When the doors open, storyteller hopefuls put their names in The Moth “hat." A half hour later, names are picked, and one by one, storytellers take the stage. The ten featured stories are scored by teams of judges selected from the audience. Each StorySLAM generates a StorySLAM winner. After ten SLAMs, the winners face off in a GrandSLAM Championship.

Come sign up to tell a story, or just enjoy the show!

How to tell your story at a StorySLAM:

• Consult our calendar to find out the theme of the night.
• Conjure, channel, craft and compose your story.
• Practice so you can remember it without the benefits of paper. Then practice it so you can keep it down to five minutes. Tell it to your plants but know that they are a tough audience. Revise. Rework. Curse your plants for not believing in you! Revamp. Finesse. Shave off another two minutes. Try again. Voila! Forgive your plants. Indeed, they helped you see the light.
• Come to the Moth StorySLAM and put your name in the hat. If you are one of the lucky 10 picked, you’ll have five minutes to woo the audience with tales of your on-theme escapades. Unpicked? Fear not, some variation of your theme will surely rise again. All stories have multiple themes and stretching them to fit can be fun and even bring out elements you hadn’t recognized before.
• Contestants are judged on sticking to the five-minute time frame, sticking to the theme and having a story that has a conflict and a resolution.