Deep Dish Book Discussions

CHAPEL HILL – The Deep Dish Theater Company will host an informal discussion of memoir “Hamlet’s Dresser” by Bob Smith, on Thursday, September 14 at 7 p.m. Presented in conjunction with the theater’s production of “Orson’s Shadow,” which will be performed that evening at 8 p.m., the talk will take place in Tyndall Galleries in University Mall. The discussion will be led by Drs. Evelyn Daniel and David Carr and is free and open to the public; no prior attendance or registration is required.

Acclaimed for its graceful prose and heartfelt narrative, “Hamlet’s Dresser” recounts the author’s life in Stratford, Connecticut, as he cared for his severely disabled sister and found inspiration and redemption in the theater, particularly the plays of Shakespeare. As a teenager, Smith became a dresser for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and he weaves together stories of his often harrowing life with scenes from the plays and stories of the theatrical luminaries he met over the years. His book is “a reminder that the pure beauty of the English language can be a salvation.” (The Miami Herald)

Dr. Daniel and Dr. Carr both teach and do research in the School of Information and Library Science at UNC-CH. For the Deep Dish Theater, they have led discussions of such books as Saul Bellow’s “Mr. Sammler’s Planet,” Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Nickel and Dimed,” and Ernest J. Gaines’ “A Lesson Before Dying.” Dr. Carr also read T.C. Boyle’s “The Hector Quesadilla Story” for the theater’s “Side Dish” event, “Play Ball!”

The Deep Dish Theater Company’s production of “Orson’s Shadow,” a comedy by Austin Pendleton about Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier rehearsing the English-language premiere of Ionesco’s “Rhinoceros,” will be presented from Thursday, August 24, through Saturday, September 16. For reservations and information, please call 968-1515.

Deep Dish Theater Company is located in Chapel Hill’s University Mall, located on Estes Drive and US 15-501. Thursday through Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. There will also be a special early show at 7:30 on Wednesday, September 13. Tickets for all performances are $16, $14 for seniors, and $12 for students.