West Orange Free Event: Bardbeatz Poetry Fest

WEST ORANGE, NJ — West Orange-based Luna Stage and Valley Arts will host the BARDBEATZ 1st Annual Poetry Fest on Sunday, May 7. According to a news release, the free, public event is being held to promote creative writing, poetry and “the art of the word.”

Three afternoon workshops for students and adults start at 1 p.m. at the Kelli Copeland Creative CoOp at 400 Jefferson Avenue in Orange. Workshops are limited to 20 participants with space for 20 extra people who would like to observe only. Tony Award winner reg e gaines will be leading the first workshop about poetry reading out loud skills. Workshop #2 will be run by Peg Vassallo of the West Orange Arts Council and will engage contemporaneous poetry writing. Workshop #3, “Sonnets – Miranda and Shakespeare,” will be run by Andrew Blais, creator of Valley Book Works.

To sign up for workshops, contact Leslie Duval at led830@gmail.com.

The festival will also include an evening reading from reg e gaines at 7 p.m., followed by an open poetry slam for regional adult poets at Luna Stage, 555 Valley Road in West Orange. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page here.

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo: Luna Stage