Tasha Sussman-Moss caught the storytelling bug first listening to the Moth Radio Hour and then by participating in high school poetry slams. The EGHS senior sees such events as community builders. Next Thursday, she’s going to build a little community right here in East Greenwich, with “Stage Fright,” a 75-minute storytelling event at the EG Free Library co-sponsored by the EG Friends of the Library.

“The whole point of this is for people to share their stories and get to know each other,” Sussman-Moss said. She bills it as the “inaugural” event, with hopes it will be repeated.

East Greenwich Free Library

People can come just to listen or they can put their name in the hat to tell a story. Storytellers are limited to five minutes each and NO notes. You just get up and tell your story. Sussman-Moss will draw names.

The topic for the night is “first times” – everything from first driving lesson, first child, first kiss, first hole in one, first job, first award, first backflip, first dinner party, first … you name it.

Sussman-Moss knows it can be hard to get up and tell a story in front of a bunch of people but she promises it will be “familiar and casual.”

The event takes place Thursday, April 4, from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at the library, 82 Peirce St. It’s free and all are welcome. For more information, click on the evite here.