After school on Wednesday, Oct. 29, poets, comedians and singers, songwriters and guitarists crowded outside Rm. 82 to audition for the annual Coffeehouse event. Artists can also be involved by having their work displayed on tables at the event which will take place Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.

Coffeehouse was started by Stacey McMackin, a former theater teacher. After she left, Steve Klawiter, social studies teacher, and Rob Neal, former language arts teacher, became new sponsors.

” I thought it was a cool thing so we picked up the slack,” Klawiter said.

Primarily the Thespian Society used Coffeehouse as a fundraiser while Klawiter and Neal were responsible for organizing auditions. Over the years, a decline in interest occurred, however when the current theater teacher Natasha Toro came to Lafayette, she built up good energy in the Drama Department and renewed interest and that is when Tracy Gladden, language arts teacher, took over as the sponsor.

She has been involved in some way for the past six years. Now the funds raised by Coffeehouse are used to fund the literary magazine Gladden sponsors, The Pulp.

Judges at the auditions were a panel of Gladden’s Creative Writing students that volunteered.

“Judges have been a big help. They see if an act is ready to perform in front of an audience, have knowledge of their song or act, use eye contact and all their presentation skills. They should have their piece memorized and be confident,” Gladden said.

Students who auditioned included Jill Flannigan, junior, who read an original poem Day in the Life of a Dollar and Nick Brouk, sophomore, who auditioned singing and playing Little Talks by Of Mice and Men.

“I’ve been playing guitar a very long time and just like performing,” Brouk said.

Coffeehouse will take place in the Commons on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. Admission is $5. More information is available from Gladden.