The Moth Madison GrandSLAM

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courtesy The Moth Madison

A collage of photos of The Moth Madison 2024 GrandSLAM participants.

The Moth Madison 2024 GrandSLAM participants: Top, from left: Kevin Wilmott II (host), Megan Diaz-Ricks, Cheri Miller, Brendon Panke; middle: Noelle Mariano, Rosie Miesner, Audry Perry, Danielle Hairston Green; bottom: Nestor Gomez, Alice Pauser, Jules Wolf Stenzel, Alberto Kanost, aka Bear in the Forest (music).

This annual evening of live storytelling, with the theme of “Fight or Flight,” will feature winners from recent monthly events hosted by The Moth Madison. Ten individuals — Nestor Gomez, Danielle Hairston Green, Noelle Mariano, Rosie Miesner, Cheri Miller, Brendon Panke, Alice Pauser, Audrey Perry, Megan Diaz-Ricks and Jules Wolf Stenzel — will share tales about tough choices and mettle-testing moments. This will be the sixth Madison Moth GrandSLAM, and it promises to be a powerful and uplifting night. (Madison is one of two Wisconsin cities that are part of The Moth, a nonprofit New York City-based organization launched in 1997 and dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling around the country.) Kevin Willmott II hosts, with music by Bear in the Forest.

media release: THE MOTH GRANDSLAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Hosted by Kevin Willmott II

Storytellers include: Nestor Gomez * Danielle Hairston Green * Noelle Mariano * Rosie Miesner * Cheri Miller * Brendon Panke * Alice Pauser * Audrey Perry * Megan Diaz Ricks * Jules Wolf Stenzel

Music by Alberto Kanost

Tickets: $36.00 Advance

This is a General Admission – All Seated Show

The theme for this GrandSLAM is Fight or Flight: Listen as ten StorySLAM champs tell tales of hard choices, danger, and moments that test one’s mettle. Join us for stories of standing one’s ground or knowing when to cut and run. Finding the path of least resistance or the point of no return. The power to not only survive, but thrive in the face of conflict. Fear is human, but so is courage.

https://www.facebook.com/events/2097912187262209

More on the storytellers:

Stories by

NESTOR “the Boss” GOMEZ was born in Guatemala and traveled to Chicago  undocumented in the mid 80s. He told his first story at a Moth storySLAM  to get over the stuttering that plagued his childhood, since then he has won  more than 80 Moth SLAMs. Nestor has performed and conducted storytell ing workshops in multiple locations around the country. He also created his  own storytelling show 80 Minutes Around the World a show that features the  stories of Immigrants and refugees from different parts of the world, their  descendants, and allies. Recently, Nestor was chosen as one of Chicago’s  Sun-Times 2024 Chicago’s New Voices. Nestor also published a collection of  stories detailing his experiences driving for ride sharing title Your Driver Has  Arrived. To listen and subscribe to the podcast, buy his book and learn more  about Nestor, visit his website nestorgomezstoryteller.com. 

DANIELLE Y. HAIRSTON GREEN was born in Philadelphia, PA, the middle  child of police officers. She is the founder of a non-profit organization created  to empower parents to become stronger advocates for their children’s  education and to train teens to be public speakers and future community  leaders and the creator of the hashtag brand movement #URBESTLYFE. She  currently lives in Madison, WI, and leads the Institute of Human Development  and Relationships with UW Division of Extension. Her favorite book is  Fahrenheit 451 and most importantly she is the mother of three amazing  adults and grandmother of four GEN A’s.  

NOELLE MARIANO is a huge nerd. Other than being a nerd, she is an  educator, community activist, and sometimes writer. With those powers  combined, she works as an educational consultant for D&DEI which uses  table-top gaming to approach topics on identity, inclusion, and belonging  as well as social & emotional learning (SEL). She is also the author of A Girl  Named Hemingway (Eight Point Star Press) and dispatches from the mush room kingdom (Hyacyinth Girl Press). She can often be found obsessing over  her 3D printer, turning insulation foam into game board pieces, eating way  too much sushi, and spoiling her super ungrateful and mouthy cats, Kiwi &  Danger. You can learn more at noellekiami.com. Press Start & Game On!  

ROSIE MIESNER is a lapsed athlete, a conflicted scholar, and an excellent  euchre partner. She manages her complex feelings about adoption,  relationships, and class mobility by sharing them with large groups of  strangers. Some of her best friends are animals. 

CHERI HAEN MILLER is a retired library/media specialist who now works part  time for Fox Valley Technical College as a tutor. She and her husband, Andy,  love to travel and spend time with their granddaughters, Claire and Tatum.  Cheri grew up the eldest of seven on a dairy farm in Luxemburg, Wisconsin  and rural life provides her with lots and lots of stories. 

BRENDON PANKE has been performing in Madison for close to 20 years.  He started with Atlas Improv and is probably the only storyteller performing  tonight who’s ever gotten a score below a 6.0 from a Moth judge. 

ALICE PAUSER grew up listening to stories told by her German grandmother  about her life, nature, and folklore and was always asked, along with her  younger sister, to “join in.” She was raised in a small town in Northern  Wisconsin town and attended Catholic school in the 1960’s and navigated  that minefield which developed her sense of humor and survival skills. Her  love of writing about her life experiences and the people who inspire and  support her led to her storytelling at The Moth and other venues. She has  won StorySLAMS in Madison and Milwaukee and is excited about continuing  to “fight the good fight” in life.  

AUDREY PERRY is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madi son. She is a budding stand up comedian with a huge passion for storytelling  and making people laugh. She finds The Moth to be the perfect place to  share her unique perspectives and humorous anecdotes. Beyond comedy,  Audrey expresses her creativity through various outlets, including writing,  poetry, drawing, dancing, karaoking, harmonica-ing, and her meme account  (@bagelwithcoffee).

MEGAN DIAZ RICKS was born and raised in Madison. Megan is the daughter  of Chicano migrant farm workers and comes from a long line of community  activists. Megan uses storytelling as a way to keep her family stories alive and  to heal through trauma and adversity. Megan is an alumna of the Ensemble  Studio Theatre’s Summer Conservatory through New York Theater Intensives  and a published playwright. This is Megan’s first Moth GrandSLAM. This is for:  San Juana, Cydney, Andrew, Tio Tony, Joan, and James. 

JULES WOLF STENZEL has spent her life trying to learn as many things  as possible to make sure she has enough information to survive a zombie  apocalypse or environmental collapse. She has been a chef, an environmental educator, an entrepreneur, a yoga instructor, a Pilates studio owner and  teacher trainer, rose hybridizer, and farmer. She raised two perfect women  and many very naughty dogs, cats, and turkeys. Some of her endless hobbies  are writing screenplays, upholstery, bike riding, tree hugging, playing uke,  listening to trees, and learning new things. Please do not tell her how to solve  the rubik’s cube. She is so, so close. She resides in Madison and Medina, but  she left her heart in San Francisco.