Felonious Munk, Kemar Jewel, Gabriela Sanchez To Headline First Person Arts 17th Annual Festival!

First Person Arts (FPA) announces their 17th Annual First Person Arts Festival line-up with headliners:. The festival will take place from November 4-November 17 in various parts of the city, and features 11 different performances that highlight personal journeys, accounts of social activism and extreme adventure! The 2018 First Person Arts Festival is focused on overcoming. Dive into real, personal experiences that include: the challenges of life after incarceration, coming out (again and again and again), gathering the pieces and rebuilding your life after divorce, and many more stories of strength, determination, and the power of the human will. The event line up is as follows:

Fourth Quarter Monday-Wednesday, November 5 - 7, 2018 Doors at 6:30 PM | Show at 7 PM Christ Church Neighborhood House What does the deterioration of Mother Earth due to climate change have in common with Mothers diagnosed with cancer? Fourth Quarter is a new genre-bending devised play that takes on the changing climate with incisive, exuberant performances. Pregnant moms smoke cigarettes as the world in crisis melts around them. Basketballs dribble over leaves that can't be contained by a big blue tarp. This is an invitation to grieve the world as we know it, because the other side of our grief for the world is our love for the world.

Felonious Munk Wednesday-Friday, November 7 - 9, 2018 Doors at 6:30 PM | Show at 7 PM FringeArts Building Felonious Munk has updated his smash-hit Second City performance and is bringing it to the First Person Arts stage. This hilarious yet harrowing first-person story of how one Black man went from six years in a state prison to a six-figure job in

corporate America, only to transition to a new life as an activist and satirist, into a one-man show debuting for the First Person Arts Festival. Felonious Munk is a thought-provoking comedian, social commentator, and television personality most often seen on Comedy Central. He appears regularly on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, where his acrobatic use of the English language is only bested by the topics he covers. He is also the co-creator, host, and writer for the groundbreaking "Afrofuturism" and Black Side of the Moon shows, the latter of which he was nominated for a Helen Hayes award.

November 8 - Stick around for a talkback with Felonious to discuss the topics of this thought-provoking and moving work.

Hungry Live Friday, November 9th, 2018 Doors at 6:30 PM | Show at 7 PM Free Library of Philadelphia - Central Branch - Skyline Room Hungry is a podcast about food, the people who make it, and the power of what we eat in a polarized world. In this live show, Hungry storytellers take to the stage to yarn tales on the theme of "Overcoming." This curated batch of storytellers is handpicked from within Philadelphia's culinary world. They'll be sharing their food: a 5 course dinner will be provided, their voices, and stories of overcoming adversity. The night is hosted by Hungry host & producer Otis Gray. Featuring: Eli Kulp of Fork, Abu "Taft" Pettiford of, Laisa Donha, Mir Podheiser, and Neal Santos

Once In A Lifetime Thursday, November 8, 2018 6:30 PM Doors | 7:00 PM Show Christ Church Neighborhood House How does one survive divorce in their 40's and in the digital age? Once in a Lifetime, makes its world debut at the First Person Arts Festival starring comedian and author of "The Five People You Meet In Wawa,", Nicholas Kupsey. Watch Nick navigate all the pratfalls, mishaps, and heartbreaks that come with processing. Take this journey with him as he slowly heals, forgives himself, and ultimately becomes a better person (we hope).

Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" Saturday, November 10, 2018 6:30 PM Doors | 7:00 PM Show TBD | TBD Eminent writer Zora Neale Hurston sat down with Cudjo Lewis in 1927. Mr. Lewis was the last living survivor of the Middle Passage. Unable to find a publisher, Ms. Hurston's work was published in 2018. First Person Arts invites you to come and experience a night of celebrity dramatic readings from the text and a discussion about race in America from the Middle Passage to today. This show is FREE in partnership with: African American Museum of Philadelphia, Engaging Males of Color (EMOC), Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, University of Pennsylvania.

