Short Story Theatre Announces Evening of Family Stories

Short Story Theatre presents an evening of warm, wise and wonderful true stories on Thursday, April 26th, 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.

Susan Thompson of Wilmette realizes she has to let go of her two little boys and learn the new rules for acceptable mom behavior in her story "Chipotle Bully."

Holly Birnbaum of Chicago shares her story "In the Moment." She discovers her dad has found his mojo after her mom's inevitable and ultimate relocation.

Barry Freydberg of Northbrook searches for answers about his origins in "The Last Leader." And gets his photo taken with a world famous Russian

Skokie resident John Petlicki experiences a medical emergency which helps him find his voice even though he didn't know it was missing. His story: "pencil apple desk window."

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

Guidelines for submission are on the website: www.shortstorytheatre.com.

BIOS OF PERFORMERS:

Susan Thompson is a Chief Human Resources Officer and Certified Mediator. In her spare time, she is a Wilmette mom of two teenage boys. Susan's stories explore modern family dynamics and can be found on her website www.susanveronica.com. Her boys have requested she use this pen name to protect the guilty and their reputations on the North Shore.

Holly Birnbaum lied about her age for her first job selling lawn tickets at Ravinia Park. She worked for the late, great Dick Orkin as Den Mother to the Stars (the longest title in her career) in the '70s, producing comedy radio ads and shows, like the unforgettable "Chickenman." She moved to France when they moved to Los Angeles. Starting as a nanny, she had myriad gigs, including with an NGO that made clandestine visits to Refuseniks in the USSR. She went in 1979, bringing books, mail and hope. When she returned to the US, she was a writer and strategist in public-interest PR for over two decades. In 2005 she co-founded Thoughtly Crew, which provides creative thinkers to power up ideation teams. She uses her French today as a volunteer interpreter for asylum seekers at the Marjorie Kovler Center for the treatment of torture survivors.

Barry Freydberg honed his storytelling chairside, while his dental patients couldn't respond. As an international lecturer on several dental subjects, he tells stories in the midst of his teaching to a captive audience; however this time, people can and do respond. Also, a serial joke teller (only good ones), he's stepping out of the safety of his profession to talk about some of his life experiences. Married with 6 kids, a bunch of grandkids, Barry's a late starter in many of life's activities. His senior hobbies include starting skiing at 45, golf at 58, pickle ball at 70, piano at 73. Always the traveler and photographer, he is finding way too much to do while still practicing and teaching a little more than part time.

John Petlicki applied his master's degree in psychology to the selection and career development of employees at Teletype Corporation. A decade later, he earned a postgraduate degree in software engineering. He computerized employee records and modernized organizational procedures. He taught computer programming and software engineering courses evenings at DePaul University. John has acted in community theater productions and is a member of Chicago Cabaret Professionals. He is a standup comedian and performs with High Fiber Comedy.

To post a comment, you must register and login.