Lisa Halko read my story “Sailing Lessons” last night at Stories on Stage“Davis, and she killed it. Lisa was kind enough to meet with me before the reading to talk about the narrator of the story, a sixty-something woman whose husband has just retired and decides they should sail around the world. Lisa did a great job giving voice to the character.
The other story read that night was “Tropical Queen” written by Sacramento author Anne Da Vigo. The theme of the evening was Disasters at Sea, and Anne’s story, much more serious than mine, really set the stage, so to speak.
As for the reading . . . Up until now, I’ve mostly heard my stories in my head, and sometimes in my own voice when I read them aloud as a way of editing and proofing them. It’s quite something else to hear them read in another person’s voice, and performed according to that actor’s skills and understanding. Especially in front of an audience.
I actually wrote this story for Stories on Stage Davis, in the sense that, I wrote it specifically to be read and performed aloud. Still, I wasn’t sure how it would come across. So I hid in back during Lisa’s reading and mostly held my breath. It was actually a little nerve-wracking. Thankfully, the audience seemed to enjoy it. You can judge for yourself: Links to the videos are below.
