The Thirst Games

Earl the Squirrel's Rule #28

     Thirst Games ("TGs") derive their name from where they appear:  a popular local watering hole.  Like the Malsitna, TGs are variations on a slam model intended to broaden the demographics, aesthetics and styles seen in performed poetry.  The format is simple:  a month beforehand, competing performers pick from a list of volunteer advisors.  The latter might come from anywhere:  older slammers (if that isn't an oxymoron), actors, poetry teachers, et cetera.  The contestant with the highest score after two poems is the champion;  his or her mentor wins the coveted Svengali Sash--sorry, "Coach's Cup".

     Some TGs will have a compulsory:  a piece every participant must perform that is short enough (i.e. sonnet length at most, 75 seconds or less) and has sufficient performance value to avoid boring an audience hearing it so many times in succession.  These allow for an apples-to-apples comparison of presentation skills. 

Earl the Squirrel's Rule #79

     Other TGs will be less a serious, fair competition than a party to raise monies for a slam team's travel expenses.  These may include a 50-50 draw (where legal), precluding the need for judges;  attendees buy raffle tickets that identify the performer they most enjoyed.  The participant who gets the most such "votes" (i.e. whose tickets sell best) wins the event.

     Ideally, TGs will bring out people who would never go to performance events, thus creating a far more balanced, eclectic presentation than the typical unmodulated slam or poetry reading.  Given the crowd and location, one is likely to encounter almost anything at Thirst Games.

     Except thirst.

---

    Your feedback is appreciated!

    Please take a moment to comment or ask questions below (you may need to hit "No comments") or, failing that, mark the post as "funny", "interesting", "silly" or "dull".  Also, feel free to expand this conversation by linking to it on Twitter or Facebook.  Please let us know if you've included us on your blogroll so that we can reciprocate.

    If you would like to contact us confidentially or blog here as "Gray for a Day" please use the box below, marking your post as "Private" and including your email address;  the moderator will bring your post to our attention and prevent it from appearing publicly.

    We look forward to hearing from you.

Signed,

Earl Gray, Esquirrel

---