Guidelines on type of performance

In the opening of the October Carapace, Cris reminded the storytellers that there are no comedy routines, no political rants, no poetry. Guidelines like these have been in place at least as long as I can remember at Carapace. I recall “no ex-lover rants” being mentioned in the past as well. Storytellers at Carapace have few restrictions, especially when it comes to story content. It seems that the goal is for there to be no restrictions on content and these guidelines are about the format of the performance. It is meant to be storytelling, not a speech or a stand up comedy routine. This is one instance in which there are some restrictions placed on the storyteller and at the same time this possibly provides some safety or comfort for the audience. Audience members can expect to hear stories even though they can not predict what those stories will be about.