There's a new monthly storyslam at BANG COMEDY THEATER called DON'T TELL MY MOTHER and they're open to submissions.

They say: "Hear the best writers in the business confess to things they'd never want their mamas to know! Is it embarrassing? Yes! Cringe-worthy? For sure! Awesome? Hell, yeah!

If you've ever shop-lifted, masturbated to your parents porn or called a phone sex line at nine years old, we'll make you feel normal!"

I haven't personally seen it yet, but stay tuned. Meanwhile...

Send submissions to Nikki at ftraingo@yahoo.com.

Your piece should be approximately 1100 - 1300 words in length. You don't have to memorize them. You just read it at a podium in front of a live audience and they record it for their podcast.

This show premiered in November and has since sold out every show. There are always invited agents and industry guests in attendance.

You need stage time to get good at comic storytelling or reading your funny personal essays, but how do you get good stage time?

Since we started Un-Cabaret and our spoken word spinoff show Say the Word, many high quality shows have appeared in LA, NY and beyond. Here are a few that are really worth your time if you're developing your storytelling voice and writing. Each one has it's own taste, point of view, flavor and aesthetic so you really should take the time to check them out before just barging in and demanding stage time. (See our previous blog for suggestions on getting stage time anywhere.)

And you should really consider developing your material with me and Beth Lapides at our workshop, The Comedian's Way so when you do get your stage time you make the kind of impression you want to make.