Short Story Theatre to Present Five True Stories This Month

Short Story Theatre presents an evening of warm, wise and wonderful true stories on Thursday, February 23, at 7:30 p.m. at Miramar Bistro, 301 Waukegan Ave. in Highwood.

In her story "Failure Was an Option," Rebecca Adler of Gurnee grapples with the memory of her fall from the top of her 4th grade class.

Denise Kirshenbaum of Wilmette reveals how a face-to-face encounter with a wolf helped her to come to terms with the loss of her father in "Call of the Wild."

Highland Parker Janet Reed's story "How I Lost My Dog and Found My Daughter" relates how a dog named for a Grateful Dead song changed her life.

Julie Isaacson, also of Highland Park, contemplates simple expectations that evolved into sublime misadventures in her story "Is It Too Much to Ask?!"

Hawthorn Woods resident Bob Rubin says that every experience he has conjures up a song. We'll hear some snippets in Bob's story "They're Playing Our Song."

Tickets are $10 at the door. For pre-show dinner reservations (mention Short Story Theatre): 847-433-1078. Drinks are available during the show.

Short Story Theatre was founded in 2012 and is dedicated to promoting storytelling as a vibrant, contemporary art form. Co-founder Donna Lubow says, "Stories 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."

Short Story Theatre is always on the lookout for new storytellers. For story submissions, contact donna@shortstorytheatre.com. Guidelines for submission are on the website: www.shortstorytheatre.com.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS:

Rebecca Adler has performed at local theatres including Attic Playhouse and Clockwise Theatre, where she also served as Managing Director during its formative years. She spends her days as an instructional designer, writing classroom and e-learning courses for companies across the country. She has been writing since the day she learned to read.

Julie Isaacson enjoys cooking and writing. The Angry Chef anthology is her first publication. She writes poetry and offers wordsbyjulie.com for individuals seeking personalized tributes for special occasions. She retired from 30 years of Special Education instruction, and teaches writing skills to adolescents.

Denise Kirshenbaum learned to write as a member of Nancy Beckett's Lakeside Writing Studio. A one-on-one writing coach herself, Denise blends her writing experience with visual and production skills honed during a 20-year photography career to help clients of all levels achieve their writing goals. Her essays have appeared in literary journals, on the web, and in national magazines, including More and Bark.

Janet Reed earned a bachelor's degree in music education for the love of it and a J.D. to earn a living. Featured in dozens of area musical and theatrical productions, she also directs youth musical productions and tours area schools and senior facilities with her one- woman themed musical programs.

Bob Rubin - After Bob finished college at the University of Iowa, there was a simple plan. Go to law school, get married, and join his father's downtown law firm. All of this got detoured because of Bob's desire to become a rock star. While he did not quite accomplish this, he ended up owning and selling a successful import business, and is now a commercial real estate broker. He also spends a lot of time playing competitive USTA Super Senior Tennis and hanging out with his four grandkids. He particularly enjoys sitting down at the piano and jamming with his talented 11-year-old grandson. Life has many circuitous routes, and Bob's dream of becoming a rock star had many of them.