The Moth

M.O. Eggrolls feeding the crowd

The Moth
Various locations
SoCal: Zanzibar/Santa Monica. Busbys, El Cid/Los Angeles

Type: Indoors
Category: Entertainment
Company: Storytellers or listeners, 21+
Cost: $5-$8/ticket
Quickie: “Poetry slam meets bedtime story meets stand-up comedy” 


Review:
They say truth is better than fiction – which is the best and only way to explain the types of stories you'll hear at The Moth. Fittingly random and taking its name from the few that stole their way in to founder George Dawes Green’ screen porch during a story-telling gathering with friends, The Moth StorySLAM attracts players and audience from the local community for an eclectic and surprising mix of short stories that are better than you could ever make up.


The night starts like this: First-come, first-serve $8 (cash-only) tickets start selling at 7pm with the StorySLAM beginning at 7:30. People start lining up at 6pm – so go early, because by 6:45 the line will be ½ way down the block. 

Worth the wait!

OTC Tip: Bring a picnic dinner or indulge in the M.O. Eggroll truck that will be parked along the curb (or just opt to drink your third meal of the day from the bar inside).

As you chat, snack, and wait, someone from The Moth will hand you a piece of paper. This strip will contain the theme of the night (also pre-posted on the website) where you are welcome to share your own brief “mini-moth” on the topic. Once you get inside, you are invited to drop your anonymous anecdote in a bag on stage. This stash of distractions will be frequently visited throughout the night (most often in between slams and voting) from which the host will pull from and read aloud – on the last subject of Rebound, such tidbits as “In the kitchen: I took a ruined roast and made a delicious soup” and “After my boyfriend cheated on me I got his enemy’s letterman jacket and lost my virginity (underlined)” kept the down time alive and laughing.

Each evening contains ten stories. Storytellers who would like to participate drop their names in a hat, and play the chance to get picked for one of the ten slots. Stories are limited to five minutes each (you get two warnings via pig-shaped flute that you are at or over your allotted time) and are given three scores each by (what appears to be random) pre-selected couples in the audience. At the end of the evening scores are tallied, and a winner (invisibly) crowned.


While each story will be different – and therefore, each day, night, and neighbor as unpredictable as the last – there are three things that I can guarantee you about The Moth at Zanzibar: There will be a line longer than you’ve ever seen mid-week at 6 in Santa Monica, the peppered wonton chips and egg rolls will be hot and waiting from the M.O. Eggroll Truck, and your first Wednesdays of each month are forever spoken for.