To draw in and contract one’s muscles involuntarily: to cringe. The feeling you get when something is said that should not have been said. When somebody fails to act in the manner that is expected of them. To be awkward is unbecoming. But, if there is some sado masochistic part of you that feeds on the pain of an an awkward encounter, you should be coming to Erin Rodgers’ monthly comedic storytelling cringe-fest: Awkward. Recently I sat down swapped emails with Rodgers to find out what made her want to put all her life’s most embarrassing moments on display.

What inspired the genesis of Awkward?

I’d co-produced a few shows and I really wanted to do a show myself. I’d been a big fan of Storytelling podcasts like the Moth for several years and after seeing the awesome Toronto MothUp (now Raconteurs) I thought it would be great to run…