The Narrators, Denver’s longest running and most popular live storytelling event, announce the return of their popular podcast, with new episodes starting January 8. Founded in 2010, The Narrators has long called Denver’s eclectic Buntport Theater home. There, audiences would pack in every month to hear comedians, actors, musicians, writers, and other fascinating folks share true stories from their lives, centered on a monthly theme.
These audiences would sit shoulder to shoulder, often spilling out of the theater’s seats and onto pillows strewn on the floor, effectively turning the show into theater-in-the-round. But in 2020, like all performing arts, The Narrators faced a slew of challenges, as Buntport Theater was forced to temporarily close only a few days before the show’s 10th anniversary.
Producers and hosts Ron Doyle and Erin Rollman pivoted in a variety of ways, turning to a livestream format in the spring, then hosting a series of live outdoor events at EXDO Event Center in the summer.
As temperatures cooled down, they moved back online, finding that the show’s ability to connect people and foster empathy was not diminished by the use of technology.
“We’ve figured out that it’s equally as intimate to hear stories this way,” said Rollman. “It’s just a different type of intimacy than we used to share when we were all crammed together at Buntport.”
“People are still telling incredible stories, but now they’re telling them from parking lots and their kitchens and their bedrooms,” said Doyle. “We’re eager to return to Buntport, but the virtual format lets us do things that we weren’t possible before.”
The new year will bring a new season of the podcast, which features a single storyteller per episode. New episodes will be released starting January 8th and weekly on Fridays thereafter.
The first episode will feature Denver native Matt Zambrano, sharing a story of this time working as a fictional gunslinger at the world-famous Casa Bonita restaurant—shortly after the Columbine High School massacre in 1999.
The podcast’s archive of over 200 episodes includes stories from folks such as drag queen Yvie Oddly, comedian Adam Cayton-Holland, musician and educator Stephen Brackett, actor Regan Linton, journalist Chris Walker, and many more.
You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.
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