Carapace Atlanta

Come out of your shell!

A place for story connoisseurs…

Carapace is a monthly event of true personal stories at Manuel's Tavern in Atlanta, every fourth Tuesday of the month (except December). While the show begins at 7p, we encourage people to get there early to meet their neighbors and enjoy a meal before the mic goes live.

Raconteurs + Rapt Audience
= Really Good Time!

Every fourth Tuesday of the month, ordinary raconteurs tell true, personal, five-minute (or so) stories on a pre-selected theme. Topics have included, for example, "Scars," and "Feuds & Rivalries."

Our hilarious host, Cris Gray, guides us through.

Names are drawn from a hat. No one is required to tell a story; attendees can just listen. It's free.

Learn More

Next Month’s Theme:

Joy Ride

Tuesday, May 28, 7p, Manuel’s Tavern

Whether that first beat-up pick-up truck you drove in high school or the sweet ride you finally bought for yourself, you probably have a story of a time when the keys to freedom were placed in your greedy, outstretched hand. Maybe you got into a little mischief along the way and quite literally went for a joy ride past curfew along country roads or city streets. Did your adventure turn out to be quite terrifying instead of the good kind of thrilling?

Of course, there are much more metaphysical journeys known as the pursuit of happiness. Sometimes they involve choosing ourselves over others. Tell us about a time when you sparked joy at the expense of burning it all down.

Or…the opposite. Often what's supposed to make us the most happy leads down a path toward misery. That might be the definition of a vice, come to think of it.

Oscar Wilde once said, "Some people cause happiness wherever they go, others whenever they go." Whatever your tale of winning or woe, we'll be merrily-rolling-along at Manuel's Tavern on Tuesday, May 28 right abouts 7p. (Come early to get your order in with the most delightful wait staff in town!) As always, story connoisseurs and listeners make us just as gleeful as those who enjoy getting up on the mic. We'll enthusiastically see you there!

Notes for a more blissful experience…
*no notes (even and especially on your cellphone)
*no political rants
*no stand-up comedy routines
This is OG storytelling, like folks used to do around the fire at night.

*FREE* STORY COACHING: We tend to be at Manuel’s by 6p on the night of the show. If you’d like a little coaching as you prepare to get up on that mic, please feel free to arrive in the hour before to talk through your story’s points for some potential ideas or help with shaping it.

VOLUNTEERS: We always need volunteers to make our events run smoother. Roles include:
*greet people at the door and encourage sign-ups
*keep up the tradition with the wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey stuff
*be our personal paparazzi! (take photos)
Please let us know if you’d like to volunteer!

STORYTELLING TIPS: Don’t get lost in the facts of your own story. We often joke that your story doesn’t have to be factual, it just has to be true. Don’t go meandering about in telling a story exactly as it happened, point by point. Getting every single detail in there may feel important to you, but you can lose an audience with too many details that don’t really support the greater narrative (or keep you within time limits. Find the important details that serve and drive your story forward.