The Moth Podcast: Performing in LA and Antarctica

Summary

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.

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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)

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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)

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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)

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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

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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.

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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.

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

Transcript

[Moth Host]

Truth or dare?

[Commercial Narrator]

How about both?

[Moth Host]

This fall, the Moth is challenging what it means to be daring. We're not just talking about jumping out of airplanes or quitting your job. We're talking about the quiet courage to be vulnerable, the bold decisions to reveal the secret that changed everything this fall, the Moth Main Stage season brings our most power powerful stories to live audiences in 16 cities across the globe. Every one of those evenings will explore the singular theme of daring. But the stories and their tellers will never be the same. So here's our dare to you experience the Moth main stage live. Find a city near [e-mail] daring. Come on, we dare you.

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The Moth is supported by AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca is committed to spreading awareness of a condition called hereditary Transthyroidin mediated amyloidosis, or hattr. This condition can cause polyneuropathy like nerve pain or numbness, heart failure, or irregular rhythm and gastrointestinal issues. HATTR is often underdiagnosed and can be passed down to loved ones. Many of us have stories about family legacies passed down through generations. When I was five, my mother sewed me a classic clown costume, red and yellow with a pointy hat. It's since been worn by my sister, three cousins and four of our children. I'm so happy this piece of my childhood lives on with no end in sight. Genetic conditions like HATTR shouldn't dominate our stories. Thanks to the efforts of AstraZeneca, there are treatment options so more patients can choose the legacies they share. This year, the Moth will partner with AstraZeneca to shine a light on the stories of Those living with Hattr. Learn more at www.myattrroadmap.com.

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[Mark Solinger]

Welcome to the Moth. I'm Mark Solinger and on this episode we've got two stories about performing from the heart of the entertainment industry to the furthest reaches of the earth. We'll start in one of the most remote parts of the globe with Daryl Thorne. He told this at a New York City Story slam where the theme of the night was nine to five. Here's Darrell live at the Moth.

[McDonald's Voice]

