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.
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