Students can get an intimate exposure to the growing art of storytelling tonight.
Louisville native Thomas Freese will be performing a mixture of songs and stories in the latest installment of the Wandering Storytellers series tonight at 9 at Natasha's Cafe.

Freese will perform humorous, home-spun tales from his childhood and his experiences traveling the world, he said.
"I want to advertise storytelling in Kentucky," Freese said. "But I'm not like a banjo-picking, Appalachian kind of guy."

Wandering Storytellers, formed from a partnership between Natasha's Cafe and the Kentucky Storytelling Association, takes place on the last Monday of every month.

"It's so personal," said Tara Atkins, the director of public relations, marketing and booking at Natasha's. "It is almost like a conversation with a new friend."
The series helps KSA raise money, provides a venue for the storytellers and brings more business to Natasha's, said Betsy Fleischer, KSA program chair.
"All in all, we all get something out of it, and it is a wonderful experience," Fleischer said.

The series began this year when Brad Woods, a Canadian storyteller, contacted Natasha's for a performance. After that, Natasha's decided to continue to provide a venue for storytellers, Atkins said.

"It was this amazing thing, and we wanted to start a series," Atkins said. "It is a great night for comedy and for people to hang out."

Storytelling connects people from all generations, Fleischer said.

"Stories can help you realize that you are not alone and that people have faced what you face," Fleischer said. "When all else fails, everyone has a story."

The stories that are told are funny, anecdotes that are geared toward adults, Atkins said.
"Storytellers touch the community through this art form, and it's scaled down to a personal level," said Atkins. "It's beautiful."

Natasha's is located downtown at 112 Esplanade, and tonight's storytelling event costs $5. Call 259-2754 for reservations.