Pennsylvania Poetry Out Loud Regional Championships To Be Held Across State

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts today announced the regional championship locations for the 2014 Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest.

High school-aged finalists will compete for a chance to represent their region at Pennsylvania's state championship to be held at the Governor's Residence in March.

Each student memorizes and performs three poems selected from print and online poetry anthologies. Students are judged on voice and articulation, physical presence, dramatic appropriateness, evidence of understanding, level of difficulty, overall performance, and accuracy.

Regional finalists are selected through classroom, school and regional contests. Last year, regional finalists were chosen from 10,000 participating Pennsylvania high school students from 110 high schools statewide.

Upcoming dates and locations for the regional competitions include:

Tues., Jan. 21        Mishler Theatre, Altoona, 7 p.m.
Wed., Jan. 29        Majestic Theatre, Gettysburg, 7 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 5          Landis House, Newport, 2 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 6        Midtown Scholar Bookstore, Harrisburg, 6 p.m.
Sat., Feb. 8           Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Pittsburgh, 10 a.m.
Sat., Feb. 8           Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, 10:30 a.m.
Sat., Feb. 8           Vukovich Center, Allegheny College, Meadville, 11 a.m.
Wed., Feb. 12        WVIA Studios, Pittston, 6 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 13      Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, 6 p.m.
Thurs., Feb. 13      Ware Center, Millersville Univ., Lancaster, 7 p.m.
Fri., Feb. 14           Webster's Book Store & Cafe, State College, 9:30 a.m.
Sat., Feb. 15         Leavitt Audi., Univ. of the Arts, Philadelphia, 10 a.m.
Sat., Feb. 15         Allen Hall Audi., Mansfield Univ., Mansfield, 12:30 p.m.
Mon., Feb. 17        IUP Performing Arts Center, Indiana, 6:30 p.m.

Judges for the state and regional finals include performers, poets and cultural and business leaders from across the state. The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) sponsors the statewide competition along with regional partners and arts organizations.

The PCA will host the state competition at the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg on March 10. Pennsylvania First Lady and PCA Chair Susan Corbett will welcome the competitors to the Residence. The state champion will represent Pennsylvania at the national championship in Washington, D.C. in April.

Created by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation, the Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization, performance and competition. The state champion will receive $200 from The Poetry Foundation and an expense-paid trip to compete in the national championship, which will award a total of $50,000 in scholarships and school stipends, with at least one $20,000 college scholarship.

For more information, go to www.poetryoutloud.org

The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is a state agency under the Governor's Office that works to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state.

The council's Poetry Out Loud partners are: Allentown Art Museum; ArtsErie; ArtsPath: Indiana University of Pennsylvania; Blair County Arts Foundation; Cultural Alliance of York County; Galaxy, the Arts in Education Program of Central IU10; Jump Street; Arts in Education Northeastern PA (aienepa) at Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit 19; Northern Tier Partnership for Arts/Bradford County Regional Arts Council; Perry County Council of the Arts; Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership; Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts; South Central PaARTners: Millersville University; and Westmoreland Museum of American Art.

Media contact: Heather Doughty, 717-787-1517

Editor's Note:  Locations and contacts for Regional Poetry Out Loud competitions are listed below:

Altoona: Tues., Jan. 21 – 7:00 p.m. Location: Mishler Theatre, 1212 Twelfth Ave., Altoona. Contact: Kate Shaffer, 814-944-9434. (Snow date: none)

Gettysburg: Wed., Jan. 29 – 7:00 p.m. Location: Majestic Theatre, 25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg. Contact: Dana Sauers, 717-515-2236. (Snow date: 2/1)

Newport: Wed., Feb. 5 – 2:00 p.m. Location: Landis House, 67 N. Fourth St., Newport. Contact: Amy Reed, 717-567-7023. (Snow date: 2/12)

Harrisburg: Thurs., Feb. 6 – 6:00 p.m. Location: Midtown Scholar Bookstore, 1302 N. Third St., Harrisburg. Contact: Rebekah Wilcox, 717-514-5200. (Snow date: none)

Pittsburgh: Sat., Feb. 8 – 10:00 a.m. Location: Pittsburgh Filmmakers, 477 Melwood Ave., Pittsburgh. Contact: Mary Brenholts, 412-606-4723. (Snow date: 2/15)

Greensburg: Sat., Feb. 8 – 10:30 a.m. Location: Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Art@Rt30, 4764 State Route 30, Greensburg. Contact: Joan McGarry, 412-334-7336. (Snow date: 2/15)

Meadville: Sat., Feb. 8 – 11:00 a.m. Location: Vukovich Center, Allegheny College, 520 N. Main St., Meadville. Contact: Holly Nowak, 814-860-4001. (Snow date: 2/15)

Pittston: Wed., Feb. 12 – 6:00 p.m. Location: WVIA Studios, 100 WVIA Way, Pittston. Contact: Stefanie Colarusso, 570-881-6231 (Snow date: 2/19)

Allentown: Thurs., Feb. 13 – 6:00 p.m. Location: Scheller Gallery, Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown. Contact: Kathy Odorizzi, 570-449-8147. (Snow date: 2/20)

Lancaster: Thurs., Feb. 13 – 7:00 p.m. Location: Ware Center, Millersville University, 42 N. Prince St., Lancaster. Contact: Ty Clever, 717-468-8368. (Snow date: none)

State College: Fri., Feb. 14 – 9:30 a.m. Location: Webster's Book Store & Café, 133 E. Beaver St., State College. Contact: Cynthia Mazzant, 814-404-6027. (Snow date: 2/17)

Philadelphia: Sat., Feb. 15 – 10:00 a.m. Location: Leavitt Auditorium, University of the Arts, 4^th Floor, Gershman Hall, 401 South Broad St., Philadelphia. Contact: Megan Lafferty, 856-207-8868. (Snow date: none)

Mansfield: Sat., Feb. 15 – 12:30 p.m. Location: Allen Hall Auditorium, Mansfield University, Rm. 104, 135 Stadium Dr., Mansfield. Contact: Cat Badger, 215-205-9475. (Snow date: 2/19)

Indiana: Mon., Feb. 17 – 6:30 p.m. Location: IUP Performing Arts Center, Upper Grand Lobby, 403 S. Eleventh St., Indiana. Contact: Jeff Wacker, 724-422-1998. (Snow date: 2/19)

SOURCE Pennsylvania Council on the Arts