Calling All Fibbers: Storytelling Arts of Indiana Hosts Fourth Annual Liar's Contest at the State Fair in August

Indianapolis, IN, July 25, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Storytelling Arts of Indiana is pleased to announce the Fourth Annual Liar's Contest held during the Indiana State Fair. Contestants are invited to spin a tall tale in Pioneer Village on the fairgrounds Friday, August 3, 2012. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. and the contest begins at 7 p.m. Cash prizes and ribbons will be awarded to those who can craft the biggest and best lie. All ages invited to tell; no experience is necessary.

Contest Rules

-The contest is open to Indiana residents only.
-The “lies” should be short stories with a maximum length of 3 - 5 minutes. -Past participants must tell a new lie each year.
-Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 3. All contestants must register. The contest will begin at 7 p.m.
-A first, second and third place winner will be chosen from all competitors in two categories: Adult and Youth (17 and under).
-Ribbons and cash prizes will be awarded following the contest in the adult and youth categories; First Prize Ribbon and $100, Second Prize Ribbon and $50 and Third Prize Ribbon and $25.
-Judging will be done by a panel of three storytelling experts who will score each contestant in the following categories:

Technique – delivery, confidence, general stagecraft
Story Development – development of the story in time available
Originality – new material, or fresh handling of a familiar tale
Effectiveness – in the judges’ opinion, taking audience response into consideration.

The three judges will score each of the four categories on a scale of 1 to 5 with a maximum of 20 points per competitor. Final scores will not be given to contestants.

-The judges will confer at the end of the contest to decide the winners.
-The decision of the judges will be final.
-All tales will be recorded and archived at the Indiana Historical Society. Stories may be placed on the web site of Storytelling Arts of Indiana and the Indiana State Fair
-All winners are required to submit their social security number in order to collect their prize money. Parents’ social security numbers are prohibited for youth winner.

This collaboration with the Indiana State Fair is a fun exercise for the tellers and a crowd-pleaser as the audience wonders where fact meets fiction. The contest is free and open to all Indiana residents; a fair ticket is required to enter the grounds of the Indiana State Fair.

Storytelling Arts of Indiana is now celebrating 25 years. Originally founded as Stories, Inc., in 1988, this unique non-profit presents a year-round schedule of diverse concerts and programs centered around the art of storytelling. Programming ranges from storytelling concerts for adults, a family series, performances for students, the As I Recall Storytelling Guild, summertime Stories in the Park, storytelling for patients at Riley Children’s Hospital, to numerous workshops, programs and community activities. As one of only a very few storytelling organizations in the country to present a year-round schedule, Storytelling Arts of Indiana has made Indianapolis a location of choice on the national storytelling scene.