Selected Short Stories-Told by Jane Kaczmarke & Felix Solis at Symphony Space

Last night's performance of 4 selected short stories from "100 Years of the Best Amer. Short Stories," was a delightfully entertaining way to have stories brought to life.  It's a treat to listen to stories read aloud.  The short stories were read & enacted by Jane Kaczmarek (Malcom in the Middle) and Felix Solis (The Good Wife.)  The evening's introduction to storytelling & acting was by Laurie Moore ("Birds of America" & "Bark") whose gift for gab lent poetic praise for those who share her literary craft.  The 1st story was "Fiesta" by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Junot Diaz (b. Santo Domingo 1968.)  It was brought to life by Mr. Solis. His accents & body language gave life to the characters. The central character, a young boy in a recently immigrated household and the cast of relatives & neighbors recently transported from the Dominican Republic were brought to life.  His phrasing & body language evoked humor and warmth to the story of familial love & foibles.  Ms Kaczmarek enacted "Brothers" by Sherwood Anderson (b. Amer. 1876.)   The story was read with poetic phrasing that harkened the loneliness underlying the stilted conversations between the protagonist and his elderly, lonely neighbor.  The older man concocted an ongoing fabrication of his life as intended to bridge a friendship formed of fleeting conversations.  The kindness rendered of patient endulgence was as tender as the thirst for human connection.   Listening to the readings was as enticing as a fireside chat on a howling night.  As enthralled as I was, I did leave at intermission.  I was drawn away by the desire to watch the METS bring home the Pennant.  GO METS!