SEQUIM — First-timers and experienced performers alike are invited to the Out Loud Story Slam, an evening of truth-telling this Friday.

The place for the 7 p.m. slam — where listeners are also welcome — is the gathering hall at Olympic Theatre Arts, 414 N. Sequim Ave.

“Everyone is invited to drop their name in the bag to share a five-minute true personal story on the theme, however you interpret it,” organizer Jeanné Sparks said.

The theme this time is habits, she noted.

Story slam participants explore that idea in any way they like — within the time limit.

“If your name gets pulled, you get on the stage to share,” Sparks said. “Of course, the event needs an audience, and everyone is welcome to come to listen. There is no pressure to be a teller.”

Just 10 names will be drawn from the bagful, to create a mix of people and experiences.

At the Out Loud Story Slam in December, the “Fight, Flight or Freeze” theme drew a good turnout of new tellers, and one of them, Malcolm Freeman, had the audience riveted with his story on an encounter with an alligator.

These story slams, which resumed in person last November, alternate each month between two venues: Olympic Theatre Arts and Studio Bob, which is in downtown Port Angeles.

Slam admission is $10, with advance purchase available for Friday’s event at olympictheatrearts.org under the Shows menu.

Olympic Theatre Arts, meanwhile, is following state and county guidance regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.

As of last Saturday, the theater is not requiring proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test to enter the building as a patron. Masking is no longer mandatory and up to the comfort level of the individual.

On its website, OTA reserves the right to change its COVID-19 policy at any time based on case rates as well as changes in state and county guidelines.

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Jefferson County Senior Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3509 or durbanidelapaz@peninsula dailynews.com.