Five fascinating and true stories about grandmas, grandpas, uncles and childhood memories

Posted April 08, 2026 12:49 pm

Submitted by Donna Lubow

Short Story Theatre presents an evening of five warm, wise and heartfelt true stories with unexpected twists that celebrate the power of family. At 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 21, 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.com.

Anne Flanigan Bassi of Highland Park shares her story “The Best Summer of My Childhood Life.” She and her friends back in “prehistoric” times found a unique way to assuage teenage boredom.

Retired dentist Barry Freydberg of Northbrook relates how his research into family history led him to a discovery about his grandfather’s complicated life and information about human trafficking.

Holly Schaefer, formerly of Libertyville, now an Ocala, Florida, resident, comes into town to tell the story of how her feisty grandma landed a punch. Her story: “My Hero.”

Will Nancy Solomon of Evanston share her grandma’s recipe with the audience in her story “Mama Golda’s Famous Blintzes”?

Sheri Reda is an Italian-American from Chicago whose “yellow” grandma taught her how to make eggplant parmigiana and whose “brown” grandma gave up on teaching her to make scalille Calabrese. Everyone admired her Great Uncle Mike, except Uncle Mike himself. Her story: “Be Like (Uncle) Mike.”

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/Emcee 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.

Storyteller Bios

Anne Flanigan Bassi of Highland Park will tell her story “The Best Summer of My Childhood Life” at the Short Story Theatre event May 21 at The Art Center Highland Park. Courtesy of Donna Lubow

• Anne Flanigan Bassi retired and closed her tax practice at the end of last year after decades as a CPA and tax accountant. Anne has also spent decades in public service, on the school board, 10 years on the Lake County Board, and 12 years as Moraine Township Supervisor, retiring in May 2025. She’s loving retirement and embracing her next chapter filled with new opportunities, time to embrace old friends and make new ones, and time for travel, gardening, and getting her affairs in order. Anne and her husband of 54 years, Vic, have lived in Highland Park since 1973 and raised their two daughters there.

Barry Freydberg of Northbrook will tell the story of how his research into family history led him to a complicated discovery at the May 21 Short Story Theatre event. Courtesy of Donna Lubow

• Barry Freydberg spent over five decades as a practicing dentist before deciding, in his 80s, to try something less stressful: stand-up comedy and storytelling. He has performed at comedy clubs in Chicago and New York and now brings that same mix of humor and honesty to storytelling. His work often explores aging, family and the surprises hidden in personal history. In researching his Latvian roots, Barry uncovered a story involving migration networks, wartime suspicion and a grandfather he never knew. He tells it the only way he knows how: with insight, perspective, and just enough humor to keep everyone comfortable.

Sheri Reda of Chicago will tell her story “Be Like (Uncle) Mike” at the upcoming Short Story Theatre event in Highland Park. Courtesy of Donna Lubow

• Sheri Reda is an Italian-American from Chicago whose “yellow” grandma taught her how to make eggplant parmigiana and whose “brown” grandma gave up on teaching her to make scalille Calabrese. Over time, she became an overly creative cook as well as a writer, performer and youth librarian. Her books for kids include “Earth and Sky Cakes,” “Symbols of Liberty” and “Forest Friends.” She tells stories for adults too, throughout Chicagoland, and her most recent book, “Diaspora,” has just been published by Finishing Line Press.

Holly Schaefer, formerly of Libertyville, will tell her story “My Hero” at the Short Story Theatre event. Courtesy of Donna Lubow

• Holly Schaefer has a varied past. She has been an actress, a mom, a teacher, the founder of a school for children with special needs, an artist and a writer. Holly had a difficult time deciding what she wanted to be when she grew up. She’s still deciding. Her story “My Hero” has been accepted for a July 27 publication by LitBreak, an online magazine.

Nancy Solomon of Evanston will tell her story “Mama Golda’s Famous Blintzes” at the Short Story Theatre event on May 21. Courtesy of Donna Lubow

• Nancy Solomon has been telling stories forever. But she didn’t know storytelling was an actual thing until 2018 when she joined GeNarrations, a free storytelling program sponsored by the Goodman Theatre for people 55 years old or older. She immediately became addicted to storytelling and is happy to share her stories anywhere anyone’s willing to listen.

Producer/Emcee

Donna Leslie Lubow co-founded Short Story Theatre 14 years ago. She has taught drama to all ages, and has directed over 30 shows for various theaters. 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, 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 Los Angeles, where their children and grandchildren live.