Collected Thoughts on Collected Stories
by Tyler Tidmore
Literature is the gateway to freedom; a unique freedom that only can be found submerged in the black ink of the written word. If Donald Margulies’ Collected Stories teaches u
s anything about the world of literature, it’s that books grant us the power to escape. So often we forget the people who wrote them – the magnificent writers who constructed every tiny detail of our favorite characters and the obstacles they must overcome.
Collected Stories is a whirlpool of emotion told expressed by a renowned aging author and her aspiring pupil. We’re able to chart the characters’ development and question the apprentice/master relationship. Is it something that’s earned or given?
American Blues Theater Ensemble members Gwendolyn Whiteside and Carmen Roman will be stepping into the shoes of Margulies’ vibrant female characters under the leadership and co-direction of the mother/daughter team MaryAnn and Jessica Thebus. As rehearsals continue, everyone is rediscovering their personal significance of that unique relationship called mentor and protégé.