WHBPAC to Present SLAM POETRY by Mayhem Poets, 12/10-11

As part of its School Day Performances Series, the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center presents Slam Poetry by the Mayhem Poets, a trio of "spoken word" poets, on Tuesday, December 10 at 10am & 12:30pm and on Wednesday, December 11 at 10am. The performance is for young people ages 12 - 18 and runs about 50 minutes. All tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling Cheryl Wheeler at 631-288-2350, ext 102.

Having been dubbed "an amazing ride" by the New York Times, this mind boggling performance has been described as The Simpsons meets Malcolm X at a Notorious B.I.G. concert. These theatre trained, comedically gifted, lyrical virtuosos seamlessly blend raw elements of hip hop, theatre, improv and stand-up comedy to tell gut wrenching truths that leave audiences forever changed. Always up to date with contemporary world issues, this one of a kind Tour de Force stays fresh no matter what the venue.

The Mayhem Poet's unique approach to spoken word has landed them feature spots on The Today Show and Eyewitness News, after winning 1st place and a grant for 100K in the Microsoft Idea Wins Challenge in 2006. Since then they've been touring internationally collaborating with the likes of hip hop legends such as KRS ONE as well as world class musicians including Greg Patillo (beat box flute) and Jane Hunt (violin). Their latest CD, Reverse Birth was hailed as one of the Top spoken word CD's of 2007 by about.com's poetry section. Their NYC based educational training operation Slam Chops is providing opportunities for aspiring poets of all ages.

The Mayhem mission originated at Rutgers University in 2000, when Kyle Sutton and Scott Tarazevits started an open-mic on campus called Verbal Mayhem. Their idea was to find a way to access people from all walks of life with spoken word. As a result they reached out to prisons, fraternities, churches, and hip hop/poetry fans alike to attract the most diverse poetry open-mic scene in the world. The spirit of Verbal Mayhem convinced the two young performers to craft a show and go on a mission to change people's lives and reshape society's view of poetry.