20,435 stories told

2,818 live shows since 1997

5,410 submissions to the pitchline

483 shows planned for 2016

350 students who have told stories at High School SLAMs (to 2,500 of their peers)

6 continents where The Moth has held shows

Over 400 stations that air The Moth Radio Hour

30 million podcast downloads per year

22 prison inmates who have told stories through The Moth Community Program

23 cities with regular StorySLAMs

1 Moth-inspired storytelling show held in Antarctica

4 stories told by Nobel Laureates

3 storytellers who have been to outer space

2 audience members who have fainted during stories about surgery

1 onstage marriage proposal (she said yes)

THE M

OTH

The Moth is true stories, told live and without notes. The Moth celebrates the ability of stories to honor both the diversity and commonality of human experience, and to satisfy a vital human need for connection. It seeks to present recognized storytellers among established and emerging writers, performers and artists and to encourage storytelling among communities whose stories often go unheard.

HEADQUARTERS: New York City

ESTABLISHED: 1997

HISTORY: The Moth began on a back porch in small-town Georgia, where our founder—poet and best-selling novelist George Dawes Green—would spend sultry summer evenings swapping spellbinding tales with a small circle of friends. There was a hole in the screen, which let in moths that were attracted to the light, and the group started calling themselves “The Moths.” When he moved to New York City, George wanted to recreate the feeling of those nights in his adopted city. The first New York Moth event was held in George’s living room. But word spread fast, and the events soon moved to cafes and clubs throughout the city—and soon to popular venues throughout the country and beyond. Since its founding, The Moth has presented more than fifteen thousand stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide.

WHAT WE DO:

MAINSTAGE

STORYSLAMS

COMMUNITY PROGRAM

EDUCATION PROGRAM

CORPORATE PROGRAM

THE MOTH RADIO HOUR

THE MOTH PODCAST

THE MOTH BOOK

THE MOTH BALL

AB

OU

T THE M

OTH

“You could tell just by looking at him that he was not someone who cried often... He didn’t try to wipe away his tears. He tried to take the heels of his palm, and jam everything back into his eyes, as if everything was just gonna go right back where it came from.”

DAISY ROSARIO

“If you look over the edge of the shuttle, it’s like looking over a cliff, with 350 miles to go down to the planet. And there are no good handrails.”

MIKE MASSIMINO

MainstageCurated events featuring five tellers who develop and shape their stories with our directors. Beyond theater, The Moth Mainstage is a community where entertainment and enlightenment merge.

PRO

GRA

MS

Corporate Program Offers customized workshops and corporate events. Using the “Seven Principles of Moth Storytelling,” developed through work with over ten thousand storytellers, workshops introduce a vocabulary for storytelling and develop practical storytelling solutions for business.

Education ProgramWorks with young people and educators to build community through storytelling workshops, performances and innovative resources.

StorySLAMsOpen-mic storytelling competitions. Open to anyone with a five-minute story to share on the night’s theme. Come tell a story, or just enjoy the show!

THE MOTH HOLDS MONTHLY STORYSLAMS IN 25 CITIES AROUND THE WORLD: Ann Arbor, Asheville, Boston, Burlington, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Dublin, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Louisville, Madison, Melbourne, New Orleans, New York City, Miami, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Sydney, the Twin Cities and Washington D.C.

Community ProgramBrings storytelling workshops and performance opportunities to diverse groups and organizations throughout the United States and in selected cities worldwide.

The Moth Radio HourThe Peabody Award-winning The Moth Radio Hour features The Moth’s most beloved tellers, chosen from across The Moth’s programs, and explores the stories behind the stories. Each hour mixes humorous and heartbreaking tales told with honesty, bravery, and wit. The Moth Radio Hour is now licensed to more than 400 stations across the country. The show is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison at Atlantic Public Media and presented by PRX, the Public Radio Exchange.

The Moth PodcastThe Moth Podcast is a free weekly podcast featuring stories told across our programs, as well as full episodes of The Moth Radio Hour. Since its launch in 2008, it’s been regularly ranked in the top ten podcasts on iTunes, alongside such mainstays as This American Life, Radiolab, and The TED Radio Hour. The Moth Podcast is downloaded more than 30 million times a year.

The Moth BookThe Moth presents 50 spellbinding, soul-bearing tales from its extensive archive. Released in the US, UK, Australia and South Africa and Korea, The Moth: 50 True Stories quickly became an international bestseller. Our second book is slated for publication in 2017.

STORIES INCLUDE: writer Malcolm Gladwell’s wedding toast gone awry • rapper Daryl “DMC” McDaniels’ obsession with a Sarah McLachlan song • poker champion Annie Duke’s two-million dollar hand • Dr. George Lombardi’s fight to save Mother Teresa’s life… and many more!

MED

IA

THE M

OTH

BA

LLThe Moth Ball Our annual fundraising gala, The Moth Ball, is the grandest, glitziest night of The Moth year. It’s an all-out celebration of storytelling—including cocktails, dinner, dancing, and of course, a not-to-be-missed storytelling show, featuring favorite Moth tales and tellers. Each year, an honored guest receives The Moth Award, which celebrates the art of the raconteur.

2016 Carrie Brownstein

2015 Louis CK

2014 Zadie Smith

2013 Albert Maysles

2012 Martin Scorsese

2011 Spalding Gray (posthumously)

2010 Calvin Trillin

2009 Anna Deavere Smith

2008 Salman Rushdie

2007 Garrison Keillor