Field's End's First Island Story Slam!
July 2012
More than one hundred people attended our first ever Island Story Slam on Tuesday, July 10th at Treehouse Café on Bainbridge Island. The crowd listened to eighteen storytellers share their wildly different experiences relating to the evening’s theme, “Away From Home.” Stories could last only five minutes and no written materials or props were allowed. Bhama Roget, a member of The Edge improv group, acted as the evening’s emcee and set a lighthearted, entertaining, and supportive tone.
The funny and sometimes poignant, true personal experiences ranged from a skydiving jump, an Air Force cadet’s first jet flight, and experiences as a Glacier National Park ranger, to a starving student’s free ice cream sundae, teenage boys on a bicycle camping trip, friendship with a migrant apple-picker family, and travels in Europe, Canada, China, Latin America, the Middle East, and Argentina.
The judges’ panel consisted of actor/director Dinah Manoff, author Lynn Brunelle, and videographer/director Steve Stolee. Judges scored the storytellers on story structure, performance, and relevance to the night’s theme.
The top three winners—Steve Brady, David Bray, and Bridget Young—received gift certificates to Treehouse Café and Eagle Harbor Books, and a Field’s End tote bag. The other brave and talented storytellers were Kenneth Enright, Donna Moore, Bob Leik, Hans Griesser, Arthur Mortell, Donna Anderson, Mary Ann Moorman, Chris Walker, Eric Kuhner, Beth Balas, Melissa Lunt, Patricia Lahtinen, Chris Brookes, Jeff Wenker, and Jonathan Hibbs.
The Field’s End volunteers would like to thank the participants, our emcee and judges, our sponsors Treehouse Café and Eagle Harbor Books, and all who worked to make this event a reality. Special thanks to Wendy Wallace for her superb job of organizing the Island Story Slam.
Proceeds from the evening's event go to the Jack Olsen Memorial Tuition Assistance Fund to provide scholarships for Field's End classes. Thanks to all who contributed--we raised over $300! For news about future Story Slam events, “like” our Facebook Story Slam page.
To read Wendy Wallace’s personal blog piece about the Island Story Slam, click here.
And keep in mind the Field’s End open mic coming up this winter at the December 18 Roundtable. See our 2012 Roundtable page for more information. We hope to see you there!
Above: Treehouse Cafe at twilight
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