Jun 20 Saturday
Ira Glass, one of America’s most influential storytellers, returns to Ann Arbor for his fifth A2SF appearance for an evening filled with insight, creativity, and unforgettable moments. As the creator and host of This American Life, the award-winning public radio program heard by more than 5 million listeners each week, Glass has shaped how a generation thinks about narrative and the power of everyday stories.
In this special A2SF appearance, Glass blends live storytelling with audio clips, music, video, and audience Q&A to share how he builds a story from the ground up. He reflects on what inspires him, how challenges evolve into breakthroughs, and what he has learned from a life devoted to curiosity and craft.
Under his leadership, This American Life has earned nine Peabody Awards, the first Pulitzer Prize for audio journalism, and induction to the Library of Congress. His programs were also ranked among Time magazine’s 100 Best Podcasts of All Time.
Tickets can be purchased here.
A limited number of tickets to a pre-show VIP Meet & Greet reception with Mr. Glass are available to ticket buyers. Meet & Greet tickets are $30 and capacity is limited. The reception will take place in the Power Center lobby before the performance and will include refreshments. This add-on can be purchased here.
Dec 16 Tuesday
The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night's theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show! Tonight’s theme is…
THAT'S A WRAP!: Prepare a five-minute story about tying a bow on it. Moments of closure, clean cuts, and curling ribbon. Finally quitting your 9-5 or calling it quits on a 9-year situationship. Tales of blurry endings, grateful gifts, and surprise beginnings. Year-long resolutions, breakthroughs, or suddenly seeing the light. Tell us how you knew it was time to box it up and get a move on. Annnnnd cut!
CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE dazzles with a brilliantly breathtaking holiday spectacular for the whole family. As the original cirque holiday theatrical event, this annual tradition wraps a Broadway-style production around awe-inspiring contemporary circus arts. Guests will be on the edge of their seats as a cast of holiday characters come to life, captivating audiences while defying gravity. Reimagined for 2025, CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE features original music, fresh twists on beloved holiday favorites sung live, new sets, dazzling scenery, and stunning costumes—making it the ultimate holiday gift!
Dec 19 Friday
Rescheduled for Friday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m.
This comedy show is full of stars and laughter that will have you on the edge of your seat. DJ Leon Rodgers will keep the vibe in the room going as laughter rocks the house! Damon Willam’s, Correy Bell, Shawn Morgan and Mike Samp have all performed on B.E.T and Comedy Central as well as various other venues. Come on out and enjoy a night of fun.
Must be 18 years of age or older to enter
Jan 08 Thursday
NEW LEAF: Prepare a five-minute story about a new chapter. Bold beginnings, fresh starts and the mess we had to leave behind. Whether you pack up your life to move cross-country, cut ties with a partner to find yourself, or woke up one day and chose a different career. Tell us what it takes to begin again and what still lingers in the rearview.
Jan 11 Sunday
When President Franklin D. Roosevelt called upon American industry to become the “Arsenal of Democracy,” it was Donald Nelson who turned that vision into reality. As chairman of the War Production Board during World War II, Nelson oversaw the massive conversion of America’s factories—from cars to tanks, from assembly lines to lifelines of freedom.
In this installment of the Historical Speaker Series at the Packard Proving Grounds, historian Chris Causley explores Nelson’s remarkable rise from Sears executive to one of the most powerful figures in wartime America. Learn how his leadership shaped the nation’s industrial mobilization, the challenges he faced balancing politics and production, and why his legacy remains one of the most overlooked stories of the WWII era.
Join us for this fascinating look at the man behind the Arsenal of Democracy.
Jan 20 Tuesday
THIN ICE: Prepare a five-minute story about big risks, sneaky sidesteps, and treading lightly. The time you found yourself in territory so treacherous that one wrong move might crack the whole surface. Flirting with catastrophe, the texts you shouldn’t have sent, the secret you let slip, the gamble that cost you everything. Did you narrowly miss disaster, or did you plunge right through?
Feb 03 Tuesday
LOVE HURTS: Prepare a five-minute story about a love that made you go OUCH. The agony of deferred love, the misery of good love gone bad, or the anguish of unrequited love. Situationships, friend break-ups, bad romances. The good, the bad, and the ugly that you survived...or you inflicted. A love that "Hurts So Good."
Feb 05 Thursday
LOVE WINS: Prepare a five minute story about the triumph of LOVE! Romantic yearnings answered. Loneliness vanquished. Matches made in heaven…The long, scary, and sometimes weird road to finding a friend group or partner who feels like a puzzle piece snapped into place. They say there is a lid for every pot, but in the wise words of Whitney, learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.
Feb 17 Tuesday
ZERO CHILL: Prepare a five-minute story about losing your temper. When calm, cool, and collected went out the window. Tell us about the meltdowns, the group chat gone nuclear, or the customer service call that pushed you to the limit. From slammed doors to public rants to perfectly-timed dramatic exits. Can I speak to the manager?
Mar 05 Thursday
FUMBLES AND FOULS: Prepare a five minute story about the moment you dropped the ball. Oops, I did it again or did I do thaaaat? Tryouts, rehearsals, interviews, or dates. The highest of stakes or the lowest of lows. The failures you've learned from or the wrongs you won't admit. The times you let your team down or compared yourself to the GOAT on the court. Shoot your shot!