The Moth’s first 2009 mainstage event, showcased five captivating “Stories of Danger” told by people from across the spectrum of storytelling experience. I missed regular host Andy Borowitz; first-time host Tom Shillue is not nearly as funny.

Of the five storytellers, two stood out in my mind:

Wesley Autrey

This New York subway hero saved a convulsing man’s life by lying on top of him between subway rails while a 1 train passed overhead. One-half inch of clearance hung between Autrey’s scalp and the underbelly of the train.
Autrey’s tale resonated with New Yorkers when it happened last January. Later, Autrey’s notoriety became nationwide through appearances on David Letterman and Ellen. George Bush gave Autrey a shout-out at the State of the Union address.
None of his television appearances beats hearing him tell the harrowing story in his own words. Jumping off the subway platform, Autrey told himself, “fool, you can do it!”
A mantra for the new age if I ever heard one.

Mike Destefano

Destefano turns tragedy into comedy with a tale about how much one man can take. As a young man, he dealt with his father’s death from brain cancer on the heels of his wife’s slow death from AIDS. A strange coincidence (or not) and a brush with Buddhism bring the Bronx Catholic back from the brink of suicide.

The other three storytellers were writer Amy Cohen, Sudanese activist John Dau and The Moth founder, George Dawes Green.

The Players

Stepping into The Moth’s home, The Players in Gramercy Park, is like stepping into the 19th century. The walls of the upstairs library are lined with volumes of mostly old and some new play collections and theater criticism. Guests are free to handle the books, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I shouldn’t touch.
However, The Moth has outgrown its sentimental home and would best serve its fans by moving to a larger home base. Until then, The Moth should stop overselling tickets.
People crammed into the back half of the theater last night; employees shoved another row of chairs behind the last row, resulting in an unbearably crowded room . Two-thirds of the people could exit only by climbing over the makeshift row of chairs. Where were the fire marshalls?
The Moth is trying to preserve its $20 ticket price, but I their mainstage events are undervalued at that price. An ticket price increase, coupled with a cap on the audience size, would create a better experience for its patrons.

The Moth storytellers told “Stories of Loss” at the New York Public Library last night. Sounds like a downer, but not so.

The first storyteller, Jeffrey Rudell, talked about being the first contestant kicked off a reality series. But his story really was about overcoming his lifelong fear of feeling dumb.

Josh Swiller told a story about randomness of tragedy. His message was about not feeling sorry for yourself. Halfway into the story, Swiller told the audience he is deaf.

The third story was hysterically funny about Ophira Eisenberg letting go of her ex-boyfriend by way of a Haitian Witch spell.

At intermission, I called a dogwalker, so I could stay for the second half.

Bliss Broyard then told how she discovered her father’s secret when he died and how she finally accepted that her family would always live with the secrecy.

Melissa Banks, author of The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing, told how she would never feel invincible again after being hit by a car while riding a bike home from cancer radiation treatment.

The Moth is a non-profit organization created by George Dawes Green who missed his front-porch storytelling evenings in the South. He resurrected the tradition in New York City in 1997. The mainstage Moth events are held monthly. The organization holds more frequent “slams” open to a wider range of storytellers. Check out their website for event listings. Or you can buy one of the many CD collections offered on their site.