There is no better
entertainment than a well-told story in a dimly lit bar. At least that’s how we Scrantonians see
it. This Saturday, some of Scranton’s
most interesting characters are lined up to share their stories and compete for
the coveted Slammy award at Ale Mary’s. This slam’s theme is “Heartburn” and we’re
willing to bet it will get pretty juicy. If you haven’t been to a Scranton
StorySlam yet....OMG, ya gotta!!!
We got the chance to
chat with Pamela McNichols of Scranton StorySlam about this Saturday’s event.
What’s a story slam and
what made you decide to bring it to Scranton?
The StorySlam is a
competition at which storytellers share true, personal tales with a room full
of people who love a good story. Each slam has its own unique theme to tie the
night together.
Scranton is full of
colorful characters with great stories! After seeing our first story slam in
Brooklyn, we knew we had to introduce this fun event to our friends at home.
What can we expect at Saturday night’s
“Heartburn” themed Slam?
We're expecting tales of
bad dates, first dates, and love stories gone awry. Perhaps we'll even hear a
few happy-ever-afters.
Stories are not censored
or previewed, so we never know what we're going to hear. Maybe we'll get a
local version of Fifty Shades. Who knows!
Can you tell us a little
about this event’s storytellers?
We have an amazing
line-up.
Jim Bosha will return
after wowing the audience at the West Side Slam with his winning story about a
childhood discovery of (what he believed to be) a human soul in the burn pit
behind his family's funeral home.
Steve Clark is a
two-time Grand Slam champion at First Person Arts StorySlam in Philadelphia. A
graduate of the University of Scranton, Steve is looking forward to visiting
his old stomping grounds.
Heather Davis is a film
buff and screen writer with a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from
Wilkes University. Heather has been on our radar a long time, and we're excited
to finally get her up on stage to hear one of her best love stories.
Stephanie Longo is the
editor of the Abington Suburban newspaper, the author of two books on local
history, and a lover of all things Italian.
Jeannine Luby is a
stand-up comedian, motivational speaker, and author of the book "He's Not
Prince Charming When..." which will be available for sale at the
StorySlam.
John Walton is a
stand-up comedian who performs all over the east coast and has won several
comedy competitions. John is excited to open for comedian Gilbert Gottfried on March
6, at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Scranton, presented by Laugh Out Lepka's
Comedy.
Patrice Wilding is a
writer and reporter for the Lifestyles Department of the Times-Tribune. She
also bartends at Honeychilds' and has a side gig appearing as Elsa from
"Frozen" at children's parties.
Pictured: Storyteller Heather Davis
So what are the Story
Slam rules?
- Stories must be true (as remembered by the storyteller).
- Stories should not be longer than five minutes.
- Stories must be told without notes. (Storytellers should know their story by heart.)
How can a storyteller
get involved? Can anyone participate?
We usually feature six
to eight storytellers and leave spots open for audience members who are
interested in getting on stage to tell their story.
Anyone interested in
telling a story should put their name in the fish bowl when they arrive, and
three wild cards will be selected at random throughout the course of the
evening.
Also, we'll be selecting
five judges from the audience to help determine the winner of the slam.
Winners take home 50 bucks and a Slammy, the coveted StorySlam trophy.
Do we need advanced
tickets and where can we get them?
Tickets are available
online at heartburn.brownpapertickets.com or at the
door (until the event sells out). This venue only holds 100 people, so advanced
tickets are a good idea.
We don't like to turn
anyone away, but no one enjoys being packed in like sardines.
Is there anything else
you want to share with our readers?
If you've never been to
a StorySlam and you're wondering what to expect, imagine sitting at a bar
listening to your friends' funniest or most touching stories, that's what
you'll get at a StorySlam.
And here's a little
secret about something extra we have in common with ScrantonMade...
The Scranton StorySlam
and Arts on the Square were voted "Best New Event" by readers of the
Electric City in 2012 and 2013, respectively. True story!
Learn more about Scranton Story Slam:
Website: scrantonstoryslam.com
Twitter: @ScrantonSlam
