First Person Arts Continues Monthly StorySlam Series

First Person StorySlams continue their third season of competitive storytelling events, offering an antidote to the Valentine's Day delusions of romance. Monthly competitions are held on the fourth Tuesday of each month at L'Etage cabaret 6th and Bainbridge Streets. Following Valentine's Day, the February 24 Slam will play on the theme, "I Think We're Alone." This competitive storytelling series has captivated Philadelphians from all walks of life with a steady diet of hilarious, moving and outrageous stories from real life. L'Etage doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the stories begin at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $8 and Six Slam Passes are available for $40 and can be purchased in advance at www.firstpersonarts.org. Throughout the season, L'Etage is offering all well drinks for $4 during the StorySlams.

Everyone with a true story and a little sense of competition is encouraged to participate. Storytellers are invited to interpret the theme as inventively as they'd like, as long as the tale is true and relates to the theme. Slams are hosted by a diverse array of Philadelphia personalities. Michael McCarry, the audience favorite from January will host the February 24th slam. Sam Malissa, winner of last year's "Worst Ever" StorySlam with a hilarious account of the troubled opening of the National Constitution Center, is an invited guest storyteller.

At each Slam, ten people are randomly selected from those who sign up to step up to the mic and tell a story within a five minute limit. Contestants are rated by three randomly chosen volunteers from the audience; each month's high scorer is invited to compete in the Grand Slam for the title of Philadelphia's Best Storyteller at the eighth annual First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art in November 2009. A new twist this year is that audience members can keep score and submit their ratings; a crowd favorite is revealed the following day on the First Person Arts website.

Eun Strawser of Lansdowne won last month's L'Etage "Bad Idea" StorySlam, with a hilarious account of her unusual name and its persistence, despite amusing cross-cultural and family mis-communications.

The monthly StorySlams at L'Etage will run through October. In addition, First Person Arts will present a series of special event StorySlams in collaboration with community organizations. The next special event StorySlam will be March 3 at World Café Live. The theme is "Hidden Talents," and the event is part of OneBook, OnePhiladelphia. DJ Robert Drake will host, and reigning 2008 GrandSlam champion Ryan T. Barlow, will be a guest storyteller.

First Person Arts is a nonprofit organization and producer of the annual First Person Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art and other programs that tap into the power of personal stories and speak to diverse audiences, including people whose voices are not often heard. First Person Arts is guided by the belief that the sharing of personal experience is a powerful way for people to celebrate uniqueness, bridge differences, and find common ground. For more information, please visit www.firstpersonarts.org.