The Moth Mainstage in Atlanta

CRITIC’S PICK: The subtle art of storytelling has been celebrated by The Moth since its humble inception on a back porch in Georgia in 1997. The group now runs 600 different events a year in 30 cities in the U.S. and abroad and its National Public Radio show, winner of a Peabody Award, is heard by more than a million listeners each week; its weekly podcast is equally successful. Participants must follow the rules closely: no rants or lectures, no stand-up routines, no stereotypes, and nothing gratuitous. Each story must be memorized and last no more than five minutes. The Guardian called the whole premise “quietly addictive.” — Kevin C. Madigan