Sedona Poetry Slam

About this event

The Sedona Poetry Slam opens its 18th season on Saturday, Oct. 10, with a twist: The first slam of the year takes the stage on the set of “The Dead Quilters Society,” the play being staged at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre that weekend. Performance poets will bring high-energy, competitive spoken word to the theater starting at 7:30 p.m. Poets will compete for cash prizes on a set built for the popular Sedona historical play — a collision of page, stage and improvised scenery that regulars say only adds to the show. Open Slam A poetry slam is like a series of high-energy, three-minute one-person plays, judged by the audience. Slam poetry is an art form that allows written page poets to share their work alongside theatrical performers, hip-hop artists and lyricists. Poets come from as far away as Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott and Flagstaff, competing against local poets from Sedona and Cottonwood, college poets from Northern Arizona University and youth poets from Verde Valley high schools. All types of poetry are welcome on the stage, from street-wise hip-hop and narrative performance poems, to political rants and introspective confessionals. Any poem is a “slam” poem if performed in a competition. All poets get three minutes per round to entertain and inspire the audience with their creativity. Anyone can sign up to compete in the slam for the $75 grand prize and $25 second-place prize. To compete in the slam, poets will need three original poems, each lasting no longer than three minutes. No props, costumes nor musical accompaniment are permitted. The poets are judged Olympics-style by five members of the audience selected at random at the beginning of the slam. Email foxthepoet@yahoo.com to sign up early to compete or by the Friday before the slam, or sign up at the door the day of the slam. The prize money is funded in part by a donation from Verde Valley poetry supporters Jeanne and Jim Freeland. Poetry Slam Founded at the Green Mill Tavern in Chicago in…

Description from sedonafilmfestival.com