Malden Groups Perform April 10 to Celebrate One City, One Book Project

All are invited to the Malden High School Jenkins auditorium on Sunday, April 10 for the culminating event of the Malden Reads: One City, One Book project, “A Community Performance,” by and for all ages in the community.

Whether you’ve yet had a chance to read the main book selection, or any of the K-8 book selections, you’re sure to enjoy this free event featuring community members of all ages celebrating the themes from the books, plus reading and community. The themes will be expressed through music, song, dance, drama, poetry, multi-media, and spoken word.  Hosted by Ron Cox, Executive Director of Malden Access TV, and Liz Hart, Executive Director of Tailored for Success, the series of thoughtful and touching performances will be threaded together into a cohesive narrative by many members of the community to tell the story of the inaugural year of the Malden Reads program.

The One City, One Book program was initiated in Malden to promote reading, highlight the resources of the Malden Public Library, and bring the community together through the shared experience of a good book. The main book selection for this year, “The Soloist” by Steve Lopez, deals with themes of friendship, perseverance, seeing the light in others, the tragedy of homelessness and mental illness, and the redemptive power of music. K-8 book selections—“Mole Music” and “The Teddy Bear” by David McPhail, “How to Steal a Dog” by Barbara O’Connor, and “Money Hungry” by Sandra Flake—echo these same themes for a younger audience.

The project was carried out by community groups, residents, city leaders, and school representatives in collaboration with the Malden Public Library. The Malden Reads project will continue on through the summer with a few remaining events (including author David McPhail’s visit to the library) and summer reading for school-age youth.   

Doors will open for the Community Performance at 1:30 p.m. and there will be info tables, refreshments, and a raffle in the front lobby. Music and a slideshow will begin in the auditorium before the performance begins at 2 p.m.. The show will run until 4 p.m. with an intermission.

Seniors living in Senior Housing can arrange for transportation by calling 781-397-7144 in advance. More information, including a rundown of performances (as the event draws nearer) is available on the website at www.maldenreads.org.

For questions or comments, email maldenreads@gmail.com.

Anne D’Urso-Rose is the Assistant Director at Malden Access Television and a member of the Malden Reads: One City, One Book project. She is also a trustee of the Malden Public Library.