Speaking of Stories Channels PRX’s The Moth

Since its inception in 1995, Santa Barbara’s Speaking of Stories (SOS) has championed a special brand of theater art. Performances have ranged from multi-actor staged productions to readings by authors of both the fiction and nonfiction persuasions, but the focus has always been on the quality of the tales being told. Over the years, that model expanded to include an education outreach program, which emphasizes self-esteem through the spoken word. And this fall, that vision gets pushed a little further still.

This week, Speaking of Stories is opening up its doors to all of Santa Barbara’s storytellers for a set of performances that will take place November 22 and 23 at Center Stage Theater. Modeled after Public Radio Exchange’s popular Moth Radio Hour, the show will feature multiple tales from a wide range of readers. There is no unifying theme or general rules — just real stories delivered by real voices. The first round of submissions is taking place now through Friday, October 3. Interested parties are being asked to submit written stories either via email or by hard copy to Center Stage Theater (751 Paseo Nuevo). After that, all the submissions will be reviewed by SOS artistic director Maggie Mixsell, who will then select a handful of candidates for in-person auditions. After that, a small group will be selected to perform and given private coaching and direction in the weeks leading up to the show. All written story submissions should range from 500-2,200 words (approximately 3-15 minutes when read aloud) and should be first-person true stories.

To submit, email your story to speakingof@sbcoxmail.com. For info, call (805) 966-3875 or visit .