Everybody’s got a story that’s itchin’ to be told.

BACKFENCE Storytelling curates meaningful, funny, and engaging storytelling-based shows, talks, and workshops for people in the PNW and beyond.

Pretty great people run this thing

  • FRAYN MASTERS

    Artistic Director, host, workshop leader of BACKFENCE Storytelling. Co-host & co-creator of the BACKFENCE Unhinged podcast, actor, writer, documentary talking heads & qualitative interviewer. Media, public speaking & performance coach. Aspiring archer.

  • ANDREW DICKSON

    Co-host & co-creator of the BACKFENCE Unhinged podcast. Workshop leader, auctioneer, ad man, public speaking coach. Jigsaw puzzle enthusiast.

  • JULIA OPPENHEIMER

    Producer of the BACKFENCE Unhinged podcast, world traveler, soon to be certified pilates instructor. Lover of dice and card games.

  • DR. MINDY NETTIFEE

    Long-time influential producer and host of BACKFENCE Storytelling, poet, professional teaching artist, and somatic therapist specializing in trauma healing and expression. Buys odd website domains late at night.

  • BRIAN S. ELLIS

    BACKFENCE Storytelling story producer, poet, writer, and teacher.

  • CHRIS WILLIAMS

    Long-time BACKFENCE Storytelling coach and BACKFENCE storyteller. He’s an improviser, educator, group facilitator, and community builder. He’s never had a sip of coffee.

  • SARA JORDAN

    BACKFENCE Storytelling intern extraordinaire. Music student, Singer, audio technician, aspiring musical engineer. Does mean Shakira impression.

The entire BACKFENCE series catalogue!

BACKFENCE Unhinged

Podcast

The newest addition to the series! A delightful 29-minute conversational listen. Hosted by Andrew Dickson and Frayn Masters, two people you'd actually enjoy being stuck in an elevator with. The elevator stops on a different floor every week and a guest steps on with a delightfully unhinged story.

BACKFENCE Mixed Media

Live Storytelling

A show that ferries true stories into all kinds of different realms. Stories told with film clips, stories told with songs, with animations, with an opera singer singing the dramatic parts — and any other kind of media mix you can imagine.

BACKFENCE Next Level

Live Storytelling

A moving, tender, and funny show that springs from a month-long intensive. Five 10 minute-ish stories that will hit all your major organs and leave you feeling more connected to yourself and your neighbors.

BACKFENCE Roulette

Off-the-cuff live storytelling!

A high stakes high risk show. It’s like truth AND Dare. Storytellers have no idea what story they will tell until the spin the giant gameshow wheel and receive a random prompt. Then they have just five minutes to go back stage and prepare a true 5-minute story based on that prompt. At the end of the show, the audience votes on their favorite story, and a winner is crowned!.

BACKFENCE Radio

Mainstage stories on NPR

Selected stories performed live on the BACKFENCE Mainstage shows were turned into episodes that ran in rep with Moth stories.

BACKFENCE Mainstage

Our OG live storytelling show!

Storytellers telling a personal 8 to 15 minute story based on the evenings theme. The most exciting part of this storytelling show is we got to mix things up and put wildly different kinds of people together on the same night in a way that will never happen again. A funeral director on stage with author of Wild Cheryl Strayed, a high school science teacher with Parenthood's Joy Bryant, a poker player taking wild chances with Bridesmaid's Wendi McLendon-Covey, a pet psychic with Superstore's Colton Dunn, and a blood spatter expert with Shrill author Lindy West.