6th Annual Shakespeare's Birthday Sonnet Slam Set for 4/22 in Central Park

The 6th Annual Shakespeare's Birthday Sonnet Slam will be held on Friday, April 22nd from 1-4pm at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. Free for the public to attend, the Sonnet Slam features 154 readers of all ages performing all 154 of Shakespeare's Sonnets in numerical order.

2016 also marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death on April 23, 1616.

The Sonnet Slam welcomes Sonneteers from all cultures. It is a mix of both amateur and professional Shakespeareans. Notable past participants of the Sonnet Slam include esteemed Broadway and Film stars Stacy Keach, Richard Thomas, Jay O. Sanders, Dana Ivey, and Dakin Matthews among others.

The Sonnet Slam is held rain or shine. Twitter: @sonnetslam

Willful Pictures Artistic Director Melinda Hall created the Sonnet Slam for the people of New York to celebrate Shakespeare. "I wanted to provide a unique opportunity for the Sonneteer and Shakespeare to be together on the Bandshell stage, even if it's only for a minute."

This year, veteran Producer, Kappy Kilburn joins the Sonnet Slam as the Co-Producer. Ms. Kilburn is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, a MFA candidate at Columbia University, and a proud Member of SDC where she was a Hauptman Fellow.

Melinda Hall says, "We are thrilled to have Kappy on board helping us bring the sonnets to NYC this special anniversary year."

The 6th Annual Shakespeare's Birthday Sonnet Slam is also hosting a "Crush A Cup" mixer on Tuesday, March 22 from 6-8pm at Wine 30 (41 E. 30th Street) to benefit the Sonnet Slam. Tickets for the mixer ($20 each) can be purchased in advance online via Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sonnet-slam-mixer-wine-30-tickets-21785093802

For more information visit: www.sonnetslam.com.

You can donate to the Sonnet Slam via IndieGoGo / Fractured Atlas 501(c)(3): https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/6th-annual-shakespeare-s-birthday-sonnet-slam/x/10262613#/.