Speak for Yourself
The Evolution of Storytelling at The Moth
Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented almost 40,000 stories. Every storyteller tells their tale with no notes, no net, and no second takes. Moth storytellers are alone on stage with only a microphone. They share real-life experiences that take their audience on a journey that can be heartbreaking, humorous and exhilarating.
The essence of The Moth began with its founder, poet and novelist George Green. He wanted to recreate the feeling of those steamy summer evenings on St. Simons Island, when moths were attracted to the light on the porch and where he and his friends would gather to tell their tales. Green and his group of friends called themselves “The Moths”. When Green came to New York City he brought the name and idea of storytelling with him. “What I love about the origin story is that the kinds of stories that were shared on that porch and the kinds of stories that are still shared at The Moth today are stories that are not necessarily pretty,” said Sarah Austin Jenness, Executive Producer of The Moth. She added, “They’re the stories that are real and they’re well-crafted. They’re very engaging to listen to, but they don’t necessarily paint us as benevolent leads in our own stories.”
The Moth continued as an underground literati club in New York City. The grand stories came from people who were connected and writers who were “tapped” into the group. It was just a matter of time before The Moth expanded beyond NYC. Today, the non-profit group operates its flagship mainstage program in New York City and Los Angeles and their StorySlam-open mic competitions are open to everyone across the US. The Moth has published three books, has a radio hour on 500 stations plus a podcast that just hit 73 million downloads with a global reach.
The Moth Mainstage has attracted established actors, writers, comedians and everyday people. It’s not a one-man or one-woman show on Broadway or a comedy club bit with a string of yuck-yuck jokes. It’s 10-12 minutes of a storyteller unraveling a part of their life in front of an audience of 3,000 people. “This is a story about how in the early 90’s, I made the decision to try to get off heroin by doing crack,” shared Jerry Stahl on The Moth Mainstage, “it’s a controversial method, it’s not been approved by drug czar General McCaffrey…at this point I was thrown out of my marriage, lost my house, lost my kid. I got fired from writing for Twin Peaks for turning in scripts with blood on them.” It’s funny and it’s tragic and it’s a mad-cap story many people may not relate to but, “even if we haven’t had an addiction like he has, every human being has been at their wit’s end and wondered what to do next,” said Jenness.
The Moth is also a springboard for those hoping to capitalize on their ability to captivate an audience. Hasan Minhaj, comedian, and actor, was already working his craft when he came to The Moth. He expanded his Moth story to a one-person show called Prom King on Netflix.
“They pack these houses, not knowing who’s on the bill,” said Jenness, “it’s not like we announced some crazy headliner and everyone buys a ticket. People buy tickets to The Moth Mainstage because they know there’ll be terrific stories that will get them thinking and talking and connecting.” Like the cop who found a baby in the woods in Missoula, Montana or the first female fashion designer for the Barbie Doll or the storyteller who organized the first public female bike ride in Yemen. The heartbeat of The Moth has remained unchanged, ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
