Short Story Theatre to Welcome Storytellers to Miramar Bistro, 1/21

Short Story Theatre, a troupe of local writers and performers, presents an evening of four entertaining, true stories onThursday, January 21, 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 Julie Isaacson and Rick Leslie of Highland Park, Bob Rubin of Riverwoods, and Denise Kirshenbaum of Evanston.

In her story, "Moving Day," Julie Isaacson wonders, "How do you split up your possessions when the marriage is over?"

In his story, "The Last Train Ride," Rick Leslie reminisces about a seemingly ordinary guy he met on a train to Champaign-Urbana - a guy who turned out to be someone infamous.

Bob Rubin shares his youthful dreams of being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in his story "Almost a Rock Star."

Denise Kirshenbaum's short story, "Bon!" recalls her high school French class and her aspiration to be more of an "it" girl.

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 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, go to www.shortstorytheatre.com.

OUR STORYTELLERS:

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.

Rick Leslie, a co-founder of Short Story Theatre, has been telling stories of one kind or another for over 40 years, from composing songs and writing ads to producing network news and making TV documentaries. In his travels he has shared Thanksgiving with the Navajos, ridden with the Canadian Mounties and been exposed to Cosmic Dust at NASA. He's even travailed the Bayou with Cajun backwoodsmen, in a scene right out of the film Deliverance. As a co-founder of Short Story Theatre, Rick is committed to bringing the best of storytelling to Chicago's North Shore. You'll find his creative non-fiction in various literary magazines, including the Connecticut Review and Confluence.

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.