After performing at a handful of local storytelling events, Joshua Grannell realized a lot of his friends and show business colleagues could also spin a good yarn.
Grannell, who most San Francisco audiences know as drag queen Peaches Christ, wondered if he could find enough people to create a show that could regularly fill a room.
In September, 2015, Grannell, a writer/actor/producer, best known for his Castro Theatre drag and classic film extravaganzas, decided to test the concept.
The 43-year-old entrepreneur rented the smaller Fez Room at the Oasis, lined up a handful of performers, and launched OutLoud Storytelling, where half a dozen people have 12 minutes maximum to present a tale related to the evening's theme, which have ranged from the commonplace (family feuds, road trips) to the unusual (stories that could "trigger" you.)
Now, following sold-out audiences for the first three events of 2017, Grannell clearly has a hit on his hands. With the recent launch of a podcast available on iTunes, Grannell hopes the audiences will continue to build, potentially enabling the show to permanently move into the larger room at the popular LGBT nightclub.
The show's success is due to the "very weird and wild people" who have told their stories, said Grannell, in a telephone interview with the Bay Area Reporter, following a recent show.
Co-produced with fellow drag performers Peggy L'eggs (Matthew Simmons) and Tommy Salami (Tom Paul Jr.), the three each work their networks to find people who know how to tell a "personal and true" story that will keep the audiences' attention.
In real life, Simmons is a 'care navigator' for the Shanti Project's LGBT Aging & Abilities Support Network. Paul Jr. is a floor manager at Oakland's Magnolia Wellness cannabis dispensary.
On a typical Tuesday evening once a month, the three work the crowd before the show, which begins at 7:30 pm and costs $10. Grannell usually hosts and offers his own short story to open the evening.
Thus far, only one show, Repulsion , has been "difficult" to sell to audiences, said Grannell. "I like stories that shock and offend, but ticket sales were difficult on that one," Grannell acknowledges.
Among Grannell's favorites have been the night devoted to "Family Feuds" (where Heklina told a story that showed her sweet and vulnerable side), and "Happy Endings," where performers discussed their experiences with escorts.
One of the most memorable performances ever, Grannell said, was when a well-known drag queen told a story about her habit of collecting fingernail and toenail clippings, discovered by a visiting date.
Zelda Koznofski played guitar along with her story at the March OutLoud event. photo: Sari Staver
The March show, "Roadtrips, was clearly a hit with audience, who rocked the room with laughter and applause.
Grannell talked about being in charge of a bus trip to Reno with 160 drag queens.
Among the other performers, Steven Satyricon, a member of the recently homeless theater troupe The Thrillpeddlers, discussed the foul-ups that occurred when a pair of "decadent hedonistic homosexuals" visited Windsor Castle.
Daphne Gottlieb, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction, discussed a disastrous trip to a poetry reading at a conservative Arizona high school.
Kat Robichaud, a top 10 contestant on Season 5 of The Voice and creator and star of Misfit Cabaret, a local variety show, spoke of the relief she felt in ending her road trip to the southern United States, "where doors closed one after the other."
Next up, on April 18, in honor of the upcoming stoner holiday, 4/20, will be "Half Baked" with stories about being "baked, bouldered and blitzed," and will feature Alex J. Martinez, Debby Goldsberry, Sam Khandagabadi, Steven Lemay, and Jerry Lee.
Looking to the future, Grannell has decided to broaden the net to catch a new crop of storytellers by announcing the themes for the rest of the year. He urges anyone people interested in the following subjects to contact the show producers through their Facebook page.
Upcoming theme nights include May 16's Glory Days (stories about the lost places and people in San Francisco we wish had never left us).
June 20's event, Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves, will include stories from and about The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
Other themed nights include MCs sharing stories about show emergencies, leather and kink stories (timed with the September Folsom Street Fair). Autumn themes include stories from Grannell's Midnight Mass shows, and those who "fought the law" in police interactions; good, bad and ugly.
"All people, I believe, have a story to tell," said Grannell. "Early on, most of our storytellers were professional performers, because it happens that's who a lot of my friends are."
More recently, people who don't perform professionally have come forward, he said. "They can be every bit as captivating."
For Grannell, there are a number of motivations for producing OutLoud.
"The attraction for me was about getting to know folks in the community in a new way. "
As a performer, "I wanted to feel more naked on stage," without the "heavy costume" of drag that provides a comfortable cushion from the audience.
"I was talking to (Oasis co-owner and well known drag queen) Heklina, and we agreed it's a totally new thing for us to appear on stage as our other persona after so many years of appearing in drag. I tend to be introverted, which many people find hard to believe. In drag, I can easily go out before an audience of 2000 people, as I often do at events. But put me on stage in front of 30 people as Joshua, and I can be really nervous."
Also, by producing a small show like OutLoud, Grannell added, "I can do an event without having to freak out about ticket sales."
"As I get older, I'm getting in touch with the physical toll that being in drag takes on me," said Grannell. "I love performing as Peaches and will do drag, one way or another, until I'm in a wheelchair. I'll never give it up. But I also realize doing as much drag as I've been doing is just not sustainable. I want to be able to showcase other talent. At this point in my career, I don't have much to prove so I'm able to go where my heart takes me.
Grannell touched on how such creative nightlife shows add to our culture.
"San Francisco is at a critical crossroads now. People are having a hard time accessing events that speak to them spiritually about our shared love for the city and the eccentric people who have made it special for so long."
OutLoud @ Oasis: Joshua Grannell hosts the monthly storytelling series, this time "Half-Baked," pot tales with Tommy Salami, Jerry Lee, Alex J. Martinez, Debby Golsberry, Sam Khandaghabadi and Amber Senter. $10. Tuesday, April 18. 7:30pm. 298 11th St. www.sfoasis.com