The Moth Mainstage will be making its San Antonio debut at the 5th annual San Antonio Book Festival (SABF) at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 7 at the Majestic Theatre (224 E. Houston Street). A lineup of five talented storytellers were thoughtfully selected to share their take on the theme: “All These Wonders.” Tickets are now available for The Moth on Ticketmaster and at the Majestic Theatre box office.
The Moth is a national not-for-profit organization that has presented more than 20,000 real stories through live storytelling since its inception in 1997. The Mainstage event is The Moth’s flagship program. The Moth has programs in more than 28 cities, The Moth Radio Hour airs on more than 450 stations, including Texas Public Radio, and the podcast is downloaded more than 44 million times a year. But the ideal way to experience The Moth is live and in person.
“We are over the moon to be making our San Antonio debut,” said Catherine Burns, The Moth artistic director. “The city has such a rich cultural history, and we look forward to hearing stories from locals as well as writers who are being brought to town for the Festival.”
The San Antonio show will include a diverse assortment of five local and favorite storytellers from past Moth shows to enlighten us with their electric and entertaining stories. Storytellers include: former VP at Goldman Sachs turned immigration and education advocate from San Antonio, a video game scholar, a presidential speechwriter, a seasoned New York City-based artist who once pursued a career in dentistry, and a Civil Rights activist who resides in San Antonio and whose Freedom Rider brother inspired her to lead a lifetime of service and action.
“The Moth, with its celebration of stories and storytellers, is a natural fit for the Book Festival,” said Katy Flato, SABF’s Executive Director. “In today’s age of technology dependence and political divisiveness, stories bring us back to the basics of how we connect as people. It’s increasingly important to listen to one another’s stories these days, and it’s equally important to read books.
The Moth Mainstage will be hosted by David Crabb an author, comedian, storyteller, and a native of San Antonio.
The Moth Mainstage performance in San Antonio is generously underwritten by Ernst & Young and Ricos Products Company. Tickets are $44 general admission; $20 for students; and $100 for a VIP ticket. The VIP package includes premier seating and the opportunity to meet and greet The Moth storytellers and producers at the exclusive VIP after party for SABF authors and sponsors, which starts at 9:00 p.m.
Event Details:
The Moth Mainstage
7:00 p.m. on Friday, April 7, 2017 (doors open at 6:00 p.m.)
Majestic Theatre, 224 E. Houston Street
VIP party to follow performance at 9:00 p.m. (requires VIP ticket)
About the host:
David Crabb is an author, comedian, storyteller and host of The Moth. The memoir based on his New York Times Critics’ Pick solo show Bad Kid was released in 2015 by Harper Perennial. David serves as a writing mentor with The Writers Guild Initiative and teaches storytelling/memoir across the country. He loves dogs, Morrissey and fancy coffee.
About the storytellers:
Julissa Arce is a CNBC Contributor, Immigration and Education Advocate, and Former VP at Goldman Sachs whose new memoir, My (Underground) American Dream, details her first-hand experience of immigrating to the United States from a deeply personal, critically educational, and inspiring perspective. Arce is shifting the conversation about citizenship in America by sharing her journey with student and corporate audiences all over the country–a journey which took her from an undocumented 11-year-old child in Texas to a 27-year-old vice president on Wall Street. She is the co-founder and chairman of the Ascend Educational Fund, a college scholarship and mentorship program for immigrant students, regardless of their immigration status, ethnicity or national origin. Arce has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, Telemundo, Bloomberg TV and Univision.Barbara Collins Bowie was born in 1947 Jackson, Mississippi, where she endured the oppression of those times throughout her childhood and adult life. She got involved with the Civil Rights movement at the early age of 13, inspired by her brother, a Freedom Rider. Bowie became a Licensed Vocational Nurse in 1969 and started out her nursing career in Neonatal ICU at Christus Santa Rosa Medical Center. Her entrepreneurial spirit paired with her professional interest in Psych Nursing, specializing in depression, chemical dependency and dual diagnosed clients with mental retardation led her to open her own Assisted Living and Adult Daycare homes. In 1994, Bowie became a published poet, and established the Dr. J.R. Bowie Scholarship Foundation for the Performing Arts and Autism, named in honor of her late husband Dr. Jesse Bowie. The Foundation provides performing arts after school and summer programs, educational and community events and many other services for youth and their families in both Bexar and Wilson counties. She has devoted her life to helping youth realize their artistic abilities and to then use Fine Arts as an outlet and alternative to negative behavior.
Liel Leibovitz is an author whose works focus on the beautiful and desperate things people do when searching for redemption. Leibovits is a senior writer for Tablet Magazine, the world’s finest Jewish publication, and occasionally contributes to The Wall Street Journal and other swell places. He also has a Ph.D. in video games, which would have made his seven-year-old self very happy. He’s married, a father of two, and a religious fundamentalist when it comes to good coffee.
David Litt graduated college in 2008, and wrote speeches for President Obama from 2011 to 2016. While at the White House he covered a wide variety of issues, from criminal justice reform to climate change to the minimum wage. For four years, Litt was also responsible for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, described as “The State of the Union of Jokes.” He left the speechwriting office in January 2016, and currently serves as the head writer/producer of Funny or Die’s office in Washington, DC. His memoir, Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years, is available for pre-order and will be published by Ecco Press.
Martha Ruiz-Perilla is an artist based in the Lower East Side, where she lives with her husband Marc and her dog Queso. Her love for storytelling, a tradition in her family, earned her the nickname of RadioMartha. Born and raised in Colombia, Ruiz-Perilla graduated from Dental School in 1992. She has lived for over 20 years in New York City telling her stories through her artwork and her writing. Ruiz-Perilla ascribes most of her anecdotes to her experience as an immigrant. She was a graduate fellow and class salutatorian at Christie’s Education in 2002, earning a masters degree in the History of Modern and Contemporary Art. Her artwork, which includes painting, sculpture, and installation, is part of private and public collections in the US and abroad. While living in the US she has held a myriad of jobs, the most difficult, perhaps, being a Mime’s Assistant, due to the impossibility to talk while at work.
About the San Antonio Book Festival: SABF celebrates national and local authors and their contributions to the culture of literacy, ideas, and imagination. The 5th annual SABF takes place Saturday, April 8, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The free, daylong event is a gift to visitors and the citizens of San Antonio, bringing books to life through author presentations, innovative panel discussions, recipe demonstrations, and book sales and signings. Also included in this fun day of literary entertainment are family activities such as children’s theater performances, a technology area, interactive play and art stations, and a selection of the city’s famous food trucks. SABF offers learning experiences for readers of all ages and interests. SABF is the signature program of the San Antonio Public Library Foundation. SABF’s founding partners are the Central Library, the Southwest School of Art and the Texas Book Festival.
