Long Story Short is not just a storytelling event. It’s an opportunity to share the funniest moments life brings us, the deepest human emotions, and the strangest day of your life with complete strangers. This bare-bones storytelling series, hosted by Beth LaMontagne Hall, is free of pretense and over-rehearsed monologues. The show throws a mix of professional writers, performers, and average folks who have no public speaking experience whatsoever on stage with just a mic and a spotlight to tell a personal story based on that show’s theme. What makes Long Story Short unique is the off-the-cuff feel many of the stories have, including each show’s one open mic slot. A brave volunteer from the audience is selected at random and must take the stage in a moment’s notice to open the second half, — not even the host knows what’s going to happen.