The Contemporary Art Museum’s Playground of the Ridiculous is a chance to step out of your comfort zone

Most people I know would jump at a chance to hear live music or see a visual art exhibit – but they get a bit reluctant when I mention poetry readings and contemporary dance. Luckily, the Contemporary Art Museum has created an event that allows people to enjoy what they already know they’ll like, while getting a taste of something that might be a bit new to them.

The Playground of the Ridiculous, as the eclectic events are known, is taking place three times this summer. Each event includes a film screening, dance performance, poetry reading, musical act and access to the current visual art exhibits by John Armleder and Olivier Mosset. The players change each week, but all the various genres are always represented. Observable Books coordinates the poetry readings, with different poets coming to each event.

Jennifer Gaby, Director of Public Relations for the Contemporary, believes that some “diehard” art fans come out because they are interested in all of the different types of art represented at the events, while others might read about the event in the paper and think it sounds like an interesting way to spend a Friday evening. Clearly something is working, because Gaby said that “a lot of people we haven’t seen before are coming out” for Playground of the Ridiculous.

Aaron Belz, coordinator of the Observable Books poetry readings is happy to see such a thriving event happening in the summer. “It’s a summer event and it’s a really cool idea. A lot of times the art schedule and the literature schedule is around the school year…I think it’s really important that they have art museum events in the summertime,” Belz said.

Marcel Toussaint, one of the poets that read at the event on July 11, has read his poetry for many years and said that the turn out at the Playground of the Ridiculous has been exceptional. “I counted eighty people here tonight, it’s rare to see eighty people at a poetry reading, so it’s wonderful,” he said.

At the next Playground of the Ridiculous on July 25, 6-10 PM, you can catch more poets from Observable Books, a burlesque performance by BenchPress Burlesque, screenings from portions of the Stan Laurel Collection and music by Curb Service.

Admission is free, and Budweiser Select is available for $1. For more information, visit www.contemporarystl.org.