Storytellers bare their souls onstage

The nationally popular Moth StorySLAM series is now providing Portlanders an outlet for sharing tales of woe onstage. All you really need to participate is a bit of courage and an appreciation for good old-fashioned storytelling.

The Moth storytelling organization began celebrating the art of oration on stages in New York in 1997, and recently expanded to cities across the country. Next month marks the fifth Moth StorySLAM here in Portland, to be held at The Secret Society lounge.

A ticket to the show provides the opportunity to tell a true story onstage, be a judge or just sit back and listen.

“It’s a chance for us to put our phones away [and] gather together around stage lights and alcohol for a good story,” said Andrew Dickson, the main host for the Portland Moth StorySLAM.

Dickson is a local writer and performer with a genuine appreciation for the craft of storytelling. Much of his work involves helping others to tell their own stories effectively. In spring term, Dickson will help teach a design seminar at PSU.

“It’s a seminar where professionals come in and teach something they’re passionate about. I’m going to be involved, teaching writing,” Dickson explained.

Portland Moth StorySLAMs are held on the first Monday of each month. Each show has a specific theme, announced in advance to give people an opportunity to come up with a story. February’s theme is “Love Hurts.”

Before the start of the show, storytelling hopefuls place their names into a hat. Ten are randomly chosen to tell their five-minute true story and are then scored by judges selected from the audience.

“It seems to be an event of improvisation, comedy and a bit of narrative,” said Jarad Hadi, PSU student and poet. He has not yet attended the Portland StorySLAM but is a fan of The Moth’s syndicated podcasts.

“I definitely find the idea of spontaneous stories, not having who’s going to [perform] completely planned, really interesting,” Hadi said.

The Secret Society was originally built in 1907 and serves as the perfect venue to pay homage to the timelessness of the art of storytelling. The ballroom where the show takes place has a classic and intimate ambiance that creates the sensation of stepping back in time.

A move to a larger venue in order to accommodate the event’s growing popularity is under consideration, but the intimacy of the space encourages attendees to mingle with new and interesting people. Storytellers and audience members are about as diverse as PSU’s campus.

“[There are] old people, young people, people from all different backgrounds,” Dickson said. “Inevitably you’re going to go through something funny to something heartbreaking to something sort of strange.”

A major appeal for fans of the show is hearing regular people share something truthful. The most successful storytellers employ a combination of interesting content and intriguing delivery.

“The hardest part is telling a story with a beginning, [a] middle and an end in five minutes,” said Jason Sauls, a sound engineer with Oregon Public Broadcasting. He has so far told two stories at Portland’s Moth StorySLAM and intends to tell more in the future.

“It helps to at least have an outline in your head,” he added.

Next month’s Portland Moth StorySLAM is on Monday, Feb. 4. Tickets will be available for purchase online at themoth.org about a week before the show, and usually sell out in a day or two.

For those interested in putting their name in the hat, Dickson offers some suggestions for telling a successful story: “Start with a bang and take us right into the action. My favorite stories take the audience on a journey to a couple unexpected places,” he said.