Underground Arts offers an evening of anti-Valentine’s Day dating horror stories
by Michaela Althouse, PhillyVoice Staff
February 8, 2024
Neil Bardhan and Kelsey Stewart, a married couple who met at a StorySlam in 2014, will host the event.
“Almost everybody has the shared experience of having been in a relationship of some sort, but we all have unique takes on that,” said Bardhan, the director of applied storytelling for First Person Arts. “Within there, there’s combinations and shared versions of broad strokes of relationships and breakups and aftermath. So it’s just a really fun way to put yourself out there and connect with people.”
Stewart has participated in a number of StorySlam events, but started off as an audience member years ago. Many of the stories have unexpected twists and are unpredictable, she said, but they’re also relatable and a way to feel a little less alone in the dating world.
“I feel like when when people are telling relationship stories and ex stories, a lot of times the person starts one way and ends in a slightly more empowered way,” Stewart said. “The audience gets really into it, there’s a lot of fun moments, shared experience moments with dating and there’s laughter.”
