Sometimes your choices are limited. Sometimes they’re basically nonexistent. Sometimes you live in a town where their definition of cuisine ranges between a Waffle House and another Waffle House. July’s VAMP is all about the limited options we have in life. Or it’s about whatever the hell you want it to be because you know what, these themes are meant to get those fingers of your typey-typing on those keyboards, so fire ‘em up, would ya?

This San Diego Pride Month, VAMP is back, and it’s gayer than ever! Come one, come all, come out! Join us at Little Bird Brewing for a night of queer storytelling that puts the “plus” in LGBTQ+.

Members of the community are invited to submit true stories around 2,000 words or less (around 10 minutes spoken). Chosen participants will be required to participate in two group read and critique sessions (dates TBA), work with writing and performance coaches, and commit to accepting feedback for the betterment of their work.

The guy writing this suffered terrible razor burn up to about age 35, until his then-girlfriend introduced the revolutionary concept of moisturizing. Prior to that, it was like trying to rake a gravel pit. But you know, July’s LONG STORY SHORT doesn’t have to be JUST about the responsibility many humans in Western civilization feel to remove hair from their bodies.

I mean … it can be. That might be an interesting show.

Come grab the mic and tell us your true stories of razoring, burning, razor burning, razor’s edge, razor thin … whatever. Do you feel inspired yet?

Hidden messages. Misunderstandings. Lost signals. June’s VAMP show is all about the reaching across the airwaves. Perhaps someone else is broadcasting? Perhaps all you need to do is fine tune the frequency until the static clears up.

This Juneteenth season, we’re thrilled to announce a collaboration between So Say We All and The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego - La Jolla to present an evening of true stories created in response to and inspired by the exhibition Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys (on display from 18 April to 9 August 2026).

A little white noise can go a long way. Especially in a world getting louder by the day. If you’re trying to deal with the cacophony of the modern day, come join us for a night of true stories on drowning out the noise.

Remember those days when you had to print out MapQuest directions to get, well … anywhere?

No? Well then, you must be young, beautiful, and unspoiled by corruption. In that order.

May’s VAMP brings you stories of finding one’s way in the world, through relationships, through pitfalls, through perils, or maybe just particularly crowded intersections. In any case, it’s gonna be a wild night of pathfinding.

One time when I was a teenager, my dad announced that we were all going out for pizza. Hooray, right? Well, right as we got settled in to our booth, eagerly awaiting cheesy, pepperoni, greasy goodness … who do we behold walking in to join our table? SURPRISE, it’s Monsignor REDACTED from the local Catholic Church!

ISN’T THAT GREAT, KIDS? ISN’T IT!?!

Anyways. May’s Long Story Short is all about those surprise personalities who somehow make it into our life. Who knows. Maybe you were the surprise guest. In any case, bring your stories, bring your courage, and let’s do this.

VAMP returns to North County! Join us for a night of nonfiction storytelling at the White Family Next Stage at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center in Carlsbad. Featuring five VAMP stories from veteran performers.

Don’t ask us why it’s wet. We certainly don’t know why it’s wet. But maybe over the course of a riveting ten minutes at the VAMP microphone, you might discover exactly why it’s wet. All we know is, we can’t wait to find out.

Hitch Deck is back by popular demand! Storytellers will take the stage equipped with a slide deck to present why audience members should get to know their friends ... or more. And yep, those eligible friends will be seated right there in the audience alongside you as their hype-folks butter 'em up on stage in front of everyone.

It's a night of comedy, love, and friendship brought to you by the storytelling community of So Say We All.

Even the best of us get hoodwinked every once in a while. Or every twice in a while. Fine ok, I fall for it every time.

Come join us and take the mic for your true, five-minute stories about those times when you just completely fell for it.

Frankly we’re not sure if we can even justifiably use the phrase “The grass is greener on the other side” when it’s THIS hard to break into the housing market. That would be just mean, right? But hey, envy hits all of us eventually. You look at what someone else has and you covet it. Desire it. Devise an elaborate plan to get it.

Hey, how about a night of open-mic storytelling on the topic of striking it rich in the luck department?

Or maybe you didn’t get so lucky. Sometimes you say “lucky me” in the ironic sense, when the actual thing that happened to you was you punctured a tire driving home from a s****y day at work. In any case, may luck be with you when you take the stage.

Now, as much as we’d like an entire show dedicated to eating things that are either horrendously unpalatable or simply unfit for human consumption, keep in mind that VAMP themes are meant to inspire you to get those little fingies of yours typeity-typing on those keyboards, guys. February’s show is about the unacceptable, the unpreferable, and the unwise. So what’s that mean to you? Hit up the submission link and send us what you got.

You ever find yourself at one of those intersections where the lights are red in BOTH directions and you start wondering why you’re wasting your time sitting there? There’s not even any cars coming. You could just run it. No one’s looking. Least of all a cop. You gonna do it? You should do it. What are you waiting for? By the way this is one giant metaphor about how you should muster your courage and grab the mic at February’s Long Story Short. Now hit the gas, would you?

Anyone who’s ever said “A watched pot never boils” clearly doesn’t understand thermodynamics. Or maybe they just don’t understand being really, really hungry for spaghetti. Come join us for stories of arriving to that boiling point in life—when everything gets so heated and agitated that it all bubbles up and spills over and OH GOD IT’S EVERYWHERE … wait … is that a bowl of spaghetti? Never mind.

You ever look to the heavens (or the hells, we don’t judge) and demand meaning? Then So Say We All’s first open-mic Long Story Short of 2026 is for you. Come join us and tell your true, five-minute stories on this month’s theme. Maybe the answer will finally come to you.