There is nothing quite as soothing as being read to. There is nothing quite as inspiring as sitting amongst an audience in a theater. There is nothing quite as comforting as cookies and milk. With thanks to Stories On Stage, a local nonprofit and literary organization, you can experience all of this goodness at once, and it’s every bit as lovely as it sounds.
“When I first heard about the milk and cookies, I thought, well, that’s kind of twee,” joked artistic director Anthony Powell. “But it’s not, it’s fabulous. What we do is story time for grownups, and what’s more perfect after some great stories than sharing cookies and milk?”
“Story time” is the very welcoming way of inviting Denver’s literary scene into the important work of supporting arts across genres, for the sake of community and understanding. As their mission states, “Stories on Stage engages audiences with dynamic and entertaining performances of short works of literature.Through the shared experience of live theater, we strive to inspire empathy and to break down boundaries between cultures and generations.”
Stories On Stage was inspired by series like NPR’s Selected Shorts, and professional actors perform selected short fiction on-stage. The brainchild of Norma Moore, Stories on Stage has been masterfully guided by executive director Abbe Stutsman, who is coming into her 18th year with the organization. Powell has been with Stories on Stage for 15 years, and this lean but dedicated duo has found beautiful harmony in their story selections, their pool of local talent, and a stalwart community that truly loves this juxtaposition of the written word and the theater arts.
“Next season, we’ll be celebrating 25 years,” explained Stutsman. This season featured nine unique shows, ranging in topics and delivery. This selection, too, is born of the great rhythm the two directors have fallen into, with shows sometimes blossoming from a simple conversation in the office.
Alongside this natural rapport, they also approach each season with a finger on the pulse of the latest the literary world has to offer. “Often the stories find me,” says Powell. “I start with the anthologies, and I read those every year. Not only do I find a lot of great pieces, I get introduced to new writers. And in interviews with writers, they’ll mention their favorite writers; and if something is resonating with me, I’ll find that the authors they like also will. Audience members will suggest pieces,“ all of which demonstrate the important marriage between professional prowess and community engagement that Stories on Stage prioritizes.
The point, primarily, is to find something that moves. “We always try to have the show touch your heartstrings, but also make you laugh—we get a mixture of things. Writers are complicated people.”
Actors, too, bring their own complexities to the table, and this enhances the audience experience. Unlike a book reading, from the mouth of the author, Stories On Stage actors perform the work of fiction, taking on the roles of all the characters, of narrator and of setting description. The skilled work of acting through a story brings it to life for the audience. Powell says, sometimes it even brings it to life for the authors, who have never heard their work read back to them before. While in the early years of Stories On Stage, they would occasionally bring in out-of-town actors for roles, the local talent collective in the Denver area has become so rich, all of the actors are local and cast into their appropriate stories. “Once in a while, you read a story and you just know who it’s for. Usually, we cast like you’d cast a play. We pick a story and find the actors who fit. We’re lucky in Denver—there are amazing actors in town,” Powell explained.
While the world of literature is vast and international, Stories On Stage celebrates local writers as well. Each season includes a show that focuses on the work of a single author, oftentimes a local one. Previous shows have included the work of Erika Krouse, for example. This year, they featured stories from Jenny Shank. In fact, the last show of this season, to be held at Su Teatro on May 4 at 2PM, is called Local Literary Lights, presenting the work of only local authors, along with a talk-back session.
To learn more about Stories On Stage and to purchase tickets for the last show, visit storiesonstage.org.