5 Real-life tales about family drama, friendships, and work vibes

Short Story Theatre presents an evening of five real, heartfelt stories that explore the ups and downs of family, work life, and friendships Thursday, September 17, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at The Art Center Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road in Highland Park.Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. For tickets: Contact donna@shortstorytheatre.com or purchase on Eventbrite:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/short-story-theatre-presents-all-true-stories-about-relationships-tickets-1996181377235?aff=oddtdtcreator.

Author James Elsener of River Forest recounts his hectic first days as a reporter at the legendary City News Bureau of Chicago. His story - "If Your Mother Tells You She Loves You...Check It Out” -is the opening chapter of his new book "Sirens in the Loop," which explores the bureau's countless scoops, scandals, and characters forged in its chaotic newsroom. The bureau's demanding culture sharpened a young reporters' instincts and left an enduring imprint on American journalism.

Anne Shimojima of Morton Grove in her story “Like Meat Loves Salt” discovers how the ancient wisdom of an old folk tale helped her to understand her family.

Chicago storyteller and Moth winner Paul Teodo returns to Short Story Theatre with a new story: “What We Leave Behind” where he recalls “The only thing we really leave behind are memories.”

Northbrook resident Eileen Pearlman shares a story about a family member’s heart transplant and how the unknown can change your whole life. Her story: “Two Hearts.”

Marcia Kittler of Chicago will present her story “Game Day.” One of Marcia’s great joys in life - playing soccer - necessitated juggling her game schedule with a demanding career that required travel.

Donna Lubow of Riverwoods will recall how she may have changed the world in her story “The Turkey Sandwich.”

Short Story Theatre was founded in 2012 and is dedicated to promoting storytelling as a vibrant, contemporary art form.Co-founder and Producer/Emcee Donna Lubow says, “Stories are creative non-fiction, based on personal experiences.More than a hundred storytellers from Chicago and the northern suburbs have melded writing skills and performance skills to entertain and inspire our Short Story Theatre audiences.”

For more information and for guidelines for submission: donna@shortstorytheatre.com.

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executive.

EMCEE/PRODUCER/STORYTELLER

Donna Leslie Lubow (Producer/Emcee) co-founded Short Story Theatre 14 years ago.She has taught drama to all ages, and has directed over 30 shows for various theatres. A former high school English teacher, magazine editor, and copywriter, a co-founder of Highland Park Players, Theatre in the Woods in Riverwoods, and ARTicuIiT Readers Theatre, she also enjoys reading and writing stories and poetry, and doing mosaics, ceramics, collages, and other art projects. During the pandemic, she created a neighborhood newspaper, which was featured in The New York Times.Donna and her husband Michael, who assists behind the scenes with Short Story Theatre, reside in Riverwoods, but often travel to New York, Miami, and LA, where their children and grandchildren live.