WYO PLAY will host a Story Slam

WYO PLAY has announced they will host a Story Slam with the theme: Surprise! Beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 4, the Sheridan community is invited to come to the Lotus Café to participate as a storyteller or simply be an audience member for the WYO’s first ever Story Slam. 

According to WYO PLAY, a Story Slam is an open-mic style live storytelling competition. Storytellers should be aged 16 years and up. Each storyteller will have five minutes to tell their original story that connects to the event’s theme of “Surprise,” while being scored by a panel of judges. Once the judges have tallied up the results, cash prizes will be given out to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places. 

Stories can be about an event in your life that has shocked you, a twist of fate, a gift that is too good or too bad to be true, a prank or anything that has the surprise element. This personal story should be family friendly and told without notes or props. It must have a beginning, middle, and end as well as include a title. Names will be drawn from a hat to determine the order. Stories will be evaluated according to three criteria: adherence to the theme, presentation skills, and keeping to the time limit. 

Community members who would like to tell a story during the competition must register in person on the day of the event, May 4, between 6 p.m. – 6:40 p.m. WYO Play does advise that room is limited, with only enough room for up to 10 storytellers. WYO PLAY also suggests participants practice their story to ensure that it is no longer than five minutes. Participants will be disqualified if their story goes over the time limit. 

The WYO encourages all those interested in witnessing this event to join the fabulous storytellers. Concessions will be for sale.

For more information contact event organizer Michelle King at (307) 899-0760.