The Moth To Honor Erika Alexander And Deborah Dugan At This Year's Moth Ball
Annual fundraising gala slated for May 13 at Chelsea Piers in NYC.
By: A.A. Cristi Mar. 24, 2025
Acclaimed global storytelling organization The Moth will unveil the details for their highly anticipated annual fundraising gala, Fantastic Voyage: The 2025 Moth Ball. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of The Lighthouse at Pier 61 at Chelsea Piers, the event is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13th.
This year, the non-profit's gala will honor actress, writer/director, and Co-Founder of Color Farm Media and Color Farm Impact, Erika Alexander, as well as longtime Moth Board Member and noted non-profit and entertainment industry leader, Deborah Dugan.
Attendees will enjoy a festive cocktail party and seated dinner, along with a stellar showcase featuring beloved Moth storytellers. The event will spotlight the presentation of The Moth's prestigious Storyteller of the Year Award to Erika Alexander, including an introduction for the honoree by actor and singer Tituss Burgess(“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”). As well, the Moth will present its second annual Legacy Award to Deborah Dugan for her unwavering support of The Moth and longtime service on the Board. In addition, the event's program will honor 10 years of The Moth's Global Program, which has been developing and elevating true, personal stories from extraordinary individuals in the Global South for the past decade.
The Moth Ball is more than a standard fundraiser; it's a celebration of storytelling at its finest—a tribute to the stories that transport us—to new places, fresh perspectives, and uncharted territories of the heart and mind. Dubbed "the hippest literary gala going" by BizBash and hailed as "New York's best gala" by Gothamist, the evening promises a delightful blend of elegance and entertainment, all in support of the nonprofit's mission and programs including its education and community offerings.
"We are honored to celebrate this year's extraordinary honorees, whose contributions to storytelling and advocacy have made a profound impact," said Sarah Haberman, CEO of The Moth. "Erika Alexander is a powerhouse—an actress, writer, producer, and activist—whose career has been dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices and using storytelling to drive social change. She is truly the perfect choice to be recognized as our 2025 Storyteller of the Year."
Alexander joins an impressive list of past Moth “Storyteller of the Year” award-winners including André DeShields, David Byrne, Regina King, Kemp Powers, Padma Lakshmi, Roxane Gay, Martin Scorsese, Zadie Smith, Roz Chast, Calvin Trillin, Salman Rushdie, Carrie Brownstein, and Anna Deavere Smith.
Haberman added, "We are equally thrilled to honor Deborah Dugan, a visionary leader whose dedication has transformed industries and ensured that powerful stories reach the world. Her 15 years of service on The Moth's Board—including seven as Board Co-Chair—have been instrumental in shaping our organization. Coupled with her leadership in global nonprofit initiatives, Deborah's impact is immeasurable, making her a deeply deserving recipient of our Legacy Award."
EVENT DETAILS
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
6:30pm - 10:30pm
The Lighthouse at Pier 61, Chelsea Piers, New York City
Tickets: Individual tickets start at $500 and tables start at $10,000; proceeds to support The Moth's education and community program.
ABOUT THE HONOREES
Erika Alexander, Storyteller of the Year Award
SAG- and Independent Spirit award-nominated Erika Alexander is beloved for her iconic acting roles as Maxine Shaw (“Living Single”), Detective Latoya (GET OUT), and Cousin Pam (“The Cosby Show”). Erika wears many hats, as not only an actress, but also a trailblazing activist, entrepreneur, creator, producer, and director -- an all-around boss. Erika most recently can be seen in AMERICAN FICTION, starring alongside Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, and Tracee Ellis Ross. The film won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. She also stars in Apple TV's hit sci-fi series, Invasion; executive produced by Simon Kinberg (Xmen, Deadpool, Star Wars); and the upcoming feature, Is God Is, by writer/director Aleshea Harris, for Amazon/MGM Orion. As a creator and co-founder of Color Farm Media, Erika recognizes that stories, when socially conscious and carefully constructed, have the capacity to create impact and meaningful change. She recently co-founded Color Farm Impact, a non-profit organization focused on worldbuilding. "At Color Farm Impact, we use storytelling to create data and educational programs to future proof a new generation,” says Erika. Erika's company, Color Farm Media, self-described as the “Motown of film, TV, and tech,” develops and produces scripted and unscripted content for film, television, streaming, and podcast platforms. Color Farm has produced award-winning projects such as John Lewis: GOOD TROUBLE, FINDING TAMIKA, and THE BIG PAYBACK, which she also co-directed. Color Farm Media is currently producing the documentary: Between Starshine And Clay The Diahann Carroll Story and the live-action film, XERO: based on the DC comic book by Christopher Priest. Erika is a sought-after speaker who delivers keynotes on topics including leadership, communications & performance, and diversity & inclusion. She served as Hillary Clinton's most traveled surrogate during her 2008 and 2016 election campaigns.
