Natalie Amini is a DC area native and the DC Regional Producer for The Moth. When she is not helping DC area locals find their stories on stage, she works as a Housing Counselor in Adams Morgan, helping DC locals buy affordable homes in the District.
Natalie is performing in the Women’s Storytelling Festival‘s two lunch time show producers’ storytelling shows at the Auld Shebeen on Saturday, March 14, 2020.
In talking about The Moth in DC, Natalie added, “The Moth is true stories, told live and without notes. We celebrate the ability of true, personal storytelling to illuminate both the diversity and commonality of human experience.Through live shows, storytelling workshops, a podcast, Peabody Award-winning Radio Hour, and New York Times Best Selling books, The Moth brings the power of personal storytelling to millions of people each year—creating community and building empathy around the world. The StorySLAMS I produce in DC are Community-focused, openmic storytelling competitions where anyone can share a five-minute story on the night’s theme. These ten lucky audience members, picked at random, vie for the chance to be crowned the night’s StorySLAM champion.”
When asked how she got into storytelling, Natalie responded, “I got into storytelling completely on accident! Come see the show, and I’ll share the story with you.” She continued, explaining her style of storytelling. “My storytelling style is conversational. I find that it helps me connect with the audience on a more personal level. Like we are friends hanging out in a living room.”
Watch a video of one of Natalie’s storytelling performances here.
I asked Natalie what she loves about storytelling. She answered, ” I love that the storytelling audiences and the community as a whole, are incredibly supportive. I love that everyone has a story, which is why I am so passionate about continuing my work to create diverse and inclusive spaces with in the storytelling world. “
She continued, “While producing for The Moth, I regularly hang out at the front of the stage to help encourage first timers or answer any questions our audience members may have. One night, a young man was at the front on the stage enthusiastically filling out an anonymous audience participation slip, that our hosts read from the stage. I playfully teased that since he was using the front and back of the slip, he should probably tell a story. He said he didn’t have anything prepared and assured him that was ok, and that my first moth story was completely unprepared and unexpected. He decided to put his name in and was pick to tell a story later that night. I was nervous for him, like all first timers, but knew he’d be fine. Our audiences are always warm and supportive. On our releases, there is an option to use a stage name. He put “Oscar the Mexican”. So the host reads his name, almost with hesitation. The audience applauds, and you see him walking down the ramp from the very end of the theatre. The host says keep it going for “Oscar, and a majority white crowd of over 340 people start chanting. OSCAR! OSCAR! OSCAR! He steps up on the stage, and transforms. Filled with an energy and magnetism, he tells his story and wins the night! That was his first time on stage, but I doubt it will be his last. That is the power of storytelling.”
Regarding the Women’s Storytelling Festival, Natalie added, “I wanted to be a part of this festival because it’s so important to provide opportunities for women to share their voices and experiences. I wanted to be a part of that magic by sharing my own story and supporting others share theirs. “
Come see Natalie perform, along with 17 other female storytellers, at the Women’s Storytelling Festival in the City of Fairfax, March 13 and 14, 2020. Details here.
