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<\/a>\u201cWhen I first moved here,\u201d says Togneri, \u201cI was working in an office with Missy Peters of Paper Street Theatre and I was telling her about this idea and she said, \u2018Oh, I know someone, Carol-Lynne Michaels, who\u2019s been wanting to do this type of thing for years now.\u2019\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Michaels had been coaching in the Canadian Improv Games; she wanted to start a show but didn\u2019t want to do it on her own. (Anyone can tell a story at Confabulation, but those looking to tell their story need to register beforehand at confabulation.ca.)<\/p>\n \u201cI already had project budget sheets ready to go, looking at different venues and people I\u2019d like to approach,\u201d says Michaels. \u201cOur very first show was part of the Fringe Club in August of 2016, a soft launch, stories from different Fringes across the country.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After that soft launch, Confabulation moved to the Victoria Event Centre. Michaels says that getting a turnout of 200 people was a landmark for the event.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the threshold we were really excited to hit last year, where we had a huge audience,\u201d she says, \u201cout the door, around the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n Togneri and Michaels credit their audience for Confabulation\u2019s growth.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery third Thursday [of the month] they put on a nice little party for themselves beforehand right up until the shows start,\u201d says Togneri. \u201cIt\u2019s a nice vibe. This is the number-one way that I\u2019ve been meeting people in Victoria… absolutely.\u201d (Although Confabulation is usually on the third Thursday of every month, December\u2019s is on the second Thursday.)<\/p>\n One of the things Michaels really likes about Confabulation is that the audience and participants create an environment that \u201cfeels like we\u2019re all in this big living room together\u201d listening to stories.<\/p>\n \u201cWe brought something new to Victoria and people were really excited about it,\u201d she says. \u201cThey didn\u2019t necessarily know they wanted to go to a storytelling show, but they\u2019re so willing to just try it and come with their friend. Our biggest advertising has been word-of-mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n Each month\u2019s event has a theme; December\u2019s is \u201cfamily stories.\u201d Michaels says this theme can open up the storytelling to family myths and legends and other stories people keep alive within their families.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an interesting show because you think it\u2019s going to be this sweet holiday show and there\u2019s a lot of interpretations of the family theme,\u201d says Togneri. \u201cFamily conflict\u2014difficult, interesting, wild stories… There\u2019s quite a range.\u201d<\/p>\n