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In the movie Slam, the fictional story of imprisoned slam-poet Raymond Joshua is forcefully fed to audiences with the suspended disbelief that this man’s life is, like the rising sun, truth. This illusion of reality is captured through documentary-style shooting and the mighty grit of the locales, first the downtrodden sector of Washington D.C. known as “Dodge City,” then the raw environment of prison. Ray is to all appearances a decent guy, but his socioeconomic situation has led him astray and eventually into the slammer. Ray enrolls in a creative writing class and meets a beautiful and thoughtful young instructor, Lauren Bell. As the two share experiences and emotions through the subtle interplay of the English language, inevitably they learn from each other, and as with any journey deep into the heart, the two emerge with a hopeful and romantic future ahead of them.
University of Toledo Center for Performing Arts Lab Theatre. Friday, January 21. Free. 7:30pm. 419-530-2202. www.utoledo.edu/as/theatrefilm
