STORYTELLING COMES TO GLENCOE - SHORT STORY THEATRE AT BOOKS ON VERNON - OCT. 20

Short Story Theatre presents an evening of storytelling with stories by Ron Levitsky, Donna Lubow, Mary Lou Gilliam, and Rick Leslie about hurricanes, hairdos, Hojos, and the bogeyman, with original music by Rich Logan. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, October 20, in the theatre at Books on Vernon, 664 Vernon Avenue in Glencoe. Tickets are $18 and are available for purchase on the theatre’s website www.shortstorytheatre.com.

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, “Stories are creative non-fiction, based on personal experiences. Our troupe of fifteen members from Chicago and the northern suburbs melds writing skills and performance skills to entertain and inspire audiences.”

Rick Leslie is a former songwriter, adman, and network news producer and has been telling stories of one kind or another for over 35 years. Recently, he retired from the communications business and enrolled at Northwestern University. It inadvertently led him to an unexpected fourth career in the communications business - storytelling. Leslie’s story about family secrets is called “Shhhh!”

Donna Lubow relates a tale of woe and deception in “I Hate My Hair.” Lubow has taught English literature and drama, and has performed in and directed numerous plays all on the North Shore of Chicago. She co-founded several theatres including Highland Park Players, Attic Playhouse in Highwood, Theatre in the Woods in Riverwoods, and ARTicuLIT Readers Theatre.

Mary Lou Gilliam, a Deerfield resident, recalls how she dealt with unwanted advances when she was a naïve, young waitress at a HOJO’s. Her story: “A Friendly Disaster.” Gilliam has been an English teacher for nearly three decades. She minored in theater as well. Besides musical comedy and the church choir, she has been a wedding soloist for many years. Her writing credits include nationally distributed educational materials, user guides, and a couple of magazine articles. Most importantly, she uses music and drama to engage her students.

Ron Levitsky of Lake Forest will share his adventures in the Dominican Republic during a hurricane in his story “Nesting Dolls.” Levitsky is a retired educator who currently serves as Trustee for West Deerfield Township and hosts a public access TV show, “Friends of Ron.” In addition, Ron has published four mystery novels and several short stories, four of which have been anthologized.

Musician Rich Logan accompanies the storytellers with original music, highlighting the mood in each story, like a soundtrack in a film.