The podcast featuring true stories told live on stage without notes, produced by a nonprofit of the same name, is The Moth.
The Moth began as a live storytelling project in New York in 1997. Its performers share true, usually personal experiences before an audience, rather than reading prepared essays or performing fictional monologues. The nonprofit develops both curated Mainstage shows and open-mic StorySLAM events.
The podcast and the Peabody Award-winning Moth Radio Hour bring edited recordings of these performances to listeners. The live format is central: storytellers must tell their stories from memory, without notes, scripts, props, or accompaniment. That distinguishes The Moth from narrative podcasts that may use interviews, narration, sound design, or scripted production.
A common mix-up is confusing The Moth with Risk!, another live-storytelling podcast. Risk! also features personal stories, but the question’s combination of the nonprofit’s name, live stage format, and no-notes tradition identifies The Moth.