It was a chilly, raw March evening when a rainstorm pounded across the road and front steps of The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I never much liked March weather but have always loved New England’s 11 other months. Tonight was different, it was the Moth Mainstage and I was among the five storytellers who would face a sold-out crowd as we shared our personal stories. The title of the March 2 show was “Carpe Diem.”
I ran quickly up the steps to the door left open for storytellers and the Moth crew. I was wearing a cumbersome winter coat that should have felt out of season except it was a necessity that cold night. Still, it stifled my less-than-poised gait as I headed into the lobby, stumbling with a large purse and a mobility cane. I made my way across the renovated, yet still charmingly antiquated lobby. The creak in the old hardwood floors reminded me of a vintage library, but no books here, just talented storytellers.
Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
The Music Hall marquee featuring the Mainstage show.
A Mainstage staffer directed me to the second level where more supportive staff awaited … along with a very large stage! Ushered into the Green Room we all exchanged nervous smiles. A wide array of trays laden with cold cuts, chips, and fruit was tempting, yet I chose to dip into the pool of conversations around me.
A rehearsal the night before had let us get acquainted as we shared our stories and offered feedback. Some of the suggestions served up in the hotel conference room made their way to the stage. To me, it was a sign of just how much we trusted one another from the get-go.
The gorgeous ceiling at the Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Back in the Green Room, host and comedian Tara Clancy asked us all a single question, loosely paraphrased she wanted to know the one thing we left to the end. For me it was packing shoes. I had forgotten to include my black dress pumps and went onstage in my Blundstone boots — skirt, hose, and all. And although Clancy wrote her humorous intros on the fly — the antithesis of our carefully curated prose — the veteran Moth host is the one who got some of the biggest laughs.
First onstage was Bryan Kett. The former high school science teacher turned L.A. writer and storyteller later wrote and said, “Getting the opportunity to share my story at The Music Hall in Portsmouth was simply profound. Each story helped to weave together an evening that highlighted the universal questions that bind us all and being able to experience those stories with such a warm, responsive crowd was an absolute privilege.”
Courtesy photo, Bryan Kett
Second up was Jameer Pond, a creative video director for Condé Nast, who shared: “I had such a great time performing and going to Portsmouth with The Moth. Aside from being a part of the show, I enjoyed watching and listening to the audience as they watched and listened to the other tellers. It was a brilliant night of storytelling.” You can follow Jameer: @jameerpond.
Courtesy photo, Jameer Pond
The next storyteller, Sharon Jones, took to the stage with a familiarity the rest of us did not know. The legendary singer and Portsmouth native has brought her R&B talents to the Music Hall on many occasions.
When disability advocate Shayla Lawson finished the Portsmouth show, the award-winning poet and journalist was back on tour with their latest book, “How to Live Free in a Dangerous World.” One of their next stops? London for another Moth event on April 1.
Courtesy photo, Shayla Lawson
My story was told between Pond and Jones’. As a veteran Moth storyteller myself, I have shared my humor at Moth Slams in theaters and clubs throughout Greater Boston. Some of my Moth stories have even found their way into my memoir “Are You There?” which tells my story of growing up with Usher syndrome, a rare hereditary condition that eventually robbed me of my sight and hearing.
Photo by William Judd ©
Moth Director Sarah Austin Jenness worked closely with me on this Portsmouth event, and I remain grateful to both her and Producer Patricia Ureña, who were kind enough not to tell me just how many people The Music Hall held. At 895 seats, the near-capacity venue remains my largest to date. It will also be my most memorable.
To read more about the storytellers, view the Moth Mainstage program.
You can hear Moth stories on the Moth Radio Hour.
