Nevada City, CA September 4, 2023 – The Miners Foundry is pleased to announce the next installment of Tim O’Connor’s Readers Theater taking place Sunday afternoon, September 10th beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Gaylie Bell-Stewart has been directing the, what is often described as “theater for the mind” events, carrying on the tradition Tim O’Connor started years ago. Prior to his death, O’Connor asked Bell-Stewart to continue bringing Readers Theatre to the community and so she took on the task of selecting short stories by decade, to be read by actors with minimal props.
This month, Readers Theater will feature stories written between the years 2000 and 2010 by a variety of contemporary artists. In deciding on the stories to feature, Bell-Stewart reads dozens that fit the criteria and then finds the right combination and flow. She said, “I usually read about 30 to 40 stories from the decade and then pick up the ones that are the most outstanding and the ones that are the right size to fit with the other stories, so it’s kind of a juggling act.”
Offering a variety of tones keeps audiences members entertained throughout the late afternoon event.
“We have two stories that are kind of funny. One is a combination of funny and kind of hysteria,” Bell-Stewart explained. “Then there is a story about an immigrant from the Philippines who is a nanny and another about an art docent in the deep south who is still very attached to the deep south. She is giving a lecture to a group of people who come to a Robert E. Lee Museum … that has some humor in it as well.”
Seasoned readers returning to the stage are Lindsay Dunckel, Jon Blinder, Kimberly Ewing, and newcomer (to Readers Theatre) Jay Barker to round out the set.
Readers Theatre serves as a great afternoon for patrons but also as a fundraiser for Miners Foundry. The venue will be set up in an intimate cabaret-style to bring listeners closer to the stories.
Established by Tim O’Connor, Readers Theatre replicates a tactic first created during World War II, when full theatrical productions were too costly to stage. Storytime for adults, as it is sometimes described, presents stories with minimal (if any) sets, costumes, or props. Theater goers are invited to use their imagination to dress the actors or set the stage.
Bell-Stewart said it can become transcendental. “Readers Theater is a place where you can go and let your imagination pick out what you like about a story. The stories I like the best are the transcendent ones — they can be charming or exotic or strange or surprising. They are all different, but they feed the soul.”
Past audience members have expressed what a wonderful and different theater experience it is, reminiscent of a time when people would sit and listen to stories on the radio. Relax and be entertained at Readers Theatre Sunday, September 10th.
For more information about coming events: www.minersfoundry.org
WHO: Tim O’Connor’s Readers Theater
WHERE: Miners Foundry, 325 Spring Street, Nevada City, CA 95959, Call (530) 265-5040
WHEN: Sunday, September 10 at 4:00pm
HOW: $15 General Admission
Available online, by phone or in person at the Miners Foundry Box Office:
325 Spring Street, Nevada City, CA 95959 Tuesday – Friday | 9:00am – 4:00pm
The Miners Foundry Cultural Center is a living historic treasure serving Nevada County as a cultural art and community events center. More than a venue, the nonprofit’s mission is to preserve, enhance and utilize the historic Miners Foundry for cultural, educational, and social activities in Nevada County. It is a symbol of California’s rich historical heritage, providing an educational and social bridge from our past to the present and future.