The Great American Story A Story Telling Competition in Park Rapids, Minnesota

Since 2005, the Park Rapids Lakes Area Arts Council (PRLAAC) has worked to promote excellence in the arts through creation, education and performance.
The Great American Story is one of PRLAAC’s annual projects. The 4th Annual Great American Story event will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 at Calvary Lutheran Church. Tickets will be $10 per person (children 18 and under admitted free).
The Moth, an acclaimed not-for-profit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling, proclaims: Audiences are drawn to stories like moths to a flame. PRLAAC intends to light that flame, inspiring storytellers and creating community between storytellers and those who attend the event.
Recorded stories are being accepted with entries open to the first 50 submissions. (See rules under Submit Your Story.) Volunteer judges will select the top four storytellers who will be invited to the event to recite their stories in front of a live audience. The audience will vote for two winners, who will be given prompts and asked to create and deliver an impromptu story. While the audience’s votes are being counted guest storyteller Richard
Rousseau will entertain. The winning storyteller will be awarded a cash prize of $1,000, second prize of $500 and $250 will go to the two runners-up.
The event will coincide with the Headwaters 100 bike ride Saturday, Sept. 28 and Art Leap Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 28 and 29.
Storytelling is interactive between a storyteller and listeners, who influence the telling.
Storytelling also uses language and actions while presenting a story and encouraging the active imagination of listeners. So whether you are a storyteller or would like to attend this event as a listener, you are invited to participate.
PRLAAC serves as an umbrella organization for 16 arts and cultural organizations in the greater Park Rapids area. Representatives from these arts groups, along with individual arts project champions, meet monthly to coordinate arts calendars, share information and incubate interest in new arts projects.