The following article was written by Tim Gadzinski, Marketing Associate/Program Coordinator at the Manitowoc Public Library.
Sometimes, even the best-laid plans don’t quite turn out exactly as one expects.
For instance, when I was some thirty-five-or-so years younger, my plan had a singular focus—to become a working actor. Not a hobbyist, but someone who could state that acting was their job. Quite honestly, I gave it my best shot. My wife and I moved out to the New York City area, I dutifully auditioned, did touring theater to get my foot in the door, did showcases Off- and Off-Off-Broadway in the hopes of it leading somewhere more sustainable. All the standard things. And while I got tantalizingly close a couple of times, things didn’t quite pan out the way that I hoped that they would.
I’m not complaining though. I met some phenomenal people along the way, including one of two truly epic people with whom I’m fortunate to have encountered. Jack—my boss at a poster auction house where I was employed to make ends meet when I was between acting gig—was one such individual. A holocaust survivor who as an adult in America would go bankrupt several times (the first time after putting everything he had into a “Spaghetti-on-a-Stick” gambit to sell on the boardwalk at Coney Island that failed spectacularly) before becoming one of the world’s foremost authorities in vintage and antique advertising lithographs.
I certainly would never had met Jack or performed with Rockettes had I took my best shot in NYC. Not exactly how I had planned things, but those twists and turns certainly provided me with ammunition for some amazing stories. And while this story would go on far too long to tell at the upcoming Tales from the Taproom 5: A StorySlam for Adults (21+) at PetSkull Brewing Company, it definitely illustrates a point: for every unexpected turn in a plan, a fantastic story is sure to follow.
When you come right down to it, I’d be willing to bet American dollars that practically everyone has some sort of story to tell about when things didn’t turn out as planned—for better or worse. And that’s precisely what we’re looking for at Tales from the Taproom 5: A StorySlam for Adults (21+) at PetSkull Brewing Company. Sponsored by Seehafer News, this is the last Manitowoc Public Library/PetSkull Brewing storyslam collab of 2025 and will be taking place from 6-8 PM on Thursday, December 11.
The theme for this evening is “Whoopsies!” and we’re looking for people to tell their true stories, tales that illustrate that even the best laid plans don’t always exactly go according to, well, the plan. The only required element of whatever story you tell is that it has to be about a time where something didn’t quite work out the way you thought it would!
As this is an Adults-Only event, nothing is off limits—if you’re willing to tell it, it’s a story worth hearing. Keep in mind that this is an evening for people to get together to share their true stories. It’s a true story zone—no props and no notes. Just five minutes and a true, personal favorite misadventure. And once again, this installment of “Tales from the Taproom” is going to be cohosted by the nonlinear Steph Peters, Director of Community Engagement at the YMCA.
You don’t have to come to “The Taproom” to tell a story—you can come to listen, enjoy, and, bask in the wonder of communal storytelling. However, should you want to step up to the mic to share a story in-line with the evening’s theme, sign-up begins at 5:30 PM. We’ll fit in as many stories as possible during the allotted time. There will be a timekeeper who will cut people off at five minutes, so knowing your story well is a necessity.
We can’t wait to hear all about your whoopsie at the December installment of “Tales from the Taproom!”