4 Questions With Chandreyee Lahiri Ahead Of We Are Waltham Event

WALTHAM, MA — Six local storytellers will gather on Friday this week to share their work, a return for a beloved Waltham event.

"We are Waltham" is back for its first show in 2024.

The event is a storytelling show modeled after "The Moth" and is scheduled for Friday at the Charles River Museum, marking the third year of the show.

Organizers said they hope to continue the mission of connecting the people of Waltham and building a sense of community by learning more about each other.

Ahead of Friday, Patch got in touch with Chandreyee Lahiri who came up with the idea for the show and works to organize it, too.

We asked Lahiri about what to expect in 2024, how the show has grown in the last two years and to explain how the show is beginning to build a community.

Now in year three, what has changed from year one to now?

One of the biggest changes has been the repository of about 30 valuable stories that has built up over the past four big shows and two smaller shows (available for anyone to watch on YouTube or through the website). These stories span a broad range of topics and experiences and present important insights into the social and cultural fabric of the city. We have heard stories about the darker side of life dealing with mental health, violence, racism, loss but also so many stories of kindness, generosity, belonging, hilarity and love. We have had people representing different abilities (legally blind, struggling with ADHD), sexualities and genders (transexual, queer), medical situations (Cancer, Vestibular disease) and ages (High School seniors through senior citizens) to name just a few.

The second change has been in the audience profile. Every show in the past had sold out and I noticed a small number of familiar faces returning time and again, who stand to applaud the difficult stories and laugh uproariously at the sweet and funny ones. But I see new faces all the time too. I'm not sure how long people will want to keep coming but for now, this is heartwarming. And I think it says something about the number of open-minded, large-hearted people in our community.

With such an emphasis on building community through these storytelling events, do you feel there is more connection throughout the arts community in Waltham and the greater MetroWest since the inception of the event?

My intention is to build connections and caring in the Waltham community but to my surprise, this kind of larger connection seems to be growing slowly but organically. I have been approached by at least one other group to replicate this model for their town and have been a guest lecturer for two university professors who are teaching this in their classes. I am involved with another storytelling show, Voices (www.offkendrik.com/voices), that represents South Asian Immigrant experiences so I have experiences from which I can draw lessons . This fall I will be addressing a global audience on the National Story Network (https://storynet.org/) about harnessing story telling for unity.

The social gains from We are Waltham are largely invisible to me - I take a leap of faith with every show - but perhaps this means that something meaningful may be building.

What are you most excited about in regards to the 2024 season?

I'm most excited about all the new stories. When I help tellers find their stories, it invariably requires some soul-searching to locate meaningful memories that changed them. Many have felt it to be cathartic and helpful to process their pasts this way but the process is not always easy. Reflecting on personal memories can sometimes resolve old griefs. More often though, it enhances joys and shifts perspectives when people reexamine their past through brighter lenses.

The courage and generosity of tellers to do this work then share it with others, never ceases to amaze me. Working with new tellers is always going to feel like an honor and privilege to me. I am very, very fortunate.

Where does We are Waltham go from here?

Hopefully, more diverse tellers will seek this show as a platform to share their realities and offer people a peek into their lives so that our collective humanity expands. I also hope more people will want to team with the show to introduce storytelling in their sub-communities. A wonderful collaboration materialized in 2023 with the Common Good Co. Cafe on Moody Street. Co-owners Drew Thurman and Jace Rasche now host two smaller shows every year - nicknamed 'Wee-WaWs' - in a more intimate setting than the larger shows at the Charles River Museum of Industry.

There's a smaller audience, live music, coffee, dessert, featured tellers from past WaW shows as well as a curated open mic where attendees can get a chance to tell impromptu stories and connect with each other.

There is also a possibility that past stories on the show will start airing on WCAC, Waltham's cable channel, though it's early days. I also hope a few like-minded people who believe in this show the way I do, will step up and offer in different ways to help me run it. I'm lucky to have two supporters who help in small ways right now, Rachel Parzivand and Jack Wozek, but we are all stretched and the show's days may be numbered without more support though I'll keep trying.

For more information on how to purchase tickets, click here: 'We Are Waltham' Event Back For Year 3