All 2018 events will be free this year however, everyone will need to reserve tickets. All tickets will be reserved through the Woolly Mammoth website to be picked up at the box office on the day of the events. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get the first word when tickets become available.
Capturing Fire is a festival space of trans and queer poets gathering for artistic and political empowerment. If you are to enter a performance or panel, please be mindful of your participation if you are a non-queer or no-trans cis-gendered audience member.
#CapFire18 #WoollyFire
Friday, June 8 – Evening
7:00pm – IGNITE: CAPTURING FIRE OPENING CEREMONY & RECEPTION and STOKED: QUEER ANTHOLOGY READING hosted by Regie Cabico (Rehearsal Hall)
North America’s established slam poets present readings and performances celebrating Capturing Fire’s eighth year. Poets read from the landmark anthology, Stoked Words, which gathers the voices that have ignited queer literary performance. The event will be followed by a Semi Final Poetry Slam competition where poets compete for a slot in the Capturing Fire Finals.
9:30pm – CAPTURING FIRE SEMI-FINALS A (Rehearsal Hall)
Poets compete for the title of Capturing Fire Slam Champion 2018 by performing original poems 3 minutes or less without costumes, music or props. Judges score the poets 0 to 10 Olympic style.
Saturday, June 9 – Day
10:00am -11:30am(Rehearsal Hall)
FLAMING: A QUEER BELTWAY POETRY READING
Beltway Poetry Quarterly has published poets who have roots in the Washington DC Metropolitan area. Under the chief editorship of poet & DC literary historian, Kim Roberts, this quarterly journal has showcased emerging and established queer poets Join us for a gathering of writers as they read from their work and some queer literary ancestors.
10:00am -11:30am(Classroom)
AWQWARD WORKSHOP: Write Me Where It Hurts: Surviving Body Trauma Through Poetry Led by J Mase III
This session will be a space for queer people of color to use poetry as a healing tool to move beyond body trauma. For this session we will define body trauma as any physical/emotional/spiritual trauma that has disconnected us from being in and/or enjoying our bodies.
J Mase III is a Black/trans poet and educator. He is the founder of awQward, a trans & queer people of color specific talent agency. He has shared stages with artists like Chuck D, the Indigo Girls and has appeared on news outlets like MSNBC, PBS, the New York Times and more to share his work and musings. A liberation theology nerd, he is currently co-editing the Black Trans Prayer Book.
11:30am – 1:00pm(Rehearsal Hall)
THE POETS PLAY: A SHOWCASE OF SOLO PLAYS & MONOLOGUES BY QUEER THEATER VISIONARIES (Rehearsal Hall)
Lorca, Baldwin & Stein come from a tradition of poetry visionaries who also write plays. This showcase features works by poets who bring their poetry to the intimate world of the black box and challenge the definition of theater. Featuring readings & performances by Regie Cabico, Drew Pisarra, Chris Brown & more.
11:30am – 1:00pm(Classroom)
AWQWARD WORKSHOP – But Can I Pay My Rent Tho ?!: Surviving as a TQPOC ArtistLed by J Mase the III (Classroom)
This session will be a space for TQPOC (Trans Queer Persons of Color) artists to hone their skills on creating a sustainable arts practice.
1:00pm – 2:30pm(Rehearsal Hall)
EXPLODING RAINBOWS & F*KING UNICORNS: TRANS & QUEER PEOPLE OF COLOR OPEN MIC
Queer People of Color & Women have dominated the Poetry Slam during the rise of the 1990s multiculturalism movement. Today the battles are fierce as we struggle to stay whole and heal during this turbulent administration. Hear North America’s eloquent performance poets and wordsmiths respond to the hate with humor and candor and a lot of edge.
1:00pm – 2:30pm(Classroom)
DANGEROUS ART: A STUDY OF VOLATILE VISUAL ART & WORDS FROM BOTICELLI TO THE 21st CENTURY: FEATURED READING and OPEN MIC
What happens when artists create work that is considered dangerous to the status quo, religious dogma, cultural norms and social power structures? The current Woolly Mammoth production of “Botticelli in the Fire” explores what it means to be an artist creating work in dangerous times and will be the point of departure to explore provocative art and words from the Renaissance to 21st century. Participants will also have the opportunity to create and share poetry written in response to the topics presented.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Regie Cabico is a spoken word pioneer having won The Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grand Slam and later taking top prizes in three National Poetry Slams. Television credits include 2 seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, NPR’s Snap Judgement , Tedx Talk, MTV’s Free Your Mind.
Sasha Sinclair is a visual and performing artist and a master docent at the National Gallery of Art. Her artwork has been exhibited in Washington, DC since 2006 and is part of many prominent art collections around the country. She performs spoken word poetry in many venues in DC and NYC, including writing and performing her solo play “Self Portrait” which debuted at the 2014 edition of Capital Fringe and was nominated as “Best of Fringe” by Broadway World. Her work as a docent and art historian seeks to restore the narratives and contributions or trans, queer and women of color artist’s work into the Western art history canon.
2:30pm – 4:00pm (Rehearsal Hall)
BEFORE I-PHONE & FACEBOOK: QUEER POETS OVER 40 READING & OPEN MIC
The poetry slam began in the late 1980s so the poets who were emerging during the movement are approaching or surpassed half a century of experience. What does it look like to retain a literary life for several decades? Hear poets born before 1978 speak of the issues that ignited their literary debut and where they are going.
2:30pm – 4:00pm (Classroom)
RAINBOW APPLES SHIMMYING ON A DESK: QUEER POETS IN THE CLASSROOM
This panel examines the role of the queer poet as educator. How do we implement students to find their voice and what are the challenges queer and trans educators face when they ask students to be “themselves” when school can be a hostile and unsafe environment. We will share exercises and pedagogy that reaches student’s imagination.
4:00pm -5:00pm (Rehearsall Hall)
THAT’S SO THEY: A GENDER NON-CONFORMING SHOWCASE
The poets of Capturing Fire reclaim gender identity through performance poetry hosted by theater artist and Toronto Slam master of Hot Damn, It’s A Slam, Charlie Petch.
ABOUT CHARLIE PETCH
Charlie C Petch is a playwright, spoken word artist, haiku deathmaster, host and musical saw player. Petch’s spoken word show “Mel Malarkey Gets the Bum’s Rush” is currently touring nationally and they’ve launched “Mel Malarkey Odes & Acts” a Radio Show/Vaudeville album. Petch is widely published and is a member of The League of Canadian Poets. They were a member of both the 2011 and 2012 TorontoTePxotetry Slam Teams, was the coach of the 2015 team and is the creative director of “Hot Damn It’s A Queer Slam”. Petch is happiest onstage. Find out more at www.charliecpetch.com.
Saturday, June 9 – Evening
9:00pm – 10:30pm (Rehearsal Hall)
CAPTURING FIRE SEMI-FINALS SLAM B
Poets compete for the title of Capturing Fire Slam Champion 2018 by performing original poems 3 minutes or less without costumes, music or props. Judges score the poets 0 to 10 Olympic style.
11:00pm – 12:30am (Theater)
CAPTURING FIRE SLAM FINALS
Capturing Fire wraps up with our signature event – THE SLAM FINALS! The top scoring poets from both semi-final bouts battle for Capturing Fire Slam Champion 2018 in this Olympic style competition for performance poetry.
Capturing Fire 