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POETRY JIG
 Dramatist and poet Shivani Tibrewala jumped from research, television production, translation to communications until she finally found her calling. This Sunday, Shivani celebrates her "coming home" with the second round of One Night Stand, a live battle of The Bards. Co-writer for the recent Hindi release Dus Kahaniyan, Shivani will turn a Mumbai pub into an adda where wannabe poets and master slammers can perform their original poems eccentric, extraordinary, funny, psychotic, political, raw rather than simply read them aloud.
Struck with the idea: Shivani, who started writing at 12, and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, says the art of performing poetry is common in the West. "It's an interactive activity, and I thought it was a good way to amplify public interest in poetry reading, which is considered boring by some.
What happened last year: While she had received registrations from 14 participants last year, she saw a barrage of last minute walk-ins. Some members of the audience got excited and were itching to perform. "The crowd's cheering grows louder as a poet makes it to the next round. "Imam Siddiqui, last year's winner, had written a piece on Amitabh Bachchan, which was a hit with the audience. Another performer, Atul Paranjape wrote a witty, over-the-top poem called Kitne Saare Bachche. The audience loved that too," she says.
Grand Slam 2008: It's not just about be-bopping and grooving. This year, the audience can jam with Woody, the saxophonist who will be accompanied by a guitarist. And if you end up emerging as Master Slammer, you have the chance to perform at the Asian Slam
in Singapore.
How it works:
The slam includes three rounds of poetry. Participants get eliminated in every round, and the Master Slammer bags a surprise prize. Five judges are picked from the audience. Five points are allocated for the poem and five for performance, making it a rating out of 10.
If you want to participate:
Register beforehand. Last date for registration is September 27
>>Perform original constructions.
>>Time limit: 3 minutes with a grace period of 10 seconds.
>>No props, music or costumes allowed.
>>Walk-in participants are welcome too.
One night stand is on at Blue Frog:
At Todi Mills Compound, opposite Kamla Mills, Lower Parel. On September 28 at 8.30 pm. Entry for participants is free. For the rest, entry fee is Rs 500. | 
