Stories On Stage

TAKING A MOMENT TO LOOK BACK

norma — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:45:33 +0000

September 26^th marks the opening of our ninth season. I can’t believe that it’s been nine years since we started Stories on Stage, and when we began we never dreamed that we would continue this many years. It’s pretty thrilling to know that a vision that we had would be enjoyed so by many people over an extended period of time.

When I look back over these years there are so many moments and people and experiences that have been especially meaningful to me. If I close my eyes and reach into my memories, here are just a few that I pull out:

Our very first performance when Elliot Gould came to read John Sayles’ “At the Anarchist’s Convention.” What a character! And of course, he completely filled the house, giving us a very auspicious start.

Harold Gould (The Sting, The Golden Girls) reading Tim Gautreaux’s “Good for the Soul” in which he created an entire town of distinct people and personalities. I had never before experienced being so completely “inside” a story. It was magical.

“No Way Out”, Susan Shear’s adaptation of letters sent among her parents, aunts, uncles and cousins as they tried to escape Nazi Germany

“The Slave Narratives” in which Hattie Mae Winston took us all on a long and brutal journey through a part of American history expressed with stunning storytelling by incredibly gifted actors. It was an experience that changed me profoundly.

Esai Morales (NYPD Blue) performing to a full house with the front rows filled with sighing single women.

Denver Center company members Kathleen Brady, Randy Moore and John Hutton consistently being willing to lend their enormous talents to us on Sundays – the only day they don’t have to be at the theater day and night.

The fabulous homemade cookies and the generous audience members who keep bringing them.

Many of you have been coming for several years. What are some of your favorite moments?

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

admin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:18:04 +0000

If I had the chance to be a hero, what would i do? Rise to the occasion? Fail? I always wonder whenI read stories in the paper or see on the news the narrative of a heroic moment. A few weeks ago, a man literally jumped on to the tracks of the New York subway, even as the train was approaching, to rescue someone who had fallen onto the tracks. He risked his life to save another person. Would I do that if I were standing on that platform? And ofcourse, the answer is, I don’t know — and will never know unless it happens. But still, I wonder. Our April 19th show, GREAT EXPECTATIONS features television star Robert Gossett reading T. C. Boyle’s “La Conchita”, a story about just such a moment where a man’s capacity for heroism is put to the test as an emergency suddenly develops. What does he do? What would you do?

In light of this upcoming story, my questions to you are: Do you ever imagine what you would do in an emergency situation should someone in your view be in danger and you had to choose whether or not to put yourself at risk to help? If so, what do you imagine and what action do you take or not take? What “Great Expectations” do you have of yourself? Do you ever experience yourself as an “everyday hero”, dedicating yourself in some way to the welfare of others? When you were young did you ever imagine yourself as a Superhero, saving the world?

Absolutely Fantastic

admin — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:10:06 +0000

When real life is full of turmoil — as real life definitely is right now — fantasy provides not only escape but also comfort. That brief break from reality really helps. The “Kugelmass Episode” brings up delicious fantasies of literary romantic thrills. And my question to you is: If you could have a romance with any charater in any book, who would you choose and why? We have another story called “The Nose,” a classic nightmare in which something terrible goes wrong, but no one seems to care. Do you have dreams like that? If so, tell us your dream.

I hope you have fun with these questions. We are having fun making this show for you.

Norma Moore, Producing Artistic Director, Stories on Stage

Your Personal Testimony

norma — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 03:47:14 +0000

In our upcoming show, three wonderful and very different authors have written fictional stories based on defining moments and experiences in their lives. When we are talking about such deep core experiences, fiction can be a better way to tell a story than simply relating the facts, because fiction lets us explore not just the experience but also what the experience means to us.
The first story, “Rules of the Game” by Amy Tan is about Meimei, the American-born only daughter of two Chinese immigrants,. She demonstrates an extraordinary gift for chess at a very early age. She remembers: I loved the secrets I found within the sixty-four black and white squares. I carefully drew a handmade chessboard and pinned it to the wall next to my bed, where I would stare for hours at imaginary battles. But her Mother quickly took charge and made it seem like all those trophies were more about the Mother than her daughter.
I think this situation will remind a lot of you of your own experiences which you can share in the Post Comments section below.

My questions for you are:
Did you find something you loved to do early in life?
Did you have a parent with whom you had a constant power struggle, even from an early age?

Our second story, “Why I Like Country Music” by James Alan McPherson, is a story about an extraordinarily precious memory that goes back to fourth grade. Our hero, a shy, willful and spoiled boy, falls in love with the most beautiful fourth grade girl in all of South Carolina, who happens to sit in the seat right in front of him: I loved the lemony vapor on which she floated; I loved the way she caused my heart to tumble whenever, during a restless moment, she seemed about to turn her head in my direction.

My question for you is:
Do you have a memory from childhood about an experience or a person that made you deliciously happy?

Our third story, “The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee is the inspiring story of one woman’s path to recovery from a terrible tragedy. She finds strength to build a new life not in a single dramatic moment of revelation, but through a gentle reconnection with the spirit of her lost loved one.

My question for you is:
Did something or someone in your life give you the inspiration to get over a serious loss or disappointment?