At The Moth GrandSLAM Championship, renowned storyteller Matthew Dicks delivered a memorable and profoundly moving performance that captivated the audience with humor, vulnerability, and insight. Through a seemingly simple narrative about recess duty and a game of "Never Have I Ever," Dicks masterfully wove themes of childhood innocence, parental expectations, and personal healing, revealing the deep power of storytelling to connect and transform.
The story begins on a typical school playground during recess duty, where Dicks, a public school teacher, shares a lighthearted yet telling exchange with his young son. When asked if recess duty is like “duty, like poop,” Dicks’ honest answer humorously captures the futility and challenges of his role—watching over children, tending to minor scrapes, managing social dynamics among kids, and often feeling the weight of time slipping away. This candid introduction sets the tone for a story filled with both comedy and sincerity.
The plot quickly moves to a group of 10-year-old girls playing “Never Have I Ever,” a game that initially brings dread to Dicks, who anticipates the typical social traps of childhood. However, as the game unfolds, it becomes clear that these children approach life—and its challenges—with a striking openness and acceptance that contrasts his own childhood experiences. The girls’ simple confessions, like never climbing a mountain or needing a nightlight, paint a picture of innocence and highlight generational differences in childhood.
What begins as a playful competition takes a poignant turn when the girls reveal their struggles with meeting their fathers’ expectations. Their honesty unveils the emotional weight of familial pressure, the nuanced ways love is expressed, and the common feeling of never quite measuring up. For Dicks, this moment triggers a deeper reflection on his own childhood and relationship with his absent father, whom he realizes never set any expectations because he left when Dicks was seven.
The emotional climax arrives as the girls empathetically respond to Dicks’ revelation of abandonment, saying simply, “That counts, Mr. Dicks,” and offering their first spoken words of apology and understanding. This exchange marks a powerful turning point for Dicks, breaking decades of silence and unacknowledged pain, demonstrating how storytelling fosters connection, validation, and healing even across generations.
Dicks closes his story by reflecting on why, after 25 years of teaching amid countless challenges, he remains committed to working with children. Beyond his love for them, he finds purpose in the honest, unguarded truths they share, their capacity to “speak truth” to him, and the mutual love that forms the foundation of his work. His performance beautifully illustrates storytelling’s unique ability to bridge gaps, reveal hidden truths, and remind us all of our shared humanity.
Matthew Dicks’ GrandSLAM story is a testament to the art of storytelling itself—how it can entertain, enlighten, and emotionally move us. Through humor, relatability, and heartfelt transparency, he invites audiences into a moment of real connection, proving why The Moth stage remains a powerful platform for stories that matter.
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