What a journey it has been!  I started the BugHouse SPIN in the living room of a place I was cat-siting in the summer of 2013.  It was one of those soupy July nights where we all gathered in honor of the creative overflow that fuels New York City.  We told stories off paper and off the cuff.  My dear friend Maya asked me if I wanted to host this event with her, I said yes.  As a newbie screenwriter, I wanted to practice my writing and as a former performer, I felt most comfortable practicing this on stage.

This cause quickly and easily grew.  It turns out Maya wasn’t really that interested in hosting, but I was!  That’s when fellow maker Makram Hamdan offered his loft space and gallery to host these events.  I invited storytellers, revolved each event round a theme and held discussions afterward.  The BugHouse SPIN grew into a place “where stories are told and ideas unfold.”  I include “ideas unfold” because I felt the discussion was an important and often missing element of experiencing art.  After all, I make art because I want to evolve my own mind and the mind of the public.  I’m also a sucker for community.

Since Makram was closing up shop, we moved to the KGB Bar/Red Room in 2015 and stayed for another year.  At this point, the show, became more of a show and less of a discussion.  And as much as I loved this space and community, it was no longer giving me the fruit I needed to keep going.

That said, I may re-enact sooner than later, coming back to the heart of the matter: story and community.

To check out any of the stories visit the BugHouse SPIN playlist on the BugHouse Media YouTube Channel.