Penny's Open Mic!!!

Recalling the two poetry readings I have attended so far, and browsing various others upcoming ones, I found myself craving something more ‘New York.’ I didn’t want to go to a standard, formal reading held in a calm environment. I wanted to go somewhere more exciting and unrestrained. After some googling, I came across “Penny’s Open Mic,” whose description is ‘an ANYTHING Open Mic’—exactly what I was looking for. It is held every Tuesday at 9:00 PM for a modest $3 and is located in the basement of St. Mark’s Theater. Upon arrival lies a bucket where anyone can put a slip of paper with your name. To my surprise, almost everyone did. I loved this inhibition and eagerness to participate. An hour in, Penny finally came on stage, exuding energy and sparkling with delight. She picked many names from the bucket, and each person had 7 minutes to perform.  This procedure makes the whole night very fluid, less staged and prepared, and more spontaneous. Everyone has a chance to perform. Many people seemed to recognize each other, revealing that the audience consisted of mostly regulars, which added to the casual environment. Penny introduced each performer. I actually wonder how she knew their information. Either she knew them already, or they told her a snippet about themselves before going on stage.

I wouldn’t call Penny’s Open Mic a poetry reading. Performers can do just about anything they want. While I was there, I enjoyed some spoken word, a few guitarists, standup comedians, a hippie cellist, short story-tellers. I was impressed by every single participant. They all seemed like naturals. I was completely astonished by how much my friends and I enjoyed the nights. I definitely see why there are a lot of regulars, and I will definitely be returning.