Berkshire Theatre Festival Presents Animal Stories

The penultimate "Stories for a Sunday Afternoon" is all about the pets that we love and play such huge rolls in our lives.

1. Tobermory by Saki. Considered a master of the short story, Saki's tales feature delicately drawn characters that are witty and often macabre. Tobermory contrasts the effete conventions and hypocrisies of Edwardian England with straight forward life and death struggles of nature and nature usually wins. In Tobermory, at a country house party, a visiting professor announces that he had developed a procedure to teach animals human speech. The result
reveals thoughts, ideas, judgments that the guests thought were known only to themselves. This marvelous achievement brings rather disastrous results for all the assembled gentry.

2. My Boss the Cat by Paul Gallico. Cats are, of course, no good, the author affectionately explains in this delightful short story. "They're chiselers, panhandlers, shameless flatterers that are full of plans, plots, wiles and guiles." Gallico, a novelist, short story and sports writer is best remembered for his short story The Snow Goose and the cult classic novel, The Poseidon Adventure. Gallico, who wrote over 5 books about cats, considers himself a simple storyteller, and this one is a delight.

3. For the Love of Princess by Tiffin Shewmake. Here's one for the dog lovers. A mix of science, research and training has provided Tiffin with the background to write a book that goes beyond the stories to look at the "why" behind dog heroism and behavior. In this story, a most difficult woman faces trials and tribulations with her dog ending up in court before a strict judge.

4. Verse for a Certain Dog by Dorothy Parker. A short vintage Parker poem exploring her caring and humorous thoughts on her dog.

Join us for complimentary coffee, tea, cookies and share your love of cats and dogs this Sunday at 4pm at the Unicorn Theatre. A $10 donation is suggested. Reservations can be made by contacting the BTF Box Office at (413) 298-5576 x33.