Wednesday, November 18, 2009
& the 3rd Wednesday of every month
at the Blue Chair Cafe, 9624 - 76 Avenue
Sign up at 7 p.m. Stage opens at 8 p.m.
5 audience judges. 5 minutes. 10 writers.
Cash prize.
Edmonton Story Slam kicks off Season 4 of live story telling events every month at The Blue Chair Cafe. First chance to Slam is NOVEMBER 18. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate -- it's the best potluck entertainment around. Now is the time to take a risk, feel your pulse, live larger, have an experience you will always remember. Visit your dreams, explore your past, stir your creativity, question your existence, write a story and get on stage to share it with an eagre audience in a welcoming, yet competitive, environment. We gather on the 3rd Wednesday of every month to celebrate stories, be they inspired from our own lives or derived entirely from the labyrinth of our minds.
Arrive early. Share a meal, tip a cup and join a community that welcomes new members and embraces old friends. We have heard stories about childhood, old age, middle age, yearnings, parenthood, mistakes, reckonings, dreams, nightmares, sexuality, food, voyages, adventures, relationships, journeys, war, truth, lies, ancestors, spirituality, ghosts, what ifs, and what might be. Add your musings to the collective.
Congratulations to Tyler Enfield, who is the Edmonton Story Slam Champion for 2008-2009. Season 3 celebrated its peak with The Slam Off finals, which were held October 21 in front of an enthusiastic crowd. To all those who tried to attend and were turned away because of popular demand, please join us for our regular season. Better yet, write a story and get on stage. Past Slam Off champions are: Mark Ramsden (2007) and Jadon Rempel (2008).
Thank you to The Blue Chair Cafe and staff (www.bluechair.ca), Tracy Kolenchuk (Photography: www.pbase.com/tracyk/story_slam_at_blue_chair; also see www.tracyocamera.com); Duncan & Craig LLP; NeWest Press (www.newestpress.com), Vue Weekly. Thank you also for all the hard work from the writers, donations from the audience and enthusiasm from a board of dedicated slam lovers!
Join the Edmonton Story Slam on Facebook for updates and events. Contact: edmontonstoryslam@gmail.com or call 780-915-8869.
Mark your calendar with the Season 4 Slam schedule: 3rd Wednesday of every month
November 18
December 16
January 20
February 17
March 17
April 21
May 19
June 16
July 21
August (no slam: break)
September 15
October 20
November 17
The Rules:
- Sign up at 7 p.m. First 10 writers. Writers must sign up in person.
- Names are drawn randomly from a hat for order of appearance. Writers must be present when names are drawn in order to participate.
- Stopwatch starts ticking as soon as writer begins speaking.
- Each writer tells/reads a story in 5 minutes.
- 1/2 point deducted from score for every 10 seconds over (5 second grace period).
- Gong at 7 minutes.
- 5 audience judges score each story out of 10. High and low scores are eliminated (best out of 30).
- Top score wins the competition and earns a coveted spot in Slam Off (date TBA), where monthly winners face off for the annual title.
- $5 donation (suggested) from the participating writers goes to the Edmonton Story Slam Society to help maintain operations.
- Stories may be fact, fiction or somewhere in-between.
- All pass-the-hat donations from the AUDIENCE go directly to the monthly winner.
Donations from individuals and corporations to the Edmonton Story Slam Society are welcome and appreciated. Thank you for your support!
