A Cool Cat, Lost Friendship, Ice Escapades & Diamonds Coming Up at Short Story Theatre

Short Story Theatre, a troupe of local writers and performers, presents an evening of four entertaining stories on Thursday, February 25, at 7:30 p.m. at Miramar Bistro, 301 Waukegan Avenue in Highwood. Tickets are $10 at the door, cash or check. Reservations for dinner beforehand are suggested by calling Miramar at 847-433-1078.

On the roster for the evening are novelist Ron Levitsky and Elizabeth Brown of Lake Forest, Benita Haberman of Vernon Hills, and playwright Madelyn Sergel of Gurnee.

In his short story, "Rimbaud" Ron Levitsky wonders how a guy can get his groove on when his mentor, the coolest cat he knows is a Siamese.

Elizabeth Brown tells a true story about how she reinvented herself when she became an empty nester. On an ill-considered impulse, she joined a woman's ice hockey team as the goalie. She shares her story in "My Short Sweet Life as a Human Target."

Madelyn Sergel's story - "The One Who Got Away" - recalls a friendship lost and found and lost again.

Benita Haberman plans a 50th birthday celebration, and then something unexpected happens in her story "Missing You."

Short Story Theatre was founded in 2012 by Donna Lubow of Riverwoods and Rick Leslie and Susan Block of Highland Park and is dedicated to promoting storytelling as a vibrant, contemporary art form. Co-founder Donna Lubow says, "These stories, except for Ron Levitsky's which is fiction, are creative non-fiction, based on personal experiences. Our troupe of more than twenty members from Chicago and the northern suburbs melds writing skills and performance skills to entertain and inspire audiences."

For more information and guidelines for submission: www.shortstorytheatre.com.

OUR STORYTELLERS:

Ron Levitsky is a retired educator who currently serves as a trustee for West Deerfield Township and the Lake Forest Library. He also hosts a public access TV program in Highland Park. Ron has published several mystery novels and short stories. "Rimbaud" appears in the latest edition of East on Central, Highland Park's journal of arts and letters.

Elizabeth Brown is a pathologist who has recently turned her attention to the infinitely more lively field of creative nonfiction. Her essays range from memoirs to curiosity-driven explorations of whatever catches her fancy, including a discussion of what it was like to retake the SAT exams after a 45-year hiatus. Her essays are all posted on her blog site www.fanagrams.net, and podcasts can be found on iTunes filed under "fanagrams." Other interests include racquet sports and birdwatching.

Madelyn Sergel is a playwright, freelance writer, and producer. Productions include The Party in the Kitchen and Special Needs (Clockwise Theatre), Another Piece of Cake (Citadel Theatre). Her award-winning YA play Totally Okay, Right Now is published by YouthPLAYS, and her plays have had public readings at American Theatre Company, Citadel Theatre, Gift Theatre, Clockwise Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, and Gurnee Theatre Company. The founding Artistic Director of Clockwise Theatre, she also co-produced the company's first 13 productions. Recent and upcoming projects include the reading of her play Throwing Rice at Chicago Dramatists Saturday Series last week and the reading of her one-act comedy Dogs Are People Too at Clockwise Theatre in April. Her website may be found atwww.madelynsergel.com.

Benita Haberman has been with Short Story Theatre since our premiere performance. She began journaling in grammar school and put her joy of writing to good use during a ten-year career in Special Events fundraising before "retiring" to be a stay-at-home mom. She began writing creative non-fiction while studying with Nancy Beckett at the Lakeside Writing Studio, and later re-entered the work force as a Special Education Student Aide. Benita lives in Vernon Hills with her husband, Marc, and her two teen-age children.