PROGRAMS
BREAKING NEWS
We’re Bringing a SECOND Monthly StorySlam to World Cafe Live!
First Person Arts is proud to announce a SECOND StorySlam series, open to all ages, at World Cafe Live on the second Monday of every month, starting January 2010. We will continue to host our original StorySlam series monthly on fourth Tuesdays at L’Etage Cabaret.
The inaugural First Person StorySlam at World Cafe Live will be held on Monday, January 11th with the theme Home for the Holidays. Philadelphia actor and musician, David Sweeny will host. David is the star of the Johnny Showcase and Lefty Lucy Cabaret, last seen performing their hit 2009 Fringe Festival show, Purr, Pull, Reign: A Litigious Fantasy in D.
Keep reading for more info on First Person StorySlams at World Cafe Live and L’Etage.
StorySlams take place on the second Monday of each month at World Cafe Live and the fourth Tuesday of each month at L’Etage. World Cafe Live is located at 3025 Walnut Street. L’Etage is at 6th & Bainbridge Streets. Doors open at 7:30PM, and the slam begins at 8:30.
How does a StorySlam work? Every month’s event has a theme and everyone in the audience is invited to share a personal story from their lives that relates to the theme. If you have a story you want to share, leave us your name at the sign-in table where you’ll pay admission. Every potential storyteller’s name goes into a bucket. Ten names are drawn from the bucket, and each contestant is given five minutes on the mic to tell a story and win the crowd. ‘Judges’ are audience members who score the performers on a ten-point scale. The highest-scoring participant wins a prize and the Golden Ticket – an invitation to November’s Grand Slam at the First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Arts. At the Grand Slam, the monthly winners vie for the title of “Best Storyteller in Philadelphia.”
Click here for all StorySlam Dates and Themes.
Tickets are $10 for the general public, $8 for members and are available only at the door. Six-pack bundles of tickets are $55, can be purchased at the door or in advance at storyslams.firstpersonarts.org, and can be used for admission to Slams at either World Cafe Live or L’Etage. (Note: admission is on a first-come first-served basis; six-pack tickets do not guarantee entry to individual events). StorySlams at World Cafe Live are all-ages events; Slams at L’Etage are 21+.
Storytelling Tips & Essentials
- This event is for story TELLING. Sorry, but you can’t read from your work; you must tell it.
- All stories must have a beginning, a middle, and an end. Know your plot points!
- Tell your story from your point of view.
- Your story should be true – or as true as possible. Like Emily Dickinson said about poetry: tell all the truth, but tell it slant.
- Stick to the 5-minute time limit! You’ll be penalized in the competition if you don’t.
- Know your first line and last line when you step on stage. Knowing what point A and point Z are will help you get through the rest if you get nervous.
- Raise the stakes! Sure, you know that this story happened to you, but show us why it matters — both to you and to us.
If you have any further questions, email Karina at kkacala@firstpersonarts.org or call 267-402-2057.
Thanks to former Edible World Tour Guide Art Etchells, we learned a little something about the home of First Person Arts, 1 S. Broad. Before it was the PNB Building, it was the Betz Building and housed in the basement was a German beer hall, Soula’s Raths Keller. It sounds like it was a pretty cool place back in 1910…
Art unearthed this bit of Philadelphia history from Rand, McNally & Co.’s Handy Guide to Philadelphia and Environs. I can only imagine what other cool stories that book has to share.
Just because the Festival is over doesn’t mean we can’t keep in touch with some of our favorite presenters…
I really want to cook with Ruth Reichl sometime. She makes everything sound so simple and delicious, like these shrimp dumplings.
The Yes Men want you to vote for the Worst Corporation of 2009.
Congratulations to Laurie Sandell! Her graphic memoir, The Imposter’s Daughter, was just nominated for a 2009 Goodreads Choice Award. Members of Goodreads can vote for her by clicking here. Scroll down to Poll #9, Graphic Memoir, and vote! (And if you aren’t already a member of Goodreads, you should become one. It’s a great virtual library of what you’ve read and what you’re currently reading; plus, you can friend other bibliophiles and see what’s on their reading lists!)
Karina Kacala is a familiar, yet new, addition to the First Person staff. As Marketing Coordinator, Karina is only halfway through her second day on th
e job. However, she is already acquainted with the First Person community, having served as this year’s Volunteer Coordinator for our Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art.
While many of you met Karina during the Festival, we still have a lot to learn about her. Rather than make her submit a boring biography, First Person staff members threw a few questions her way…
Dan: What are you most excited about doing here with us?
Karina: New First Person programming will be taking place over the coming months and I’m very excited about promoting these ventures to the First Person community and beyond. (Yes, I’m being purposefully cryptic. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!)
Eva: What is your favorite memoir?
Karina: I love Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. In a similar vein, Art Spiegelman’s Maus is another favorite.
Dan: What would the title of your memoir be and why?
Karina: It would have to be something that captures my background as a singer but also all the other random stuff that I’ve done over the years… something like, Off the Beat or Singing Out of Range.
Eva: What was your favorite festival memory this year?
Karina: My favorite memory wasn’t one specific thing; it was seeing the volunteers have a great time. For instance, we had a few volunteers from Central High School, ranging from freshmen to seniors. Volunteering for the Festival was a way they could fulfill a community service requirement for graduation. I was a little surprised at how engaged they were by topics as diverse as animals, William Kunstler, and the Philly Complaint Choir. I even think they were surprised themselves! I also loved seeing the volunteers enjoy hanging out with each other and start forming their own community within First Person Arts. A bunch of us even went out for karaoke after the Volunteer Appreciation Party! Overall, the volunteers having fun made my job even more meaningful.
Nick: What are your top three favorite films (documentary or otherwise)?
Karina: This is really hard so I’m going to cheat and turn it into two questions. For movies overall, I’ll choose Annie Hall, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Usual Suspects. Favorite documentaries are Rize, Grey Gardens and Grizzly Man.
Cathy: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Karina: I’m pretty dorky, to be honest. I knit, do crosswords, write about food on my blog (kitchenplay). But I also love going out dancing. That makes me a little less dorky, right?
Nick: What is your go-to snack food?
Karina: Well, when I’m being healthy, I dig yogurt (cherry, preferably) and Luna bars. When I’m feeling less than healthy, I go for Oreos and/or Nacho Cheese Doritos. Love. Them.
MEET Karina at one of our upcoming First Person Arts events in 2010 and ask her a few questions of your own! For a schedule of events, go to our Events Calendar.
Imagine our surprise yesterday when we found out that we were nominated for the Philebrity Award of Festival or Gathering of the Year! We are up against some great organizations, but feel confident that our fans out there will demonstrate their support by voting for us.
Vote for us today by clicking here.
The winners will be announced at the Philebrity Awards Show and Xmas Pageant, Thursday, December 10th at the Trocadero. And thanks to Philebrity for the nomination!