Pa'Lante Sunday and Monday, November 11-12, 2018 6:30 PM Doors | 7:00 PM Show FringeArts Building Gabriela Sanchez, founder and Executive Producer of Power Street Theatre Company, joined the First Person Arts creative team this year when she directed of the popular Commonspace LIVE: Looking Class performance at WHYY and Queer Bodies, a collaboration with the City of Philadelphia LGBT Affairs Office. Gabriela is masterful at creating devised theater that is passionate and pushes for social change. Her Festival directorial debut, Pa'lante is no different. This

devised work asks a diverse representation of the Latinx community to share their stories of living the Latinx experience in the United States of America. Influenced by the five senses, cultural roots, and resilience, each storyteller explores traditions and legacies.

Applied Storytelling Slam Tuesday, November 13, 2018 6:30 PM Doors | 7:00 PM Show FringeArts Building These are the stories you didn't hear at our StorySlams. Over the past year, First Person Arts has worked with eleven organizations and produced twenty storytelling opportunities for their staff through our Applied Storytelling program. On this night, we will roll back the curtain and reveal these compelling stories for the first time on the Festival stage.

Legendary November 14-16, 2018 6:30 PM Doors | 7:00 PM Show FringeArts Building Strike a pose! Legendary! It's back by popular demand. From the legendary balls in New York during the 80's emerged the dance style that slays. During the 2018 First Person Arts Festival, viral choreographer, Kemar Jewel, returns with the visionary storytelling dance piece Legendary. The 2017 Festival one night only performance was so fabulous that Kemar Jewel and the Xcel Dance Crew are back for a three-night run at the 2018 First Person Arts Festival. November 16 - Enjoy a closing night ball and dance party with John Jarboe's "Get Pegged" Cabaret.

2018 GrandSlam Saturday, November 17, 2018 6:00 PM Doors | 7:00 PM Show FringeArts Building Join First Person Arts host Chris Lundy as this season's StorySlam winners go head-to-head for the title of "Best Storyteller in Philadelphia," free First Person Arts Slam admission for life, a $250 cash prize, and bragging rights. Contestants try to win over celebrity judges with their most outrageous, gutsy, and heartfelt personal tales.

Returning for 2018: First Person Arts workshops that help guide you in unleashing and harnessing the power of YOUR voice. Enrichment workshops are available to those looking to hone in on their story telling skills. The workshop lineup is, as follows:

SlamCamp For Beginners: Sunday, November 4, 2018 11:30 AM Doors | 12:00 PM Workshop Christ Church Neighborhood House Have you ever thought about putting your name in the First Person Arts Slam bucket but stopped yourself? This class is to unstop you! SlamCamp for Beginners is designed for beginners but is open to all storytellers who have an interest in hearing how to find a story from life, how to shape that story, and how to tell that story so people will not just listen, but be moved. Come prepared to work! There will be audience participation!

Gender Identity For Families: Sunday, November 4, 2018 1:30 PM Doors | 2:00 PM Workshop Christ Church Neighborhood House Inspired by the book, The Gender Identity Workbook for Kids, First Person Arts invites you to take this workshop on better understanding and embracing the transgender and gender- nonconforming (TGNC) journey. This workshop is for only 25 participants. Reserve early to ensure your seat!

Podcasting 101--The Art Of Storytelling Hosted By: Otis Gray Saturday, November 10, 2018 10:30 AM Doors | 11:00 AM Workshop Christ Church Neighborhood House You have a podcast, or at least a recorder, and you want to start making stories like all those shows you admire. It ain't easy. There are endless bits of knowledge and tricks of the trade you'll only learn by doing and making mistakes. Before that happens, you need to know how mind-blowing this medium you're getting into really is.

Online Dating: Telling Your Story Hosted By: Dr. Marquita Williams Saturday, November 10, 2018 1:30 PM Doors | 2:00 PM Workshop Christ Church Neighborhood House The two largest online dating sites have almost 180 million registered users! How do you sort through and stand out from all of the rest? Learn how to shape your personal story into a stellar online profile that gets attention and how to navigate through the stories of others to find the best match for you!

About First Person Arts: Founded in 2000, First Person Arts transforms the drama of real life into memoir and documentary art to foster appreciation for our unique and shared experience. First Person Arts believes that everyone has a story to tell and that sharing our stories connects us with each other and the world. First Person Arts supports the development of memoir and documentary work by artists from all walks of life and provides opportunities for their stories to be heard in programs throughout the year. For more information, visit firstpersonarts.org