Stories About A Bulls Star, Spiritual Enlightenment, The Vietnam War, And High Heels This March

Short Story Theatre presents an evening of warm, wise and wonderful true stories on Thursday, March 1, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. at Miramar Bistro, 301 Waukegan Ave. in Highwood. Tickets are $10 at the door. For pre-show dinner reservations (mention Short Story Theatre): 847-433-1078. Drinks are available during the show.

Filmmaker and adman Rino Liberatore of Wilmette shares his story "Shooting Star" about his adventures shooting commercials with a world-famous basketball star.

Bonnie Hillman Shay of Highland Park tells about ten of the most challenging days of her life in "Voluntary Imprisonment."

Edward Zifkin, also a Highland Park resident, recalls the unexpected consequences and resultant experiences with the Vietnam War draft in "You're in the Army Now."

Julie Isaacson, also a Highland Parker, discovers both a soul mate and a sole mate in "The Delta Queen."

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 thirty 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.

BIOS OF PERFORMERS:

Rino Liberatore began a career in advertising in 1982. He received local and national acclaim for his creativity for such clients as Chevrolet, the Chicago Cubs, Loop Radio, the Illinois Lottery, and WGN-TV. Rino formed his own film Production Company in Chicago in 1995 and directed numerous projects with the most celebrated athletes of our time including Michael Jordan, and the 1985 Super Bowl Chicago Bears, Harry Caray and many others. Rino has produced short films and co-directed an Independent Feature titled "The Opera Lover." The film aired on Showtime. A Chicago native, Rino is currently working on a feature length Documentary "Iron Five" chronicling the 1963 Loyola Rambler College Basketball Team.

Bonnie Hillman Shay was gifted with the "organizing" gene, which inspired her to establish her own Professional Organizing business in 2007. Bonnie creates order out of disorder, specializing in residential organizing, email management, and photo organizing (printed and digital.) Bonnie feels blessed to have found her calling, allowing her to perform "magic" for her clients. As a Photo Organizer, Bonnie helps her clients tell their story through photos and other media, so she is now thrilled and honored to organize her own words to share her stories. Bonnie wrote a book "Take Charge of Your Email Inbox." She admits it doesn't have much of a plot or character development, but does provide great tips and techniques for managing an overflowing email inbox.

Edward Zifkin ended up in the US Army a week after the Tet offensive in Vietnam in 1968. After two years service in Germany, he was discharged in Europe and had adventures in Spain. He returned to school, only to drop out at the onset of the Yom Kippur war. He then volunteered to return to the kibbutz in Israel where his brother had made Aliyah. He has continued his travels and has been to 48 states, most of the Canadian provinces (other than the Maritimes) and to all seven continents. He walked in Shackleton's footsteps on South Georgia Island and spent a night at the Ice Hotel above the Arctic Circle in Sweden. He enjoys cooking, walking his dog, writing his memoirs and taking a stab at writing poetry.

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.