Short Story Theatre presents six true stories March 12

Short Story Theatre will present an evening of six warm, wise and wonderful true stories about myriad topics, including starting a mahjong business, befriending your doctor, sewing a perfect seam, car woes and a grudge from childhood. The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, at The Art Center Highland Park, 1957 Sheridan Road in Highland Park. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. For tickets, email donna@shortstorytheatre.com or visit Eventbrite.com.

Serial entrepreneur Sheryl Rue-Borden of Riverwoods proves in her story “High Stakes and Tile Break” that business number 12 — a bold fusion of cannabis and mahjong — isn’t just about the tiles, it’s about the high-energy pivot of a lifetime.

In his story “Forgiveness,” Highland Park resident Rick Bolnick tells what happens when you contact someone 70 years after they did you wrong in second grade.

Libertyville resident Claudia Maru shares how a roadside assistance call on a cold February day goes awry in a wholly unexpected way in her story, “Car Repair Follies.”

A chance meeting and a friendship at work leads Northbrook resident Wayne Lerner to meeting a most remarkable individual and his talented kids.

Jan Cook, a Chicago resident, gives her doctor a nickname he’ll never forget, and that’s the title of her story: “Doctor Girlfriend.”

In her story “The Importance of a Well-Constructed Seam,” Leslee Goldman, also of Chicago, shares a story about several early sewing projects that produced wardrobe malfunctions of epic proportions. Despite the past distress, she continues to sew, with more successful results.

Short Story Theatre was founded in 2012 and is dedicated to promoting storytelling as a vibrant, contemporary art form.

“Stories are creative non-fiction, based on personal experiences,” Co-founder and Producer Donna Lubow said. “More than 70 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, email donna@shortstorytheatre.com.

The storytellers

• Rick Bolnick is a clinical psychologist, married with two children and four grandchildren. When he got to his 60s, Bolnick decided to take risks and try some new things. He took his first improv class up in Libertyville with Nicole Frier, took more improv classes in Chicago with Jimmy Carrane and ended up a founding member of the improv troupe “ImprovBus” which has performed regularly for the last 10 years. Then he took a storytelling class from Scott Whitehair. After just one class, Bolnick took another risk and volunteered to tell a live story at Janna Sobel’s “Here’s Chicago” where he won the award that night for Best Story. He’s told many life stories since then at various venues. Several years ago, Bolnick took another risk: participating in a clinical trial to stop a condition from progressing into multiple myeloma. That, too, was a risk worth taking as it brought down his numbers. In addition, Bolnick is in a member of a Victories Men’s Group, he bikes and plays in a pickleball league, enjoys genealogy, singing in his congregational choir, and he’s committed to getting stretched every week at Stretch and Strides in Lake Bluff. He doesn’t want to take any risks with his 76-year-old body.

• Jan Cook is retired from the following: bilingual legal secretary, bookkeeper for nursing homes, legal assistant, comptroller for architects, engineers and contractors, event planner for spousal programs, assistant to financial consultant, actual financial consultant, and operations manager for party stores. She now spends her time attending the theater, playing word games, and correcting people’s grammar on Facebook because she’s a “typochondriac.” (Credit to Mike Lubow for creating that word.)

• Leslee Goldman was a closet storyteller until she got up in front of her first audience. Now she’s outed and hooked. During COVID, she became a certified personal trainer with women over 50 after retiring from a 32-year career in the field of Art Therapy. Past and present experiences provide an opportunity to laugh at herself and find meaning in her imperfections. She’s convinced she’ll need another lifetime in order to continue sharing her zany exploits and adventures.

• Wayne Lerner is a retired health care executive and an associate professor of health systems management. A lifelong Chicagoan and White Sox fan, Lerner lives in the Northern suburbs with his wife of 35 years, Sandye. Together, they have five married children, five grandchildren and five grand-dogs. He has published many articles in professional journals and even edited a book on a major hospital merger. Upon retirement, he has been writing short stories and will tell you about one of his favorites tonight.

• Claudia Maru: When not telling stories about family dysfunction or oddball encounters with strangers, Maru enjoys stopping to pet any dog she may come across. She is also co-host of “Do Not Submit,” a storytelling open mic in Libertyville held on the third Wednesday of every month.

• Sheryl Rue-Borden is not your typical retiree. After a powerhouse 30-year career as a premier residential Realtor in Lake and Cook Counties, she traded the “sold” signs for a mission centered on connection, cannabis and community. A lifelong “dreamer who does,” Sheryl has launched 11 successful business ventures, proving that reinventing yourself isn’t just a possibility, it’s a spiritual calling. As a medical cannabis advocate and a practitioner of energy healing for over four decades, she has always navigated life by aligning her chakras and trusting her gut. In 2023, while sharing a bong at a dispensary grand opening, a lightning-bolt realization struck: the social, strategic world of American mahjong was the perfect companion for the cannabis lounge experience. Today, through MahJonggBong, Rue-Borden teaches students 21 and older how to master the tiles while fostering an environment of laughter and wellness. Whether she’s teaching in private homes or developing her upcoming 12th venture, Rue-Borden is a living testament that passion doesn't have an expiration date. She resides on the North Shore, where she continues to meditate daily, teach manifestation and prove that when you listen to your soul’s whisper, magic follows.