Poetry slam

I'm really excited about going to the poetry slam this year. I went last year just because i didn't really have anything els to do and it was really cool. I think the best performances were the ones where people didnt just stand on the stage and read their peom off of a paper but instead they got up and gave a performance. I thought that one poem that that one guy read "there once was a cat.. who got hit by a bat... the end" was funny, but i can't help but ask how he got on the stage. Was there another person who couldn't go up because he went?