Michael Benedict

2nd Story is real stories by real people for real change. For over 25 years, we have created spaces where people can share and deeply listen to each other’s stories. We want to live in a world driven by empathy. We believe that stories are what bind us to each other. Therefore, we create spaces where people can share and deeply listen to one another’s stories. We host experiences in and around Chicago that elevate the storyteller’s words to deliver a unique, live, literary/theatrical experience unlike any other in the city. From small bars in Rogers Park and North Center, to big venues in Lakeview and the West Loop, to restaurants in Lincoln Park and Evanston, we produce over 50 events every season and facilitates over 145 artistic collaborations. We craft story-sharing experiences in the form of performances, workshops and classes, and workplace trainings. A typical show or event consists of several stories dispersed throughout the event like courses of a meal. The stories range from the earnest and serious to the light-hearted and humorous, and can simultaneously provoke and entertain. Our venues are as varied as our stories, and run the gamut from intimate wine bars and pubs to spacious performance halls, conference rooms, and open-office environments. Our storytellers are equally diverse, and come from all walks of life: a pastor, a bartender, a child psychiatrist, and a lawyer…their individual stories help to bridge the gap between the personal and the universal, and break down the walls between and unite artists and audiences in and among different communities.