The Monti: Storytelling and Community at the Carolina Theatre

The Monti has become an audience favorite at the Carolina Theatre for its ability to take listeners on an intimate journey through the heart and mind of the storyteller. Executive Director Jeff Polish always knew he would be sharing these stories from the Fletcher Hall stage and took some time to share how a scientist became the curator of community storytelling. To experience The Monti live, please check out the upcoming show at the Carolina Theatre on November 23rd at 8:00 PM!  

Carolina Theatre: Can you share a little about the story behind the story? How did The Monti begin? 

Jeff Polish: It was 2007, and my wife and I were new to the area. I was a recovering scientist and out-of-work Science teacher. I spent my days applying for teaching positions and pushing our eighteen-month-old on a swing. With all that free time to dream, I imagined a very simple forum where regular people can share very compelling and personal stories in front of an audience. DISCLAIMER: I certainly wasn’t the first to think of the idea of live storytelling, but I have never been more clear about what it should look like and feel like—the overall tone and vibe. We can be playful and fun and even silly, but the stories will always be treated with the utmost respect.  

The name, The Monti, stems from my friendship with a guy named Monti, whom I met in college. We both shared a profound love of story, and that became apparent when we first met—a single conversation, hours of stories exchanged. The result at the end of that conversation was that we felt as close as two friends could possibly be. The Monti’s name is not necessarily a nod to a person, but rather an homage to the connective possibility of the sharing of stories.  

Our first show was held on April 22, 2008 in Chapel Hill, in a private room of a now-closed restaurant called Spice Street. The room held seventy; we squeezed in ninety and turned away thirty. For the first few years, we were selling out shows in under two minutes. This was clearly a forum that people needed and craved, whether they realized it consciously or not.  

CT: How did The Monti come to the Carolina Theatre and what has the experience been like sharing stories from the Fletcher Hall stage? 

JP: True Story. Before our first show in 2008, a friend of mine asked me where I imagined this storytelling thing taking place. I responded, “On the low end, a dingy dive bar, and on the high end, The Carolina Theatre of Durham.” It’s interesting that sixteen years after answering that question, our two venues are Motorco Music Hall and The Carolina Theatre of Durham. I just always knew that Carolina Theatre would be the perfect home for us; I just needed to build our audience base and reputation to meet the high standard set by the theater.  

It took nine years and a handful of venues before we felt ready for Fletcher Auditorium, but once we got there, it felt like we were meant to be there—the grandeur of the room mixed with the unparalleled intimacy felt from all vantage points simultaneously. In addition, the professionalism of the entire staff is exceptional. It’s as if we arrived home, and we have no plans of ever leaving. 

CT: The Monti is about the community telling stories to the community. What are some of the favorite community stories you have shared? 

JP: It is impossible for me to pick favorite stories shared. Every story is important to the person sharing it as well as people who can profoundly relate. The best stories are the ones that pinpoint a moment or moments that transformed the teller into the person they are now. Anyone in the room can feel the empowerment created in those moments of sharing. Fletcher Auditorium has housed stories of triumph and failure, love and loss. We have featured stories of victimhood and empowerment, stories of societal injustices and the fight for equality. Every story is deeply personal yet so universal that they can be felt in every seat in the room. The Monti in Fletcher has been called Church for those who don’t normally attend Church.   

CT: What makes a good story and how can someone become a storyteller? 

JP: The best stories are ones that reveal something that cannot be seen. They show us something that exists beneath the surface—a point of view, a funny hot take, pain and suffering, etc.—and only through the bravery of the one sharing, do we as the listener gain access to that precious inner world.  

There are two ways for people in the community to become Monti storytellers. First, they can attend a StorySLAM at Motorco Music Hall and drop their name in a hat for a chance to tell a five-minute story on the night’s theme. Second, they can pitch us a story idea for an upcoming curated show at The Carolina Theatre. Once we select the pitches, we work collaboratively with those storytellers to develop the best possible performance for The Monti stage.  

CT: How has The Monti helped to bring the community together through stories and how can it help shape the future of arts and culture in Durham? 

JP: One of the unique aspects of The Monti is that it is total Amateur Hour in that the artists sharing stories are not who we would normally refer to as artists. They are your neighbor, co-worker, friend, relative, whomever. And yet, they are contributing to an Arts & Culture event where people pay good money to interpret their artistry. The Monti helps us to realize that everyone has a voice, and every voice has the potential to move us, traditional artist or not.   

The other unique aspect of The Monti is that it encourages vulnerability and risk-taking, which is not typically how our society operates. We spend more time hiding than truly sharing something that feels private and dangerous. But what The Monti does best is show us how to share and how to listen to one another. And when we share our stories and are greeted with love and acceptance, it makes it easier for us to be more authentic in the future out in the real world. And when people are in touch with their emotional selves, it opens the playing field for more artistic endeavors. And what can be better than that? 

Your donation to our annual appeal will help to bring The Monti and many more local and regional artists and groups to the Carolina Theatre stage. The theater is a community-based, nonprofit organization and relies on your support to sustain its programming every year. Gifts of all amounts are greatly appreciated and your support makes a meaningful difference!

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