311 Capitol Way N
Olympia, WA 98501
USA
StoryOly is Olympia’s premiere Story Slam event. Community members come together every month to share, compete, and tell true stories based on a monthly theme. StoryOly aims to encourage and develop community engagement and connection through the medium of storytelling. Created and produced by Amy Shephard and Elizabeth Lord, the first StoryOly Slam took place in November 2015.
It is modeled after The Moth and Fresh Ground Stories in Seattle. A Story Slam is a storytelling performance competition. At each monthly StoryOly Story Slam multiple tellers take the stage and relate a true story from their life related to the monthly theme. They are allotted 8 minutes to tell their tale. A winner is selected.
It is these past monthly winners that will be competing in the Grand Slam competition. The best of the best, the greatest hits if you will.
Each month half the proceeds from the door are donated to a local nonprofit organization. The Grand Slam proceeds will be donated to: Empowerment 4 Girls. It is a nonprofit organization that reaches girls ages 9-16 with early, critical messaging about self-respect, self-care and positive body awareness. Our developmental curriculum offers core life skills that support them as they grow into strong, confident, healthy women. More info: https://www.empowerment4girls.com/about.html
Special Guest Band: The Wild Pitch Swingers, featuring Harry Levine on bass, Scuff Acuff on guitar, James Schneider on mandolin, and Theo Ragan on accordion. They play old-timey jazz, blues and western swing.
Special Grand Slam Guest Judges: Keith Eisner and Billie Mazzei
Keith Eisner has been a frequent visitor to Story Oly, both as a storyteller and audience member. He teaches creative writing at the Olympia Senior Center and acts in local community theater. His short story, Blue Dot, was selected as one of 20 stories in The O. Henry Prize Stories for 2017.
Billie Mazzei is a published writer, award-winning storyteller and loves the power of story to educate, entertain, empower and inspire. She knows a good story when she hears it. Her last book and CD is available on Amazon: The Prodigal Mother and other Bible Stories you never heard.
