Like Moths To A Flame

Strangers connect at Orlando Story Club, where true stories are told live.

- Megan Padilla

A FEW STRAGGLERS HURRY UP THE STEPS OF THE stage to toss their name in the hat. Literally. If you want to tell a story, you write your name on a slip of paper and put it in the hat.

This is Orlando Story Club, a regular event hosted by the Downtown Arts District, and tonight’s theme is “Can You Keep a Secret?’’ Sixty people have shown up at The Abbey for the storytelling meet-up, a local spinoff of The Moth, the popular live storytelling events held across the country that draw fans via The Moth Radio Hour podcast. The main difference in Orlando is that everyone donates five bucks at the door, with all proceeds going to a designated charity.

Most people stop first at the bar for some liquid courage before host Bobby Wesley gets things started by pulling the first five names from the hat, each with a story to share that is inspired by a pre-selected theme (past examples have been “Bravery,” “Body” and “Breaks”). A total of 10 names will be drawn throughout the night and listed on a board. Each person will have five minutes to tell his or her story.

“The premise of story club is that you are telling a true story in front of an audience, without notes,” Wesley tells the audience.

“There’s a vulnerability that creates immediate intimacy. Storytelling is how we learn about each other. It’s also an opportunity for some of you to get a story off your chest.”

Based on a show of hands, about half the crowd are first-timers. Wesley hands out three dry-erase boards to audience members—a rookie, a regular and someone chosen at random—to be judges. Their job is to assign a score from 1 to 10 following each story. The marks will be recorded, averaged and the top three will be tonight’s storytelling slam winners.