{ fray day 6 } Open Mic Info

* Photos above from Fray Cafe 2 in Austin, Texas.

What is Fray Day?

Fray Day is an annual event brought to you by the storytelling website {fray} that takes place in cities all around the world on the same weekend. Each event features interactive art, featured performers, and a storytelling open mic. For an example, check out what we did last year.

Did you know?

» Fray Day 6 was worked on by dozens of people all over the world.

» Fray Day 4 took place in 2 cities, Fray Day 5 in 10, and Fray Day 6 took place in 11 cities.

» All combined, over a thousand people participated in Fray Day 6.

Previous events:

» Fray Cafe 2
» Fray Day 5
» Fray Cafe
» Fray Day 4
» Fray Day 3
» Fray B-Day
» Fray Camp

Other stuff:

» SF Press Info
» Last Year's FAQ
» Open Mic Guidelines

Donate to Fray Day

You can help us by making a donation to Fray Day with PayPal. Thanks!

San Francisco: Open Mic Info

Part of what makes Fray Day special is that YOU are invited to tell your story in the open mic. If you're interested in signing up, read on....

how it works

To sign up for the open mic, come early. Signups will only be taken between 7 and 8pm.

Open mic storytellers will be brought onstage throughout the evening - not just at the end like in previous years. So if you sign up, stick around!

Open mic slots are five minutes long - no more. So you might want to practice with a timer before the event. Please be considerate of your fellow performers! Our goal is to give as many people a chance to get onstage as possible.

open mic guidelines

The goal of the Fray Day open microphone is to create a safe space where people feel comfortable telling their stories. Here are some tips to make your performance the best it can be.

1 Be personal.
Fray Day is all about personal stories. As long as you're speaking from the heart, what you say will be welcomed. You don't have to be funny and you don't have to be serious (though you can be either, or both, if you want). You just have to be yourself. Easy, right?

2 Be true.
We've got nothing against fiction, but that's not what Fray Day is about. It's expected that the story you tell will be something that really happened to you.

3 Don't talk about the web!
This is about storytelling in Real Life. We all know what it's like to be on the web. Tell us what it's like to be in your shoes.

4 No rants.
Got an axe to grind? Do it in the garage. This is a place for stories, not kvetches.

5 Five minutes.
We're asking everyone to tell their story in under five minutes. But don't worry, five minutes is longer than you think. Just take your time and tell your story. You'll be fine as long as you stay on topic. If you see the emcee looking at you and tapping their watch, wrap it up quick. You'll only get one warning before we pull the plug.

6 Get into it!
Try to avoid the words like "um, uh, well, yeah." Be confident – no one else knows the story you're about to tell as well as you do, so own it! Have energy. Resist the urge to stare at your feet, no matter how interesting they may seem. And above all, enjoy yourself! If you're having fun, so is everybody else.

Thanks again for participating in the Fray Day open mic!

– Derek 11 Sep 02 @ 10:37PM

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Fray Day 6 took place in 11 cities across the globe: