A speaker at last year’s Cringefest. (Photo by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
When the lights go down on Friday at the Vogel, six members of the Red Bank community will bravely take turns telling their most mortifying and embarrassing stories to hundreds of people.
It’s an eight-year-old annual tradition known as Cringefest, this year with a decidedly local slant.
When planning this year’s event, organizers decided, “We can focus this on elevating Red Bank voices,” said Jennifer Chauhan, executive director and co-founder of Project Write Now.
Cringefest is Project Write Now’s keystone fundraising and storytelling event of the year, delivering live storytelling, that is, in our opinion, often as good as what one might hear on NPR’s The Moth or high-profile storytelling podcasts.
Typically, the roster includes storytellers chosen from a wider geographical range, who have honed their tale through editing, practice and coaching from PWN advisors.
But this year, the organization decided to recruit exclusively from the staff and volunteer rosters of the organization’s community partners. That means a chance to hear cringeworthy tales from people you’re likely to bump into on the street in these parts.
- Fatima Carranza, Community Engagement Coordinator, Borough of Red Bank
- Dennis Chambers, Associate Artistic Director, Two River Theater
- Catherine Ferguson & Christy Sunquist, Generation Women NJ
- Jeremy Grunin, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Count Basie Center for the Arts
- Shani Love, Program Manager, Lunch Break
The show will also feature comedian Gary Simons (photo below) who closed the show last year with a story about how he “accidentally” let a good friend know he liked her.
Cringefest began in 2018 as a small café event featuring adults reading their middle school diaries. It has grown into a live stage experience designed to celebrate vulnerability, humor, and connection through true stories that are both hilarious and heartfelt.
“Comedy is more than entertainment—it’s relief, release, and a way to build understanding,” said Chauhan in a press release announcing the event. “CringeFest brings people together through laughter and storytelling while supporting programs that make a meaningful impact across our local community.”
Project Write Now is a nonprofit organization that offers a range of literary services curated towards youth and adults through community outreach programs, including weekly expressive writing workshops for Red Bank Middle School, college essay coaching for low-income students, mentorship programs, and bi-monthly workshops for adults living with mental illness at Shore House.
Proceeds from Cringefest go to support the organization’s outreach efforts.
Cringefest begins at 7 pm Friday with doors opening at 6 pm. Tickets include the show and pre- and post-event cast party with “light bites.” The Vogel is located at 99 Monmouth Street.
Advance tickets are on sale, with prices going up on Thursday.
Tickets are available through Ticketmaster here. But if you buy at the Count Basie Center for the Arts box office, you can avoid Ticketmaster fees.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.
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