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. On my feet are stilts Brand new that I've never worn before. On my head is a mirrored globe with the continents and latitude and longitude lines cut out. I can see through them. On my body is a brand new custom stilt suit with mirrors that I've had designed. And in my hands are silk chiffon fans. They're about 5ft long, a blue and white ombre. And I'm feeling really great and really happy because everything's working well. The stilts are working well, the headpiece is perfectly in place and I'm able to grip my hands tightly with the fans billowing out behind me. And I'm feeling really secure. I'm having to take really long strides in my stilts because I'm trudging through snow and the hardest part of all is this ferocious wind that is blasting into my face because I'm walking across the top of a glacier in Antarctica. So four months earlier, I get the call from a client and they say, do you want to go on this, perform with us on the expedition, cruise to Antarctica for 10 days. And at this point I've been working for myself as a performance artist and costume designer for about eight years. But this is definitely the most exciting thing that's happened to date. So I'm like really thrilled. But also I feel this sinking sensation in my stomach because I realize this is going to be very difficult for me. I'm someone who has always been risk averse and I describe myself as having very high self preservation instinct, but really it just means that there's a lot of fear. Flying, turbulence, like the slightest bump, I'm thrown into a panic. My palms start sweating as they are now. I feel light headed. And you know, I have other fears as well. Strange dogs, undercooked chicken, roller coasters, elevators, choking on a bay leaf. There are many things and basically anything that makes me feel there may be a risk I tend to shy away from. So I had certainly shied away from any gigs on a cruise ship. The idea of being on a boat tossed around in the ocean was not for me, but I thought, this is amazing. And who knows, maybe the waters aren't so bad down in the south. So I go to a meeting with this client. First meeting, we're laying out the performances, he's explaining the themes, etc. And I notice there's four days on the calendar where there's nothing scheduled. And he says, I might as well tell you, that's when we're going through the Drake Passage. Those are the stormiest waters in the world. 30 to 60 foot waves, and it lasts for 36 hours. So my heart sank, my stomach flipped, my palms immediately began sweating and I just was filled with terror instantly. And he saw that in my face, apparently. He said, it's okay, you know, other people have canceled because of the Drake Passage, so just let us know. So, so I go home, I'm thinking it over and I'm just realizing I have to do this. I can't not do this because of fear. So I'm committed. And basically I spend the next three months with just this growing pit of dread in my stomach as I'm designing my six new costumes and laying out performances and gathering all the things you need for an expedition to Antarctica. So the day comes. Fly to Argentina, board the ship, and the captain comes on and says, we're delaying for six hours because apparently there's a horrifying storm in the Drake Passage. So I'm like, okay, this is my worst fear in the moment and I'm stuck here, there's nothing to be done. So I'm trying to just manage myself. The six hours pass and we're leaving Argentina, heading into the Drake. And it just so happens that the people who put the this cruise together brilliantly put a dance party that would coincide with going right into the Drake Passage. They happened to throw a party called Daybreaker and they're masters of these sorts of things. So I was like dreading this. I heard about the dance party. I'm prepared. And basically that's exactly what happened. We get into the Drake Passage. Indeed, these massive waves start coming, the DJ start spinning and we start dancing. And it is like the most incredible leaping and spinning and twirling and just like 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. You felt like a kid on a trampoline. And all of this pent up anxiety and dread that I'd had is just being expressed out of my body. And it was amazing. And 36 hours in the Drake passage and indeed we had 40 knot winds and 20 to 25 foot waves. And I was totally fine. I was just like. And even sleeping, you know, the boat is going like this. I thought that was going to disturb my sleep. I slept like a baby in a cradle. And I woke up the next morning and it's completely still and silent. And I open the windows from the cabin and there's Antarctica in its pristine beauty. We get in the Zodiac, I'm in my stilts suit. I got my stilts, we're going to the landing. There's a glacier, so I've got my stilts put on and someone is holding this hand, someone's holding that hand and my friend Eli, who's the client is pushing my ass and I'm climbing up a glacier in Antarctica wearing 2000 mirrors and a pair of stilts. And I get to the top and it's like a brilliant sunny day. I can see far into the distance on my stilts and it's the colors and the penguins and the ice and it was the most incredible workday of my life. Thank you.

[Mark Solinger]

That was Daryl Thorne Daryl is a New York City based artist who blends costume design, performance and storytelling to create immersive, otherworldly performances. Daryl is currently working with former Moth artistic Director Kathryn Burns to build his first solo show combining storytelling with his unique visual art, debuting in January 2026. If you'd like to see photos of Daryl performing in Antarctica and let me tell you, there are some wild costumes, visit themoth.org Extras Personally, I would sooner step on a molten Lego than get up on stage in front of a crowd. I mean, I can sit in front of a microphone and talk just fine. I'm alright having my voice on a podcast, but seeing an audience? Absolutely not. That is a level of bravery I just do not possess. However, if you are not like me and you do want to get up on stage and tell your tale, you can share your story at one of our story slams. There aren't any in Antarctica yet, but they happen in dozens of cities throughout the US and the world. You can find more [e-mail] events after the break, a story about performing under some completely different circumstances. Be back in a moment.

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[Mark Solinger]

Welcome back. Brittney Ross told our next story at an LA story slam where the theme of the night was anniversary. Here's Brittney live at the moment.

[Brittney Ross]

