The misadventures of an out-of-work musician who unwittingly accepts a job as a marijuana clipper. The struggles of a girl who delays her Bat Mitzvah until the age of 24 only to find that her Rabbi is coming on to her. Bad dates, drunken confessions of love, and recollections of dominating the children’s games at Chuck E. Cheese - these are some of the strange and delightful stories that can be heard at Rain City Chronicles, a not-for-profit live storytelling event showcasing the ordinary and extraordinary tales of Vancouver’s diverse community of artists and creatives.

“The idea was born when a few creative women were looking for an interesting place to connect with writers and creative types, and instead of whining that something didn’t exist, we filled the gap” says Lizzy Karp, co-founder of Rain City Chronicles alongside friend and compatriot Karen Pinchin, both writers and transplants from Toronto. For these ladies, hosting a simple networking event wouldn’t do. They had no desire for idle chatter with like-minded people - they were looking to forge bonds.

Inspired by modern storytelling radio programs like New York’s “The Moth” and Chicago-based “This American Life”, the duo set out to harness the power of shared experience to bring people together in a meaningful way. They launched their first show at Little Mountain Gallery in December 2009 to great success. The innovative concept was an instant hit among Vancouverites. So much so, in fact, that they had to start turning people away at the door.

Rain City Chronicles is not your average theatre show. Though each installment features a standard setup: ticket sales at $10 apiece (with the option of paying a higher price that includes a donation), the introduction of each act, and an intermission, the evening is anything but stuffy.

Pinchin and Karp work hard to create a homey, comfortable environment conducive to sharing, even baking treats to sell at the event and hanging up handmade decorations themselves. “We want to continue to create a safe and welcoming place for people to tell stories while showcasing incredible people and beautiful venues in the city”, says Karp. All proceeds from ticket and treat sales go towards putting on bigger and better shows in the coming months.

What audiences may not know is that Rain City’s community building begins long before showtime. “We take great care in putting together the lineup for each show”, says Karp, “we’re always keeping our eyes and ears open for interesting folks”. This is reflected in each show’s roster of eclectic Vancouverites – people with a wide range of talents and backgrounds, from successful chefs and quirky librarians to “the guy who sells you your CD’s”. The final lineup typically consists of a healthy mix of Karp and Pinchin’s friends and acquaintances (whom they’ve begged, pleaded and finally convinced to share their memorable stories) and a handful of random Vancouverites who have piqued their curiosity.

To keep things genuine, and to avoid the pitfalls of a potentially awkward display of amateur theatre, storytellers are given few rules to follow: keep the story short (between 3-7 minutes long) and make it relevant to a given theme, previously “surprise”, “luck” and “mixed messages”.

Beyond that, storytellers are encouraged to interpret the theme in any way that inspires them; they aren’t required to run their ideas by the organizers beforehand. In email correspondences prior to each show, Pinchin and Karp emphasize that storytellers avoid over-rehearsing, with some additional friendly advice from Pinchin: “think of it as though you’re telling a story at a dinner party for close friends”.

Amanda McCuaig, a painter/illustrator, editor and host of a radio show entitled Feels Like Home Radio, has been a long-time disciple of Rain City. She’s known Pinchin for a few years and was asked to tell a story at the inaugural show (aptly themed “Firsts”). “I really hadn’t seen anything like it until [Karp and Pinchin] took the initiative. I think it’s really fun and open and gives the audience a good glimpse into a lot of people they see around in the community. In a way it’s really strengthened the community of creative people in Vancouver by giving them a non-pretentious place to gather.”

Since, then, McCuaig can be found manning the treats table and lending a hand in tearing down each show. To her, “[Rain City] continues to embrace this idea that a beautiful place is created by real people who put real effort into what they do”.

The latest show, held at the Wise Hall on November 17th, 2010, confirmed the event’s popularity, with a nearly sold out night of 180 attendees, 9 storytellers, 3 musical acts, and sponsorship from Geist Magazine.

As a testament to the bonds they’ve managed to forge over the past year, Karp and Pinchin are able to mend even the direst situations by calling in favours from their experienced, performance-savvy friends. When the final storyteller of the last show was held up at a previous engagement, leaving an unscheduled empty slot in the lineup, Karp and Pinchin asked Paul Anthony, host of Vancouver’s weekly variety show Talent Time, to spontaneously fill the empty slot, which he agreed to do gladly.

“It’s incredible how storytelling and sharing is contagious - some of the most inspiring moments have been after a show when people stay and tell stories to one another.” Karp recalls. It’s exactly this twist where spectators turn into active participants that propels further support for Rain City, and lays the groundwork for its ongoing success. But for all their success in creating a space for other artists in Vancouver to commune, Rain City Chronicles is not without its personal benefits for the two girls hailing from the East coast, “… in many ways, doing this project has really helped make Vancouver our hometown”.

The next Rain City Chronicles is themed “Arrivals and Departures”, and takes place February 1st at the St. James Hall.