There is Always a Seat at the Table
Donny Teachout looking over the sign up sheet while an open mic performer plays to the crowd (Photo courtesy of Monika Gałuś)
A shouting mandolin player stomps their feet for a twelve-minute song. A petite instrumentalist disappears behind an accordion for an impressive droning set. A singer brings the expected roar of a bar down to intrigued whispers as they sing. A six-foot rapper brings a ukelele out from behind their back. A comedian tackles a tipsy mass and ensures a strong reaction. A magician rises from the mixing console to reintroduce wonder to otherwise arduous lives.
Open mics are a singular phenomenon. At its best, an open mic is an environment where artists of all disciplines and skills gather to share, connect, and explore. The Table Open Mic, a monthly Sunday mic at the Hop Shoppe in Stapleton, hosted by Donny “Papa Don” Teachout, is always an example of an open mic at its best.
Donny Teachout hosting “The Table” open mic at Hop Shoppe
(Photo courtesy of Monika Gałuś)
The measure of a mic has nothing to do with the CVs of its attendees, the fullness of a wallet, or even the number of people in the informal audience (though the Table almost always has a proper crowd). Somehow, Donny T. fosters an openness, an anticipation, and such unconditional love that even on the worst night you can fathom, the Table is a welcoming and inspiring space. When asked to describe the mic Donny said proudly, “Making the Mic to be a variety show gives people the opportunity to listen and helps lower the walls of judgement, performance anxiety, and competition. It makes everyone feel that they are there to be heard.” I asked him what his goals are for his longstanding event and he offered, “That it would continue to grow. I love that we have had people from all over the globe, and people that are homegrown. I would like to have it broadcasted and have a better media presence with it so people can be seen, and more people can enjoy it.”
Don is a multi-disciplinary artist and a magnetic individual. The funniest guy you know who communicates wisdom as naturally as one breathes. To be near him is to want to know him, and Don has a lot to offer. About his background in this field Donny explained, “In my younger years I went to iconic Open Mics through out the five boroughs and I wanted to create a platform here on Staten Island for people to share their gifts." So when you bring a charismatic host and a platform for artists to express themselves, you have beauty, community, and sincerity; things we, as people, desperately need and can grow up lacking. Not every school or household respects how art moves and shapes people. Most jobs operate on an opposite front, one of only discipline and assimilation. So the Table acts as an essential force for the community. Whether you are an artist or not, it is a celebration of life’s inherently ephemeral joy.
Because art is subjective and life is finicky, it can be difficult to find an event to lean on, consistent in its scheduling as much as its quality. The Table is coming up on its seventh anniversary (July 30th) of running on Staten Island. It is a staple in Stapleton. Stop by and read a poem aloud for the first time. Rap for a crowd, tell a joke you wrote, and share your art. Share yourself. There is always, always a seat at the Table.
Monika Galus is a Brooklyn-born Saten Island local, a musician, and writer.