Anna Jones reads a book Friday in Bud Werner Memorial Library in Steamboat Springs. The library will be starting a new program, Story-time for Grownups.

Photo by Joel Reichenberger

Anna Jones reads a book Friday in Bud Werner Memorial Library in Steamboat Springs. The library will be starting a new program, Story-time for Grownups.

Steamboat library to launch new adult event

Story-time for Grownups will begin Oct. 4

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Dawn Youngbauer, visiting Steamboat Springs from Iowa, reads a book on the rocks next to the C-Hole on Friday.

If you go

Auditions to be a reader for Story-time for Grownups will take place at noon Tuesday and Thursday in Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library, 13th Street and Lincoln Avenue. The first Story-time for Grownups will take place at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 4.

— Almost anyone can relate to the joy of being read a thrilling story — the ebb and flow of an exciting plot line, and the power of voice inflections on the imagination.

To Stuart Handloff, a local theater director and artistic director of the new Story-time for Grownups program at Bud Werner Memorial Library, storytelling has all of the components of true theater, except for the movement.

“There’s a real primal thrill about hearing words spoken aloud,” Handloff said. “That’s part of the attraction of theater. That’s what we’re tapping into: that excitement of being read to. We all remember what that was like.”

Story-time for Grownups is exactly what it sounds like. It will be a lunch hour session of contemporary and classic short stories performed by people from the community.

The new program will kick off at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 4 with Frank Delaney, an Irish author who will act as the master of ceremonies for the 18th annual Literary Sojourn. However, after the first session, story-time will be a creation of the Steamboat community and likely will take place at noon Tuesday once a month.

The library and Handloff will hold auditions at noon Tuesday and Thursday in Library Hall for community members who want to try out to be a reader.

In September, selected readers and the community will have access to a series of four two-hour workshops on storytelling featuring actor training, pronunciations and vocal techniques.

“We’re hoping we may have a group of strong storytellers off the bat,” Handloff said. “But more than likely, it will be a growth process with people learning more skills.”

Adult pro­­­­­­­gram coo­rdinator Jen­­­­­nie Lay said the public workshops are an opportunity for everyone from actors to people who confront public speaking at their daily jobs to learn more about communication.

“It’s really about honing vocal skills,” she said.

The workshops will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 2, 9, 16 and 23 in the library’s upstairs conference room.

Lay hopes the community involvement won’t end with the readers. She’s asking for local designers or artist to help create a unique stage for the readers to share short stories by well-known and up-and-coming authors.

“We really want to get a great, cozy kind of living room stage for the readers to set the tone of the event,” Lay said. “I’m hoping we have some local designers who want to help put their artistic input into designing some temporary stages. It’s kind of up to them. We want impromptu living rooms.”

Handloff said the atmosphere will act as an inviting environment in which to hear an exciting tale or learn more about a new author.

“I think the library certainly wants to encourage reading and encourage use of its facilities,” he said. “This is a great way to introduce authors and introduce famous stories from authors people know, but maybe they don’t know that person writes in a different context.”

“I think people will want to get a midday charge of hearing something a little exciting or scary."

Comments

mmjPatient22 6 years ago

Will there be milk & cookies available at these "adult story times," or are these events strictly BYOM(bring your own munchies)?

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