Back to Live! Mariposa Story Slam

It happened on Saturday, May 22. After a long year’s absence from live, local entertainment, a crowd excitedly gathered outside on the lawn of the Art Park in the town of Mariposa for an afternoon of jazz and stories. There were beach chairs and blankets scattered over the grass in front of the stage. The audience couldn’t wait to be entertained in person after a year of virtual. The Mariposa Storytelling Committee produced this event, and it went flawlessly; even the weather cooperated. The Blue Skies Jazz Band performed from 3-4pm. Then from 4-5:30pm, there was a Story Slam with ten storytellers ranging in age from 12 to 80+ competing for cash prizes. All stories had to have the theme "Stranger than Fiction".

The tellers each performed a 5 minute story without any notes or props as they were evaluated for content and presentation by 3 local judges. The stories were fabulous! Three tellers were selected for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Not only was this a wonderful opportunity to hear original stories, but it was a first step in Mariposa towards getting back to normal.