For as long as he can remember, William Mason has loved telling stories.
Mason, a senior majoring in telecommunication and film, is one of the storytellers at Tin Can Tales, a free event hosted by Creative Campus Thursday at the Bama Theatre. A mix of students, professors and community members will share stories on the night’s theme of “firsts.” Mason is talking about the first time a girl tried to kiss him in middle school. Creative Campus modeled the project after The Moth, a non-profit organization promoting storytelling in New York City.
“I remember as a kid going to the library and listening to Miss Angie tell stories,” Mason said. “It’s hard for me to believe that there are people out there that don’t necessarily want to tell stories.”
Katharine Buckley, a junior majoring in studio art and a Creative Campus intern working on the project, said the event is designed to bring the University and the Tuscaloosa community together.
“This is gonna be really homegrown, rootsy. Everyone just sits down, listens and connects,” Buckley said.
Buckley said she hopes the casual environment of the Greensboro Room will encourage audience members to share with each other throughout the night and after the event. Everything about the location of the event was chosen to make anyone feel comfortable, whether they are affiliated with the University or not. Buckley said holding an event on campus attracts fewer outside community members.
Betty Florey, a professor in the Honors College, will also speak Thursday night. She said her father’s stories helped her learn about her family’s history, in addition to providing entertainment.
“He liked to think about them so he would tell them,” Florey said.
Florey said storytelling was a much greater part of the daily routine when she grew up than it is today.
“People had time to tell stories, and we weren’t distracted by TV at night,” Florey said. “I can tell right off a lot of times the ones who have had family meals or very close-knit families, because they have what we call ‘the gift of gab.’”
Tin Can Tales will take place Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the Greensboro Room of the Bama Theatre, and doors open at 7 p.m. There is no charge for admission. For those who can’t make it out, Creative Campus will have a video recording and a podcast of the stories.
“This event has made me aware of how important storytelling is,” Florey said. “It’s bringing something back into the culture that’s been pushed aside a little bit.”
