StorySlam, our Stories We Tell Festival Finale

Do you think you have a story that others would love to hear? It might be humorous. It might be serious. It might be heart-wrenching.

Whatever your tale may be, put your storytelling abilities to the test in a special StorySlam Open Mic event that will cap off this year’s “Stories We Tell Festival” at Eastport Arts Center. It will be a night like no other, promises event organizer Paula Horvath.

“Everyone has stories – a birthday gift gone wrong, a childhood experience that changed your life, a time when you achieved what others thought impossible,” Horvath says. “They don’t need to be big, extraordinary tales, however. They can also be small, quiet retellings of an important experience in your life.”

Eastport’s Story Slam will be held on Saturday, October 5, at 7 pm, at the Arts Center. The festival is presented by the EAC in partnership with Sipayik Museum and The Quoddy Tides.

Although the StorySlam will be fairly informal, there are a few rules by which all storytellers must abide. First, the stories must be true and they must involve something experienced by the storyteller and not another person. Second, the stories cannot be read; they must be told from memory. And, third, they must be between four and five minutes in length.

People interested in telling a story can either simply come to the event and sign up, or register ahead of time by emailing eastportstories@gmail.com.

Specially selected judges will be on hand to choose the top three winners, who will receive cash prizes for their tales. The first-prize winner will take home $150, the second-prize winner $100, and the third-prize winner $50.

The stories will be judged on their length: a story under four minutes will receive lower marks and one over five minutes will be disqualified from the competition. They will also be judged on the strength of the story, and whether it has a good beginning and ending.

The StorySlam in Eastport had its origin in similar open mics presented in Eastport by former Stage East artistic director Mark Macey during Eastport ArtsFests weekends. The current event is modeled after StorySlam events mounted monthly across the United States by The Moth, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the art of storytelling. Stories from these events can be heard weekly on National Public Radio at “The Moth Radio Hour.

“Like those on the radio, the stories told at our StorySlam will be shared to keep alive this important craft of storytelling. And, I guarantee, it will be fun. No pressure. No experience necessary,” Horvath says. “You simply have to tell a story.”

Eastport Arts Center is at 36 Washington Street, Eastport, and is handicapped-accessible.

People interested in telling a story can either simply come to the event and sign up or register ahead of time by emailing eastportstories@gmail.com. Please include your name, phone number and the topic of your story. We can't wait to hear it!