The Moth’s “Mainstage Show” to Debut in Charleston on April 25
The Magic of Storytelling
On April 25, for the first time ever in Charleston, “The Moth” a nationally popular podcast boasting millions of listeners per week, will feature its acclaimed “Mainstage Show.” The event presents a curated selection of stories, shared by people from all walks of life, delivered live without the use of notes. Ranging in nature from unserious anecdotes to life-altering epiphanies, these stories are told by speakers standing alone under the spotlight in front of a captivated audience.
Emphasizing how fascinating this show can be, Ruby Cooper, a Charleston-based writer and comic said, “You get to hear these stories that you just don’t believe… You think, ‘Oh my God, and you’re here and you’re telling the story.’” Cooper herself will be one of the figures to grace the stage during the mainstage show, a fortunate consequence of her past victory in a related “Moth” program, a “story slam” competition where people vie for the title of best storyteller.
Inception of The Moth
The Moth began in 1997 when people, like “moths to a flame,” were drawn to listen to the stories of individuals from all walks of life. Since then, the nonprofit organization holds live events globally, featuring stories told by anyone: from students, astronauts, exonerated prisoners, veterans, Nobel laureates among others, thereby highlighting the diversity, yet interconnectedness of human experience. Additionally, some of these stories, taped live, are shared through The Moth Podcast, which kicked off in 2008.
To illustrate the diverse nature of these tales, here are a few captivating examples from The Moth podcast of which listeners can’t get enough: a recount of being present at the Fukushima power plant during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, a mother narrating her son’s death by lightning strike, an immigrant from Afghanistan narrating the struggle of gaining US citizenship, and a neuroscientist being diagnosed as a psychopath while conducting a study on the brains of psychopaths!
Performance & Lineup at the April 25 Show
The April 25 show at Charleston Music Hall will showcase a diverse lineup of storytellers, among them local Charlestonians Ruby Cooper, City of Charleston Poet Laureate Asiah Mae, and Tonya M. Matthews, president and CEO of the International African American Museum. They’ll be joined by Minnesota-based Javier Morillo, host of the podcast “Wrong About Everything”, George Sumner (a fire chief and veteran from Salt Lake City) with Jon Goode of Atlanta as the Master of Ceremonies for the evening.
The doors open at 6:30 PM and the show starts at 7:30 PM with ticket prices starting from $32, available at the Charleston Music Hall’s website. Don’t miss out on the magic of these stories, a first of its kind event in Charleston, brought to you by The Moth. Find more about The Moth and their work at their official website.
