Tomorrow is Wear Your Wig to Work Day, founded by First Person Salon presenter Gabrielle Revlock! To celebrate this annual holiday, started in 2002, just bring your Uma Thurman black bob or long blonde extensions to the office and rock them all day. When the work day is done, join Gabrielle and other wig wearers at Pope (1501 E. Passyunk Ave.) for an After Gathering, starting up at 5pm. They’ll eventually be moving on to Dirty Franks, so catch them there later if you can’t make Pope.

And yes, I’m thinking about bringing one of my own wigs in. Pictures to follow, I promise.

So congratulations are definitely in order for Alex Kacala, who claimed Winner and Audience Favorite of last night’s January StorySlam at L’Etage. Kacala? That name sounds familiar… isn’t that YOUR last name, Karina?


Why yes, yes it is. I am super proud to say that Alex – without any rigging or finagling on his big sister’s part – won for his story on the consequences of celebrating Armenian Christmas.


Watch his video on Philebrity.com and the First Person Arts channel on You Tube. Photos from last night are on our Flickr page. All other stories will be posted on YouTube by the end of the week. Thanks to everyone for coming out to L’Etage!

It’s official! Time for performers to start registering for the 2010 Philly Fringe (September 3rd – 19th). Bring your puppets, clowning, trapeze work, theater, song, dance – but most of all, your STORIES – to this year’s Fringe.


For full details, visit:
http://www.livearts-fringe.org/how-to-participate.cfm


Registration starts now till April 2nd.

That’s the theme of tonight’s StorySlam at L’Etage… maybe it’ll inspire stories of seemingly mundane daily doings that are actually more meaningful than they seem, or a monthly happening amongst friends will set the stage for some drama, or the nervous but comfortable routines we go through before going on a date or meeting a new person will be shared.


January StorySlam at L’Etage
TONIGHT, Tuesday, January 26th
Doors at 7:30, Slam starts at 8:30
Tickets are $10 at the door, $8 for members. 6-packs of tickets for $55 can be bought here or at the door.


While you ponder on your own personal rituals, let’s have a Flashslam by tonight’s guest judge, Katonya Mosley. This is from last year’s Philly vs. Chicago Slam at the Free Library, with the theme of Mortified.





Our next Slam is February 8th at World Cafe Live. The theme is First Impression. Our host is Mr. Doug Didyoung.

Check out Brady Russell’s winning story from September 2009. He’ll be our guest storyteller next Tuesday at L’Etage.





January StorySlam @ L’Etage
Tuesday, January 26th
Doors @ 7:30, Slam starts at 8:30
The theme is Rituals.
Our host is Juliet Wayne.
Admission is $10 at the door, $8 for members.

Oliver Bonin’s documentary “Dust & Illusions,” detailing the history of the Burning Man Festival, is currently touring all over North America and even headed as far as Amsterdam – and as nearby as our own back yard! That’s right, the Philadelphia Film Society is bringing “Dust & Illusions” to World Cafe Live on February 3rd at 7:30 as part of their filmadelphiaDOCUMENTARY film series.


Better yet, all First Person Arts members will get the same discounted price of admission as PFS members! Regularly priced tickets are $12 with members’ pricing at $6.49. Purchase tickets to the event here. (Just be sure to either bring your dated membership Thank You letter, or contact Eva Harris in our office to request a membership card.) What’s that you say – it sounds like a great deal but you’re not yet an FPA member? Click here friend, and let us resolve that for you straight away.





Bonin takes a unique approach to documentary film making. Part objective and detached interviewer but also part participant in his own process, he felt that the best way to unobtrusively film the open air desert art festival was to participate as a sculpture artist in the festival and film from that perspective. It was only after this initial leg of his journey that he followed up with organizers, artists and attendees of the festival and gained insight into both the logistical work and the politics that take place behind the scenes. From conception and research to final cut, this was a four year journey for him and his crew.


We hope you’ll join us for this special screening. From spectacular arts footage to examining how the festival’s growing mainstream appeal may threaten its utopian visions, this documentary is a perfect fit for all lovers of art and art communities. But don’t take my word for it; check out the trailer above, and I’ll see you at World Cafe Live!

- J. Rudy Flesher

For a Wednesday night, there is some great stuff happening…


One Book, One Philadelphia Kick-Off
One Book, One Philadelphia launches today, featuring the Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.


The Event Kick-Off is tonight at the Central Library, 7:30 pm. Head out for Persian Music by Intercultural Journeys and a screening of the film, Persepolis.


And if you can’t make it to the library tonight, come to our March program, Warning: Graphic Content, where three graphic memoirists will discuss their work and we’ll show Persepolis.



The Johnny Showcase and Lefty Lucy Cabaret
See our last StorySlam host, David Sweeny, in a completely different light, as he dons the persona of Johnny Showcase, Rhode Island-born crooner extraordinaire. World Cafe Live, 8pm. Tickets are $15.

In anticipation of next week’s first 2010 Slam at L’Etage, meet our host, Slam favorite, Juliet Wayne.





See you next Tuesday, January 26th, at L’Etage (6th and Bainbridge). 21+. $4 well drink specials. Doors @ 7:30, Slam starts at 8:30. The theme is Rituals and our guest storyteller is Brady Russell.

After much hard and frustrating work by Erika, our awesome new Digital Media intern, our first batch of 2010 StorySlam videos are up on our YouTube channel. Philebrity will still be featuring the winning Slam video after each 2010 Slam, but due to our technical delay, for now, check out Olga’s video here first.


Our “Home for the Holidays” Winner, Olga Schmutz.





Our “Home for the Holidays” Audience Favorite, Robin Wachsberger.





All other Slam videos can be found here.

Congrats to Robin, the Audience Favorite from Monday’s Slam. She charmed the audience with her sweet and funny story about visiting her boyfriend’s family in rural Western PA over the holidays. Think Sling Blade rural, steak-with-a-side-of-venison-for-dinner rural, skeet-shooting-with-the-mens rural. Robin’s story was strong from start to finish and had a great presentation. We hope she joins us for a future Slam. Maybe our next one at L’Etage on the 26th???



We’ll be posting video of Robin’s story later this week! Stay tuned…