The Moth is holding a Grand Slam at the Barrymore

Mary Marks, Staff Writer

The Moth brings its inaugural Grand Slam to Madison’s Barrymore Theatre on Oct. 27. The Moth is an international nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a safe space and sense of community for storytellers. This is accomplished by an intentionally loose structure in their monthly slams (StorySLAMS), which cost a $10 entry fee at The High Noon Saloon and always sell out.

The structure is loose because of the lack of rules; anyone who may wish to read need only show up on time and perform with no notes. The large range of participants, from story-telling virgins to semi-pros who’ve landed on the radio, the random selection of audience-member judges (who likely have no story-judging credentials) help to create a community feel.

According to Dina Nina Martinez, one of the competitors in the upcoming GrandSlam, storytellers unfamiliar with the art form need not worry: “The Moth,” she says, “is accessible for the average Joe, Jane and Gender Neutral J,” claiming good stories need only have “a universal appeal.”

Both Martinez and Debi Kennedy, another Grand Slam competitor, encourage new storytellers to give The Moth a try. Debi, who didn’t expect to like The Moth because of her dislike for public speaking says that a good story is one that fundamentally changes someone in the audience, and creating such a story is what “makes it worth the discomfort.”

According to Madison College’s Esteban Touma, who acts as local host of the show, the Grand Slam will aim to create a similar atmosphere as the monthly slams, but will do so with a bit more structure.
The Grand Slam, he says, is something akin to these storytellers’ “graduation ceremony,” so it’s a pretty big deal. The two storytellers listed above will perform with eight others, all of whom were voted best at a monthly Story SLAM.

With the heightened competitiveness of the event, judges deemed by Jen Rubin, one of the producers of The Moth, as more familiar with elements that make a good Moth story (story arch, connectivity to the audience, etc.) will make the call on the inaugural champ.

Tickets are $26 and on sale now. Doors open at 7 and the stories start at 8. You can learn more about The Moth at www.themoth.org.