Grownups love a good story time too. In providing such an opportunity, Miners Foundry is pleased to bring back Tim O’Connor’s Readers Theater on Sunday, April 30th beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Continuing the tradition established by Tim O’Connor (who, among his many other credits, may be remembered as Andros on the television series Wonder Woman), Gaylie Bell-Stewart directs some of Nevada County’s best performers in dramatized readings of short stories for Readers Theater. April’s iteration will focus on the Best American Short Stories of the 1990s.
This iteration of Readers Theater will feature stories by luminary authors of the recent decade: Alice Adams, George Harrar, Max Garland, Kathryn Chetkovich, and William Lychak .
Though the period of the collection presents a theme, Bell-Stewart assured there will be a variety to the stories told, “We have a few that are worldly and surprising – without saying too much, you’re not quite sure where the stories are going. One that’s like a fable, one about a man on a train who sees a woman and searches for her, one about a girl who has separated from her boyfriend. They’re all so different!
When it comes to casting the stories, Bell-Stewart thinks of the right person for the story’s point of view. “The stories remind me of a reader,” she said. “I’ll be in the middle of one and think, ‘That would be good for John or Kim’ or ‘I want that one!’”. The local talents giving life to the stories this round are Sandra Rockman, Lyndsay Dunkel, Jon Blinder, Kimberly Ewing, and Gaylie Bell-Stewart herself, all generously donating their time for this special event.
Miners Foundry will be set up in an intimate cabaret-style to bring listeners closer to the stories. Replicating a form first created during World War II, when full theatrical productions were too costly to stage, Readers Theater presents stories with minimal (if any) sets, costumes, or props, instead allowing the words of the story to shine and leaving it up to the imagination of the audience to illuminate the tales. “It’s not dissimilar to a podcast,” Bell-Stewart said. “Actors read the stories dramatically and the audience fills in the gaps.”
“What we’re looking for is something that takes people out of themselves,” said Bell-Stewart. “You get a glimpse into a person or a place that gives you a fresh look at the world and makes life more interesting.”
The afternoon “story time for grownups” is an opportunity to be exposed to some of the greatest vignettes of our generation in a comfortable and engaging setting. Bell-Stewart sums it up with a short story of her own, “It’s really great literature!”
For more information about coming events: www.minersfoundry.org
WHO: Tim O’Connor’s Readers Theatre
WHERE: Miners Foundry, 325 Spring Street, Nevada City, CA 95959, Call (530) 265-5040
WHEN: Sunday, April 30th 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.