The Moth Podcast: Performing in LA and Antarctica

Episode Date: September 12, 2025
Host: Mark Solinger
Featured Stories: Daryl Thorne and Brittney Ross

Episode Overview

This episode of The Moth Podcast explores the theme of performance in extraordinary places—from the icy expanses of Antarctica to glamorous Los Angeles. Two storytellers, Daryl Thorne and Brittney Ross, share vivid, humorous, and heartfelt accounts of facing stage fright, absurd situations, and self-discovery while performing in settings that test both their professional and personal mettle.

Key Discussion Points & Storyteller Segments

1. Performing at the End of the Earth

Storyteller: Daryl Thorne
Theme: Bravery in the face of personal fear and literal physical risk

[02:48 – 08:41] Daryl Thorne’s Antarctica Adventure

• Setting the Scene: Daryl stands nine feet tall in a custom stilt costume adorned with 2,000 mirrors, silk chiffon fans in hand, atop a glacier in Antarctica during a performance for an expedition cruise.

  • “It's March 19th, 2022. It's 11 o'clock in the morning. I'm nine feet tall and covered in 2,000 mirrors, top to bottom...I'm trudging through snow and the hardest part of all is this ferocious wind... because I'm walking across the top of a glacier in Antarctica.” — Daryl Thorne, (03:02)

• The Call to Adventure & Reluctance: Initially thrilled by the opportunity, Daryl admits to being “risk averse” and lists myriad irrational fears, including flying turbulence, undercooked chicken, and elevators. Despite dread of the voyage, particularly the infamously treacherous Drake Passage, Daryl commits.

  • “My stomach flipped, my palms immediately began sweating and I just was filled with terror instantly.” — Daryl Thorne, (04:30)
  • “I have to do this. I can’t not do this because of fear.” — Daryl Thorne, (05:06)

• Adventurous Solution: To combat impending dread, the cruise organizers throw a dance party as the boat enters the Drake Passage, transforming Daryl’s anxiety into exhilaration.

  • “You would jump in the air and the floor is either leaving you or it's coming to meet you. And it's totally unpredictable. And it was like totally thrilling.” — Daryl Thorne, (06:30)

• Triumph & Reflection: Overcoming dread, Daryl performs on Antarctica’s glacier, supported by friends and colleagues. The spectacle, weather, and environment culminate in “the most incredible workday” of Daryl’s life.

  • “I'm climbing up a glacier in Antarctica wearing 2,000 mirrors and a pair of stilts. I get to the top and it's like a brilliant sunny day...it was the most incredible workday of my life.” — Daryl Thorne, (08:18)

2. Performing in the Heart of LA

Storyteller: Brittney Ross
Theme: The reality behind Hollywood dreams, self-worth, and comic resilience

[11:12 – 16:11] Brittney Ross’s Princess Party Revelation

• Striving in LA: Brittney moves to LA at 21 to pursue acting, joining a women’s acting group. She lands a gig with a high-end children’s party company, portraying princesses at swanky events.

  • “I did what every girl who moves out here to act does—well, first I shredded my college diploma and then I joined a women’s group.” — Brittney Ross, (11:17)

• Becoming Tinkerbell at the Four Seasons: After a year, Britanny is selected to play Tinkerbell at an extravagant Persian christening attended by Hollywood elites. The assignment feels like both an opportunity and a personal milestone.

  • “She wants to celebrate my princess anniversary and...she’s making me a very featured player at the party of the century.” — Brittney Ross, (12:10)

• The Realization: Walking into the party, Brittney experiences a wave of existential doubt, realizing the fulfillment she’d imagined is not at hand—the spotlight is on an impressively dressed baby, not her.

  • “I look up, trying to make eye contact with the person ready to give me my big break, but nobody is looking at me. No, they're all looking at me—at this baby.” — Brittney Ross, (14:00)
  • “Oh, she has everything I've ever dreamed of. Better clothes, more friends, better taste in music.” — Brittney Ross, (14:16)

• Comic Coping & Escape: Overwhelmed, she retreats for a two-minute “cry break” in the bathroom, inventing a clever makeup-saving technique.

  • “If you cry while looking directly at the ground, tears will just fall out of your eyes and hit the floor. And you do not have to redo your makeup.” — Brittney Ross, (14:50)

• Exit, Stage Left: Inspired by Cinderella, Brittney sneaks out discreetly. She pivots careers—leaving princess gigs for waitressing—but with humor and self-awareness.

  • “And I did what every good actress does. I went and got a waitress job.” — Brittney Ross, (16:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Daryl Thorne’s Revelatory Dance:
  • “All of this pent up anxiety and dread that I'd had is just being expressed out of my body. And it was amazing.” — Daryl Thorne, (06:50)
• The Surrealism of LA Gigs:
  • “As a princess I finally get to use my real voice...I am so in it that somehow a year flies by.” — Brittney Ross, (12:43)
• Existential Reflections:
  • “I have wasted a year of my life. In actress years, that's like nine.” — Brittney Ross, (14:28)
  • “I look around and I see there is like an E. News reporter guy filming this whole thing...and I'm like, no, no, no, this is not how I want my big break to go!” — Brittney Ross, (14:32)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:22] – Introduction by Mark Solinger
• [02:48 – 08:41] – Daryl Thorne’s “Nine to Five” in Antarctica
• [11:12 – 16:11] – Brittney Ross’s “Anniversary” in LA
• [08:41, 16:32] – Host commentary and follow-ups on Daryl and Brittney

Episode Tone & Language

The stories blend self-deprecating humor, vulnerability, and wonder, mirroring The Moth’s signature tone. Both storytellers are candid about their fears and doubts, and each wields comedy as a shield and a means of connection, making their journeys relatable and engaging.

Takeaways

• Courage takes many forms: from braving the Drake Passage with creative abandon to weathering the emotional ups and downs of chasing dreams in LA.
• Unexpected components of success: sometimes the greatest rewards are personal transformation and perspective shifts, not external accolades.
• Humor as resilience: Both Daryl and Brittney find their way—through dread, absurdity, and disappointment—by leaning into laughter and honesty.

For more on these storytellers and visuals from the Antarctica trip, visit themoth.org.