@ the Orpheum (15 W. Aspen St), Flagstaff.
It's the biggest event of all year! buy tickets!
From the M.A.D. Linguist in Prescott. From Studio 111 in Flagstaff. And from the Canyon Moon Theatre in Sedona, over twenty poetry slams have rocked this quietly beautiful community of Northern Arizona into a force to be reckoned with. “What the heck are you talking about?”, you ask? I’m talking about the hard work, the determination of over 80 performance poets spittin’ metaphoric fire, rippin’ stages and grippin’ fist fulls of microphones to be part of a team of poets representing Northern Arizona and performing in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the 2005 National Poetry Slam this August.
At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23rd at the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Flagstaff, after a couple of heartbreaking semi-finals, 10 poets have been chosen to compete for five slots on the team and the coveted honor of being the 2005 NORAZ Grand Slam Champion. So if you’ve never been to a poetry slam before this is your chance to a part of one of best times you’ll ever have witnessing this increasingly growing art form.
A poetry slam is a competition between poets where 5 members of the audience, chosen at random, with no affiliation to the poet, choose their favorite poet by holding up score cards that range from zero points to a perfect ten. Poets have to perform their own original poems in three minutes or less and can use no props or music to accentuate their poems. Just the poet and the microphone for three full rounds of the most cathartic, emotionally intense artwork ever verbally expressed. WARNING: you may go away inspired to write.
This evening will be hosted by and featuring the man who created the first poetry slam in Flagstaff, Nick Fox as he tries to keep the poets in line. Music to sooth the savage beast will be provided by the beautiful “Screaming Blue Viking”. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
General admission tickets are only $10, $7 for students and can be found at Animas Trading Co. 1 E. Aspen, The Rainbows End 12 E. 66 ste.101, Gopher Sounds 22 E. 66, The Orpheum Theatre 15 W. Aspen or by calling the Orpheum Theatre at 928.556.1580. Proceeds go to helping Team NORAZ get to Albuquerque and back safely.
All this is brought to you by NORAZ Poets, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting and organizing poetry events as well as making poetry more accessible to the community of NORthern AriZona. For more information about the 2005 NORAZ Poetry Grand Slam or poetry in NORthern AriZona, please call our toll free hotline at 866.698.8790 or go to norazpoets.org.