13th Annual Shakespeare's Birthday Sonnet Slam Will Be Held at Riverside Church Next Weekend

The 13th Annual Shakespeare's Birthday Sonnet Slam will be held Saturday, April 22nd from 1-4pm at the 9th floor Lounge at the Riverside Church in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. The Sonnet Slam features 154 readers of all ages and abilities performing all of Shakespeare's Sonnets in numerical order. The event is free to the public and is approximately 3 hours long. Sonnet Reader registration is now open through the website: www.sonnetslam.com

This year, Broadway veteran Peter Francis James (Funny Girl, Hilary and Clinton) joins the lineup. Past Sonnet Slams featured many Broadway and film stars, notable writers, poets, fine art painters, teachers and Shakespeare lovers from around the world.

Willful Pictures, Artistic Director, Melinda Hall created the Sonnet Slam for the people of New York to celebrate Shakespeare. "I wanted to create a unique opportunity for the Sonneteer and Shakespeare to be together, even if it's only for a minute." The 13th Annual Shakespeare's Birthday Sonnet Slam is made possible in part with public funds from Creative Engagement, a regrant program supported by the NYC Dept. of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and administered by LMCC and UMEZ.