Speaking of Art:

Speak Easy has been part of Wild Goose's founding group since its inception in 2011. The idea is simple: an audience, an open microphone, and great stories. Hilarious, gripping, poignant- it's up to you. Audiences are invited to come to listen or come to tell as folks from all corners of Columbus offer their stories live on stage! Held at Wild Goose Creative's warm, intimate space, this night of tales occurs at Wild Goose, located at 480 W. Town Street on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Doors open at 6:30 pm, show starts at 7:00 pm. Please arrive early if you want to tell, as we generally only have room for a limited number of tellers, and the sign-up sheet has a tendency to fill up fast.

Formed around the idea that people need stories--they're what hold and draw us together--Speak Easy celebrates the strangeness and commonness of being human. And in a world of smartphones, Facebook, Twitter, and more . . . it gives people a real, breathing, in-person way to connect.

The night is geared for true stories of all kinds, taking the best tales told around kitchen tables, in darkened pubs, on the street corner, and at late-night parties and giving them an audience. Speak Easy is also a great outlet for performers, writers, and artists looking to share their favorite stories and perfect their skills. We strongly encourage tellers to please tell the story rather than read it so we keep within the spirit of good storytelling and stay engaged with the audience. All are welcome. Hang around after the show for a drink and build community!

In 2025, the stage began building community with other live storytelling stages in the Midwest, resulting in StorySwap.org and the current art show, "Speaking of Art: The Intersection of Storytelling and Visual Art.".  The show features visual art from storytellers and audience members, who speak about their work via QR codes. It is intentionally not juried to reflect the entire community and spans every level of art, from hobbyists to professional artists.

You can follow Speak Easy on Instagram and Facebook at @SpeakEasyCBUS, or listen to live storytelling from the stage on your favorite podcast platform, Speak Easy & Story Swap.