The Moth, NYC
Everyone loves a story. Since the beginning of time, really, a story has always been something with an incredible amount of power. From cave paintings, oral histories, campfire stories, to theater, cinema, literature – we constantly tell, and listen to, stories. As a kid, one of my favorite things was to be read to. My mother would read to us before bed, and the school teacher I remember most fondly used to read to us while we ate our lunches. And then a few years ago, with the supposed demise of radio, came an explosion of amazing podcasts. It took nothing to find myself hooked on programs like NPR’s This American Life, and I used to savor listening to people like David Sedaris, or people I’d never heard of, tell a story to me while I worked out at the gym, or rode the train. Truly, a delight. Live shows like New York City’s The Moth, started recording their popular shows and turning them into podcasts, making them freely available online.
“Storytelling,” wrote Alex Brown in a 2009 New York Times piece on The Moth, “has exploded into a thriving genre all its own, a new avenue to prominence for writers and, increasingly, for actors and comedians. In a sense, storytelling has become the new stand-up — a way to be noticed by the literary agents, actors and directors who increasingly populate the audiences.” And since 2009, it’s only gotten bigger. People come for all kinds of reasons – to tell a story, sometimes for the very first time, or to listen. Have a person tell you a good story well, in person, is entertainment in it’s purest form. Which is why we’re so excited about Do Tell: Real People, Real Stories – our very own storytelling event this Wednesday, January 30th. Everyone has a story – or many stories – and we welcome all to come and tell it. And for those who just want to hear something new – and be amused, moved, inspired or entertained, this night is for them too.
Broadening the platform for young Jewish writers, performers and storytellers, allowing them a stage and audience to try things out in an amiable and non-threatening environment is something that we’re really excited about doing. We’re equality excited about providing some innovative and meaningful entertainment for those who attend our events. We hope to see some of you there! The events page has the details and guidelines, but basically, you sign up to tell a story on the night. It needs to be true, it can’t be read off a page, and it should be 5 minutes long. Do it! Do tell. See you on Wednesday.
Shabbat Shalom!
