A literary nonprofit’s signature event returns to San Francisco on Thursday to celebrate the art and craft of live storytelling.

The Moth’s “Mainstage” comes to Civic Center’s Herbst Theatre on Thursday night. The two-act show features storytellers and a host sharing their own original works without any notes. Stories told on “Mainstage” are recorded for “The Moth” podcast and “The Moth Radio Hour” programs, which are available on multiple podcasting platforms .

Jodi Powell, a storytelling director and educator at The Moth, serves as the show director for “Mainstage,” which she says the nonprofit has been staging in The City “since way back.”

“Our first show was in 1999, so we have a long history of shows here and are glad to continue the tradition,” she said.

The San Francisco sho

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