Wanted: slammers to pit their creative yarns and wits in a free-for-all story slam.
What exactly is a story slam?
Simply put, it’s a story competition for tellers of tall tales that has picked up momentum worldwide. With an emphasis on content and performance, it focuses more on the art of storytelling than on one-sided rants better suited to a therapist’s office.
“It encourages storytellers to focus on what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. It’s an exercise in crafting stories set within a time limit. It’s great entertainment,” says St. Albert poet Sandra Mooney-Ellerbeck, a member of the St. Albert Cultivates the Arts Committee.
The committee is organizing St. Albert’s first-ever story slam to run alongside other events that form this year’s StArts Fest, which runs Sept. 30 to Oct. 2.
Mooney-Ellerbeck is searching for passionate slammers – writers, storytellers, theatre people – anyone willing to narrate, recite or act out an original story.
“It can be creative fiction or non-fiction. But they must stay under a five-minute time limit. However, they are allowed a 60 second grace period. If they go over the 60 second grace period, they will be docked points.”
Three random judges chosen from the audience will take on the responsibility of judging the quality of written work, the presentation and the audience reactions says Mooney-Ellerbeck.
“We have a lot of new St. Albert writers and it takes a lot of courage to stand up in front of an audience especially if they have never done it before,” she said.
The Bookstore on Perron is providing gift certificates to the two top finishers.
Mooney-Ellerbeck is setting a limit of 10 contestants. Half the slots are still available.
The story slam will be held at Ric’s Grill, the Bruin Centre on Saturday, Oct. 1. To register as a competitor click onto the literary/theatre menu at www.startsfest.ca.