So I moved to LA when I was 21 and 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. It was actresses, supporting actresses to become actresses. And there was a girl in the group who had it all. She had just done an episode of Law and SVU where she played a very featured dead body. And she owned her own princess party company and she specialized in high end LA birthdays. And I was like, okay, this is my, my chance to perform inside the home of industry power players, people who can make a career. And I was like, I have got to single white female this girl. So I get a job working for her company, which kind of feels like destiny because as a princess I finally get to use my real voice. And I'm taking this as like a serious acting job. So I study up on all my princess style theory. Ariel and Hercules, they're actually cousins. Cinderella wears a size 4 and a half shoe which just happens to be exactly the same as me. And my princess boss says I am ready. So I head out into the field and I hold onto my wig like my acting career depends on it and I am killing it. Party after party. I am becoming a very in demand act princess. Just a princess. And I am so in it that somehow a year flies by and I get a call from my princess boss. She wants to celebrate my princess anniversary and she wants to talk to me about something and I'm like, oh my God. She's probably going to ask me to be a partner in this company or like CEO, whatever that is. And no, she does want to reward my good work by she's making me a very featured player at the party of the century. It is a Persian christening at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons. And she mentions there will be a lot of Hollywood people there. And guess who I am playing. Yes, a tiny fairy with actual opinions on things. Tinkerbell. I'm like, okay, this is why I got this job. It's my time to shine. And I pull my Honda seat into the valet line of the Four Seasons and I get out and I make my way through a sea of party entertainers. There's like Cirque du Soleil people, guys on stilts. I'm like the tiniest fairy in the room. And I find the mother of the bride. I mean, the mother of the baby. The baby who is dressed in head to toe Dolce and Gabbana. And the mom is like, okay, you will be presenting her to the room in this wheelbarrow covered in roses. And everyone's like, what's the baby's favorite song? Oh, it's Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. And I am now dragging this baby into a room of 500 of her closest friends and family. And as I walk in, I'm like, yeah, I've always wanted to come here, but I thought it would be for like a Emmy party or something where I'd be dressed in, well, probably what that baby's wearing. And 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. And I look back at this baby too, and I'm like, oh, she has everything I've ever dreamed of. Better clothes, more friends, better taste in music. And I start to realize, like, oh, my God, I have wasted a year of my life in actress years. That's like nine. And like, what have I been doing? Is this not what I moved out here for? Like, I am freaking out on the inside, smiling on the outside, something I'm really good at because I'm. Well, I'm a woman. And I look around and I see there is like an E. News reporter guy filming this whole thing. And the camera is coming towards me and I'm like, no, no, no, this is not how I want my big break to go. I do not want to be seen on TV like this. So I just stare directly in the lens to make sure that that shot is unusable. And I excuse myself to the bathroom. I'm like, I gotta go. I'll be right back. And I set a timer on my phone for two minutes to cry. And I did come up with a really good trick in that moment. 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. And my timer went off. And I was like, I have to go back to this party. I don't know. I really don't want to walk back in there. And then I remember my fellow four and a half size shoe Cinderella. She left the ball early. So I just snuck out of there because There were over 500 people there. Nobody was gonna notice. And I did what every good actress does. I went and got a waitress job. Thanks.

[Mark Solinger]

That was Brittney Ross. Brittany is an LA based stand up comedian, actress and writer raised around a whirlwind of cultures, Alaska, Scotland, South America, Texas, Chicago and Hawaii. As a result she is very normal. She's performed at major festivals and appeared on Mythic Quest, the Middle Two, Broke Girls and more. We checked in with Brittany about her time as a party princess and she told us that she's now a mom of a five year old little girl who's absolutely princess obsessed. Her daughter actually has a princess come to all of her birthday parties and Britney says that sometimes she wants to dust off her old princess dress just to get her daughter to listen to her a little bit more. That brings us to the end of our episode. Thanks so much for joining us from all of us here at the Moth. We hope that whether you're in Antarctica, Louisiana or somewhere in between, you have a wonderful week. Mark Solinger is the podcast producer of the Moth, the co creator of The Audio Drama Archive 81, a lover of museums and someone who feels very strange reading his own bio. This episode of the Moth podcast was produced by Sarah Austin, Janess, Sarah Jane Johnson and me, Mark Solinger. The rest of the Moth leadership team includes Sarah Haberman, Christina Norman, Marina Clouche, Jennifer Hickson, Jordan Cardinale, Kate Tellers, Suzanne Rust and Patricia Urenia. The Moth podcast is presented by Odysee. Special thanks to their executive producer Leah Rhys Dennis. All Moth stories are true as remembered by their storytellers. For more about our podcast, information on pitching your own story and everything else, go to our website themoth.org.

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