Deborah Dugan, Legacy Award
Deborah is CEO of Beyond Type 1, a global nonprofit co-founded by Nick Jonas and Juliet de Baubigny that is dedicated to helping people living with diabetes stay alive and thrive. She also served as CEO of (RED), founded by Bono of U2 and Bobby Shriver, bringing over $600 million to the AIDS fight and impacting the lives of 110 million people. Previously Deborah was the first female CEO of the Recording Academy (the Grammy's), President of Disney Publishing Worldwide, EVP of EMI Records, and started her career as an attorney on Wall Street.
Deborah served on The Moth Board for over 15 years and as its Co-Chair for 7 years. She also served on the Boards of Girl Effect and CityArts. Deborah is an innovative strategic leader, creative change agent, and social entrepreneur recognized as one of the “100 Most Powerful Women” by Forbes, “Top Women to Help Change the World” by Elle, and with (RED) received the “Nelson Mandela Changemaker” award.
ABOUT THE MOTH
The Moth is an acclaimed nonprofit organization dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. For almost 30 years, The Moth has presented over 60,000 stories, told live and without notes to standing room-only crowds worldwide. The Moth conducts eight ongoing programs: The Moth Mainstage, which tours internationally, has featured stories by Elizabeth Gilbert, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kathleen Turner, Malcolm Gladwell, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, John Turturro, Molly Ringwald, Boots Riley, Krista Tippett, Damon Young, Mike Birbiglia, Rosanne Cash, Danyel Smith and Tig Notaro, as well as an astronaut, a pickpocket, a hotdog eating champion and hundreds more; The Moth StorySLAM program, which conducts open mic storytelling competitions in 28 cities: 26 in the US plus Melbourne, AU and London, UK; The Moth Community Engagement Program, which offers storytelling workshops and performance opportunities to adults who are too often overlooked by the mainstream media; The Moth Education Program, which brings the thrill of personal storytelling to high schools and colleges in New York, and educators around the world; The Moth Global Community Program, which develops and elevates true, personal stories from extraordinary individuals in the global south; The Moth Podcast—the 2020 Webby People's Voice Award Winner for Best Podcast Series—which is downloaded tens of millions of times a year; MothWorks, which uses the essential elements of Moth storytelling as an empathetic communication tool; and the Peabody Award-winning The Moth Radio Hour which, produced by Jay Allison at Atlantic Public Media and presented by PRX, The Public Radio Exchange, airs weekly on over 560+ public radio stations nationwide. The Moth released its first card deck, A Game of Storytelling (Clarkson-Potter), and its second podcast, the Webby Award-Winning, Grown, is available on all major streaming platforms. To date, The Moth has published five critically acclaimed books: The New York Times Bestseller The Moth: 50 True Stories (Hachette Books, September 2013), All These Wonders: True Stories About Facing the Unknown (Crown Archetype, March 2017) — described as “wonderful” by NYT's Michiko Kakutani andNew York Times Bestsellers Occasional Magic: True Stories of Defying the Impossible (Crown Archetype, March 2019), How to Tell a Story: The Essential Guide to Memorable Storytelling from The Moth (Crown Archetype, April 2022) and its newest book, A Point of Beauty: True Stories of Holding On and Letting Go(Crown Archetype, March 2024), out now. Learn more at themoth.org.
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