Storytellers add their names to a sign-up sheet and then have five minutes to spiel on the monthly theme. A $50 cash prize is awarded for the best story of the night as decided by a random audience member.

Storytelling has never been more potentially lucrative or fun!!!

Join us at the Hemlock Tavern for Porchlight Open Door.

Photos on Facebook