PORT ANGELES — Performance artist Clay River of Port Angeles is inviting poets of all stripes — comic, political, lyrical and beyond — to Studio Bob for the Alle Stage Poetry Slam this coming Friday.
There’s no cost to enter, and now is the time is now to sign up by sending a Facebook message to Clay River or visiting the Alle Stage Poetry Slam public event page on Facebook.
This event is for poets and listeners ages 18 and older, and each participant should have three pieces ready to go for a three-round competition.
Prizes will range from cash — raised via the cover charge — to tickets to Seattle poetry events.
On Friday, doors will open at 8:30 p.m. at Studio Bob, upstairs at 118½ E. Front St., and the event will start at 9 p.m. and go till around 11 p.m.
Admission will be $5 for listeners — several of whom just might be chosen as judges, since that’s how this kind of slam works.
“Even if you aren’t a poet, you could be part of the show,” Clay noted, adding that listeners can plan on seeing poets perform individually or in groups “using all the skills of storytelling, hip-hop [and] stand-up-comedy . . . playwriting and cold, hard poetry.”
Clay’s wife, Angie River, meanwhile, is adding another aspect to the poetry slam. She’s worked in the state Department of Corrections education division, and has met women in the residential parenting program: incarcerated mothers who are caring for their children up to the age of 30 months. At Friday’s slam, Angie hopes to collect donations of baby clothes, diapers and other baby supplies.
“Clothing [for children] up to age 3 would be great,” Angie said. Baby blankets are needed too. Donors will receive free raffle tickets for prizes Friday night, and the donated items will be given to the Washington Corrections Center for Women’s residential parenting program.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
