When I ask you, dear reader, if you’ve heard of the little story telling phenomenon called The Moth, there are really only 2 answers:

Either 1: “OMG yes! I love The Moth!”

Or 2: “No…” accompanied by a look that says, “WTF…do I look like some kind of winged-insect enthusiast?”

Let me explain for all you 2s. The Moth is a story telling phenomenon. It started as a little story telling  show in New York City and has taken the word by storm! Having just celebrated its 20th anniversary, the Moth now has shows in cities all around the world. They have an award winning radio show! A chart-topping podcast!  The Moth is kinda a big deal. But if you attend a Moth Story SLAM, like I did last week, it will feel small and intimate as well.

These shows are seriously one of my all time favorite things to do in NYC. Tickets are a little hard to get, but they’re only $10!

What’s a Moth Story SLAM?

Moth StorySLAMs feature 10 storytellers who are chosen from literally anyone from the audience who puts their name in a hat. They then get up and tell a 5 minute story based on a theme. Names are chosen at random and it’s a huge part of the excitement of the show. The audience is always supportive, regardless of the ability of the storyteller. I’ve been to five Moth StorySLAMs and have always been amazed at how great the stories are, considering there is absolutely no filter for who participates! In those 5 shows, 50 stories, I can think of only 4 stories where things got a little uncomfortable or awkward.  The element of the UNKNOWN is a huge part of the fun! 

Every Moth StorySLAM has a theme that ties the night together. These are broad, fairly vague, and thus open to a slew of interpretations.

What kind of stories are shared at Moth shows?

From grocery shopping adventures to outer space travel, you’ll hear all kinds! There are really only 4 rules: every story must be TRUE, experienced by the story teller, some how relate to the theme, and last no more than 6 minutes.  The successful ones have a beginning/middle/end and show some kind of journey. At the Story SLAM I attended last week at the Bell House in Brooklyn, the theme was “Stranded”. We were treated to 10 stories, here’s what each was about:

1. Running a half marathon with no preparation
2. A motorcycle trip from NYC to Brazil
3. Waiting to be picked up at a tiny airport in Sicily
4. Protesting South African apartheid
5. Surviving breast cancer
6. Choosing NYC over an incompatible marriage
7. Going on tour as a rapper
8. Getting lost in Bushwick
9. Running out of toilet paper at a fast food restaurant
10. A bad first (ever) date

Huge variety, right? You’d never guess which one won. #10! Turns out everyone loves an adorably told, awkward middle school date story!

It’s true: every SLAM does have a winner, but the rating system is very arbitrary and more for fun. Often the best story of the night does not win…but then you’ll hear it shared on the podcast, and that’s definitely a win!

If you’re a reader of this blog you’re probably wondering… have I ever put my name in the hat to tell a story? 

Yes, I have! At the second Moth Story SLAM I ever attended, showed up alone and slipped my name in the hat!

What it’s like telling a story at a Moth Story SLAM NYC?

I found it totally nerve wracking but exhilarating! You never know how many other names are in the hat or what your odds are of being called. The theme was “Music” that night, a popular one, so I figured my chance of being picked was pretty slim. I played out my story in my head but hadn’t done any sort of real rehearsal on it. Worrying I wasn’t prepared enough, I hesitated to put my name in… Don’t let fear stop you! Just do it! What do you have to lose? 

I put my name in.

My heart thumped loud in my chest each time a name was drawn. People were so prepared! Their stories were so great! What if my name was next and I embarrassed myself?

Well, I don’t know anyone here! If I embarrass myself, I’ll never see any of them again! I’d purposely attended the show alone for this reason! Audiences at the Moth tend to be super supportive and friendly. Between stories, I chatted with a guy who was also there alone. Who had told many stories and even won a SLAM. He made me feel better about not being super prepared and polished.

My name was called fourth.

Eeeekkk!!!

I walked up onto the small stage, stood in front of the mic. A couple hundred people all stared at me. This was me, no character or blog post to hide behind. It was vulnerable and scary and awesome. I told my story about heartbreak and crying in public, onstage at a Renaissance Faire in front of hundreds of people. Was I the best of the night? Hell no! That didn’t matter at all. I successful in telling a true story on stage in New York City! I didn’t embarrass myself (or cry!)  and I’m so glad I did it. In fact, I plan to do it again! With a little more preparation next time…

Want to tell a story at a Moth Story SLAM? You’ll probably feel more confident if you rehearse a bit!

I definitely recommend rehearsing your story, just saying it out loud once or twice before putting your name in the hat. Some people even write them down to memorize like a script – if that feels most comfortable to you, do it! That said, I have certainly seen stories in the five shows that I’ve attended that we’re 100% unrehearsed and that was part of their charm! Do what feels most comfortable to you! Just never let fear own the night!

So now I imagine every reader who made it to the end is:

Either 1: “Dying to go to a Moth Story SLAM ASAP to share a story of my own!!!!”

Or 2: “Dying to go to a Moth Story SLAM ASAP but just to LISTEN!!! HELL NO stage for me THANKS!”

Both are awesome and you can check out all upcoming Moth Story SLAM NYC shows here (search other cities here). Tickets generally sell out pretty fast in NYC, so set an alarm for when they go on sale (one week before the show at 3pm)! And you don’t even have to wait to listen to the podcast!