Real Stories MKE

Power comes in many shapes and forms and is something that everyone engages with.

Respect – it's something we owe to ourselves and others. People tend to know when it's absent and when it's present.

Living to old age is an accomplishment. It's reflective of a life well-lived and knowledge gained.

Defiance can be a good thing. When facing injustice, tyranny or oppression, we all need to stand up for ourselves.

Break ups can suck, but they can also be liberatory or necessary.

Everyone gets into a little mischief every now and then. It doesn't hurt to indulge in playfulness, pranks and general silliness!

Our memories are what make us. They're the stories, experiences, people and places that bind us.

It's said that “home is where the heart is”.

Some discoveries are heartbreaking, revelatory or just plain humorous.

sSometimes, aspects of our appearance can represent something more than just what's skin-deep.

Everyone could use a little more understanding. It's a product of empathy, tolerance and forgiveness and the glue that connects us all

Money can be a source of temptation, corruption and greed. But it can also be a boon and a gift for those who truly need it.

Taking care of your inner child is important. Recognizing your inner child can be a path towards healing, reconciliation, and self-actualization.

Love can show up in our lives in different shapes and forms. All these forms of love are of equal importance and can be found in abundance!

Though there are reasons for stranger danger, sometimes strangers end up becoming our best friends.

As mammals, hair is something we all have in common - more or less. It's part of how we see ourselves and how we see one another. And, it is something we can control - more or less.

Storytellers, Jerome Flogel, Tarik Moody, Sarah Beth Nelson and Tuesday Morn recall the moments where they realized they needed to redirect themselves.

Storytellers, Anya Janssen, Dorothy Malone, and Mia Noel. share their experiences of supernatural encounters.

Storytellers, Mark Rice, Angela Cunningham and Alondra Garcia share about three different systems that have impacted their lives.

Housing is an essential aspect of human life that can also be complex. Storytellers Rae Johnson, Dianne Pratt and Heidi Wegleitner share their experiences centered on and involving housing.

Storytellers Carly Kroll, Ryan Webster, Vanessa MokaFrapp, and Lisa Williams recall times in their lives when they had to learn to let go.

Storytellers Mike Johnson, Page Remmers, Precious Ward, and Aims McGuinness, share moments when they felt humility or helped others learn that hard lesson.

Storytellers, Sarah Janicek, Peter May, and Dede Gales share how cousins have played a role in their lives.

Story tellers, Greg Marshall, Elisabeth Bentti, Tashonda Green, and Amy Wilbourne, share how they fought to overcome the most difficult times of their lives.

Ex Fabula's summer teen interns, Martavious McNeil and Samone Calmese, take over hosting duties for this episode of Real Stories MKE. They share four stories that explore how we shape and express our identities.

Whether it is a boring office meeting or the moment you meet the love of your life, meetings allow us to learn and connect with each other in ways that often have meaningful impacts on our lives.

No matter who helped raise you, those relationships have profound impacts on us for the rest of our lives.

Comfort zones are important, especially in a world that, depending on your identity, can be harmful.

Teamwork asks us to set aside individual interests for the good of the group.

Pets are supposed to teach you responsibility, bring you joy, and become part of your family. Sometimes this all works out, other times the plan goes awry.

What we eat, how we eat, the role eating plays in our lives can reveal a lot about our upbringing and our heritage and the choices we make.

Whether you are moving to a different neighborhood or a different country, there is always an element of risk when you leave the familiar for the unknown.

Breasts are a source of life and nutrients for our babies but they can also be a source of sickness and fear for those who get diagnosed with breast cancer.

Roommates can become our closest friends or our worst nemesis

Sports can lead to teamwork or competition, build determination or anxiety, and contribute to a healthy or unhealthy lifestyle.

Luck is a constant wild card; it's the element of risk that's involved in everything that we do. Some people don't believe in luck, but they do believe in karma or fate.

We're highlighting stories about mental wellness as part of Ex Fabula's work to deepen the narrative around depression and mental health. Thanks to the brave storytellers Andrea Ruffier, Cate Miller and Corey Fells.

As a storytelling organization, Ex Fabula believes that when more individuals speak up, we can all learn from each other and grow in understanding. This episode explores the act of speaking up and its consequences via three stories from Amanda Panciera, Margaret Henningsen, and Kerri Grote.

In 2019, Ex Fabula collaborated with Milwaukee Art Museum on a Slam connected with their exhibit “Serious Play: Design in MidCentury America.” This episode features 3 stories from that Slam, told by Sarah Carter, Mel Miskimen, and De'Shawn Ewing.

While utopia literally means “no place”, eutopia means “good place”. This episode features stories from our November 4, 2021 Slam, when Leah Anderson, Murali Vedula, Nubian Star, and Kelly Shafer were among the community members sharing personal stories about eutopia.

Death isn't always easy to talk about, but our approaches to death and dying say so much about who we are.

Even when two people are in love, it's not always enough to get and stay married. In this episode, Iuscely Flores and Molly Snyder share stories that explore the messiness that happens when love and other institutions collide.