Photo by: Bobby Stoddard Courtesy photo
Phantom Theater invites folks to share in that tradition with a Moth-inspired evening of true stories, hosted by national Moth storyteller, Bobby Stoddard, on August 31 at the Edgcomb barn in Warren.
The theme of the evening is “Longevity and Anniversary” – a fitting topic for stories that celebrate milestones, endurance, and the moments that stand the test of time. Audience members are welcome to throw their names into The Moth “hat” for a chance to share their own five-minute true story. Stories must be told from memory –no notes, no reading –just pure live storytelling.
Stories are often shaped by a few simple elements: a unique personal voice, relevance to the theme, a strong narrative arc, and a sense of timing. But as Stoddard reminds participants, storytelling is more natural than it sounds. “Tell the story the way only you can. Talk the way you talk,” he said. It’s the same way we tell our best stories at a dinner party – often, the structure is innate.
That’s the way storytelling started for Bobby Stoddard: on a porch with friends swapping tales, exaggerating for effect, and finding joy in connection. “When I was in high school, my friends and I spent a lot of time arguing – about politics, history, anything. It was about overwhelming your friend with facts and intensity. Later, when we reconnected, we shifted from arguments to updates about our lives, but still in that same hyperbolic, playful way. That’s how storytelling manifested in my life,” he noted.
A Moth event is part documentary, part theater, and always human. The stories can be funny, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, or all three. “When you’re telling a story, it’s a much more intimate experience than other forms of performance,” Stoddard said. “The audience gives you feedback in the moment, and you respond – it becomes more of a conversation.”
Come to tell a story. Come to listen. As Stoddard said, “You never know what you are going to hear, and I love that. I love being present for that.”
Phantom Theater presents A Moth Inspired Storytelling Event Sunday, August 31, at 7 p.m. For more information and advance tickets, visit phantomtheater.org.
