The Moth Celebrates 25th Anniversary With Gala Honoring David Byrne

The Moth, a legendary storytelling non-profit, will maintain their twenty fifth Anniversary Gala, The Moth Ball, on Could twenty sixth at Spring Studios in New York Metropolis. The occasion will honor multi-disciplinary artist David Byrne. It celebrates not solely the silver anniversary of The Moth however the launch of a brand new e-book, How to Tell a Story.

Since their launch in 1997, The Moth has allowed greater than 40k true private tales to be shared from their numerous phases around the globe to foster connection and empathy. A few of these tales go on to air on The Moth Radio Hour and their podcast, which receives 90 million downloads a yr.

Forbes spoke with Catherine Burns, who has spent 20 years as Inventive Director at The Moth. Burns is a producer, creator, director and frequent host of the Peabody-award profitable, The Moth Radio Hour. We spoke concerning the storytelling that The Moth Gala will provide, and what most excites Burns about this yr’s celebration. We additionally mentioned the launch of The Moth’s latest e-book, which teaches the artwork of storytelling.

Risa Sarachan: Why is the work The Moth does essential within the present second?

Catherine Burns: Over the previous thirty years, people have been interacting in particular person much less, and connecting increasingly more via our gadgets. This was exacerbated by the isolation of the pandemic. We have to return to the intimacy of human connection that’s afforded by sharing and listening to 1 one other’s private tales. Listening to tales encourages you to decelerate, breathe, and take into consideration life for a minute and really see the one that is telling it. Plus, in an more and more divided world, tales mean you can do not forget that behind each media occasion are actual folks whose lives are affected.

Sarachan: Will the gala embrace any storytelling?

Burns: Sure! We’ll be doing a full Moth present, that includes two hosts (the sensible Jon Goode and Angelica Lindsey-Ali), 4 in-person tales and a handful of brief movies. The storytellers signify The Moth’s applications: we’ll have one particular person from our flagship mainstage sequence, one every from our neighborhood, schooling and international applications, and one-minute story movies from winners of our open mic StorySLAM competitions.

Sarachan: Are you able to please inform me about your latest Broadway Premiere and the way André De Shields acquired concerned?

Burns: André had been on the prime of our want listing for years, and we might requested him to inform a narrative numerous instances, however the timing was by no means proper. We have been thrilled to be doing the present on the arrange Hadestown, and the celebrities lastly aligned! It was additionally thrilling to have fun the publication of our e-book, How to Tell a Story, on the event of our first Broadway present!

Sarachan: What’s most enjoyable to you about this yr’s Moth Ball?

Burns: I like that the present is highlighting voices from throughout the Moth universe. Our mainstage and slam applications are within the public eye rather a lot, however we’re deeply happy with our workshop applications, which have grown tremendously over the previous ten years. And, after all, we’re over the moon about honoring David Byrne, a person who has for years advised sensible tales throughout a wide range of media, however who additionally makes use of his personal energy and platform to continually elevate the voices of others.

Sarachan: Are you able to inform me extra about The Moth’s latest e-book?

Burns: Our new e-book, How to Tell a Story, got here out in April. It is meant not only for folks eager about telling a Moth story, however for anybody who needs assist uncovering their very own tales and telling them higher, whether or not on a job interview, making a toast, or simply connecting in a deeper means with family and friends. It has been an enormous thrill lastly having this e-book out on the planet. My favourite readers are individuals who decide up the e-book pondering they do not have a narrative, and end it realizing they’ve a large number of tales to share!

This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.

Tickets to The Moth’s twenty fifth Anniversary Gala may be bought here.