Strange Tongues

The Details:
Strange Tongues is a new monthly poetry series recently started by monica s. kuebler and Jeff Cottrill as a way to recharge the Toronto spoken-word scene. This event is located at Oasis (294 College St.) The next event is scheduled for April 28. It kicks off around 7:30pm and finishes around 10:30pm.

The Vibe:
"I set out to build a sense of community in the scene, offer the audience something high energy, streetwise, urban, edgy, and hip, and more idealistically try to create a movement that will break out of the coffeehouses and bars" -monica s. kuebler
With its free and colourful walls and bohemian deco, Oasis sets the tone of the evening. It is a great open mic spwace because of its large private area, good for a large audience, and its private to the rest of the restaurant as not to disturb the regular diners.

Format:
Fifteen open mic readers and two feature artists. Open mic performers get five minutes each, and feature artists get around 20.


Who is it for?
Primary genre is spoken word artists and performance poets, but musicians, comics, dancers, and short theatrical pieces are also encouraged.
"We are mostly thinking of young (20 - 30 year old) people since we want to be a hip and energetic show. But anyone is welcome to do the open stage. Beginners are always welcome... we like "discovering" people we think are talented." - Jeff Cottrill, co-founder of Strange Tongues

Comment:
"When I decided to start another poetry series I wanted something to bring out the energetic and dynamic performances that are often missing from more traditional literary reading series. I felt there was a real lack of high energy spoken word shows in the city at the time." - monica s. kuebler
"Poetry has too much of a bland, academic reputation, so we want to attract different kinds of people to show them just how hip, energetic and entertaining poetry can be." - Jeff Cottrill

Tip:
The audience is very open and supportive to anyone and any style. They are most receptive to odd and risky topics, and looking to be entertained.