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Events Tue Jun 15 2010

National Story Slam Competition @ CPL

Windy City Story Slam's first ever National Story Slam Competition was held at the Harold Washington Library as part of the Printer's Row Lit Fest on Sunday. Ten storytellers from around the country had five minutes each to wow an audience of avid listeners and a panel of judges that included the Chicago Tribune's Rick Kogan; playwright Alexis Pride; writer James Finn Garner; StoryCorps booster Whitney Henry-Lester; diversity speaker Susan O'Halloran; curator of Serendipity Theater's 2nd Story J. Adams Oaks; and an audience member known simply as "Mike from the crowd."

Storytellers from seven states and the District of Columbia told tales as various as the home towns they represented. Phil Kasitz from West Chester PA's West Chester Story Slam started the evening off with a story of love and loss, followed by Philadelphia's Michael McCarry of First Person Arts, who spoke of a condition no insurance company would ever cover. Massmouth's Jim Stahl followed with an eye-opening story of things seen and unseen, Porchlight's Anthony Bedard went all the way back to junior high school, local favorite Alex Bonner recalled an old friend, and Portland Story Theater's Lynne Duddy told the audience what she once bought for just $20. Nancy Donoval from Story Slam Twin Cities picked up the pace with the shifting tectonic plates in her head, SpeakeasyDC's Regie Cabico taught the audience a whole new way to pronounce "Oprah", Anderson Story Slam's Michelle Buscher explained exactly how not to stop a rushing goat, and The Stoop Storytelling Series' Ab Logan rounded out the event by explaining the relative importance of mashed potatoes and gravy.

At the end of the slam two winners were declared: Nancy Donoval, who lived up to her reputation as "the Michael Jordan of storytelling," won first place from the judges, and Alex Bonner won the audience favorite award, which was measured in applause. If you missed Sunday's event, it will soon be available for your listening pleasure on Chicago Amplified.

 
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Bill / June 16, 2010 7:20 PM

Perfect write up, you nailed the energy of a great afternoon.

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