“Oh give me land, lots of land, under starry skies above
Don’t Fence Me In…”

This was one of the tunes incorporated in the post-intermission interactive audience-participation Singalong Quiz that was part of each stop on our recently completed tour of Western and Southwestern cities where Selected Shorts is popular on the local public radio stations, and where fans are delighted to attend a live performance of their favorite radio show.  Let me tell you a little about our touring visits to Santa Fe, New Mexico; Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Whitefish, Montana; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Now, why, you may ask, is a theatre located on Broadway and 95th Street in Manhattan sending its actors across the wide Missouri and the Rocky Mountains to read short stories to people who can just as easily hear them on the radio—-and do!–? Well, for several reasons: it’s a way of earning a little money to help stave off the budget deficit at 95th Street and Broadway; it’s a way of showing the Symphony Space flag in distant regions and winning new friends; it’s a way of enjoying face-to-face contact with the thousands of radio fans who flock to our touring venues—often driving many many miles—to see what their favorite radio show looks like in person; but mostly, it’s a way of bringing our literary creations to a wide American audience.
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