READY READERS, a non-profit organization, inspires preschoolers from low-income communities to become readers by reading aloud to them and by increasing their exposure to quality books and stimulating reading-related activities. Its philosophy is “Kids who read succeed.” Currently more than 450 trained volunteers read weekly to more than 7,000 underserved two-to-five-year-olds who attend early childhood programs in the St. Louis area.

On Sunday, Feb. 13  at Clayton High School, #1 Mark Twain Circle, Ready Readers will present the Imaginary Theatre Company’s performance of “Chanticleer!” a laugh-out-loud musical adaptation of one of Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales.” This is a story about pride, humility and friendship in which a vain and cocky rooster is deceived by a fox and must find a way to save his friends, the barnyard animals.

At 1 pm, prior to the “Chanticleer!” at 2, there will be face painting, balloon animals, puppet making by the Puppet Guild of Greater St. Louis and Magic House crafts. As if all of this were not dayenu, following the show there will be snacks by Companion bakery and drinks. Admission is $10 for children and adults.  Tickets may be purchased at the door by calling 314-564-8070, ext. 2 or emailing [email protected].

 

YIDDISH LITERATURE was on the verge of distinction until a 23-year-old graduate student, Aaron Lansky, started looking for and collecting Yiddish books.  That was 1980. Today, thousands of Yiddish and other Jewish books reside in the Yiddish Book Center, located on the campus of Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass. If indeed you have Yiddish literature that you would like to see go to a good home, you should know about the Jewish Book Center, which has been collecting this slowly vanishing genre and sharing it with others. The Center’s mission is to rescue Yiddish and other modern Jewish books and open up their content to the world. According to the Center, “donating is simple, it’s easy, it’s tax deductible – and best of all it’s a mitzvah.” Find out about the Center at www.yiddishbookcenter.org or call 413-256-4900.

 

THE FLORIDA HOLOCAUST MUSEUM in St. Petersburg is the largest of its kind in the southeast United States. I went there recently to see a photography exhibition by Judy Glickman about rescuers, survivors and sites relating to the Danish resistance, a collective effort during World War II in which Danish citizens helped evacuate 8,000 of Denmark’s Jews to neutral Sweden. It’s interesting but not as fascinating as the museum’s permanent collection, “History, Heritage and Hope,” on the first floor of a three-story structure. Featuring original artifacts, video and photos, it presents the history of the Holocaust in detailed chronological order beginning with the history of anti-Semitism and life before World War II. The charts depict the rise of the Nazis and anti-Jewish legislation as well as the history of other victim groups, ghettoes and rescue. The collection culminates with information about concentration camps and killing centers with a model of Auschwitz and the actual Boxcar 313 0695-5, which was used to deport people during the Holocaust. The museum is dedicated to teaching members of all races and cultures to recognize the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides.  If you find yourself in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area of Florida, I recommend a visit.  For more information, call 727-820-0100 or go to www.flholocaustmuseum.org. As an aside, you may also want to see the nearby, newly opened Salvador Dali museum.  Its architect is HOK, which has offices in 25 regional offices on three continents, including St. Louis.         

 

GEMS OF BALLET, an array of audience favorites, will be presented as by Alexandra Ballet.  Among the ballets to be danced are “Paquita,” “Frescoes,” “La Fille Mal Gardee” and “Giverny,” a contemporary ballet that’s a tribute to impressionist painter Claude Monet. However, my special interest is “Graduation Ball” of the Ballet Russe repertoire.  Set in a Viennese girl’s finishing school, it depicts the frolics of excited young ladies and their partners, cadets from a local military college, at their annual ball. Hillary Zimmerman (honestly, the attorney) plays the school’s mistress. She and the general from the boys’ school catch each other’s eye, and they end up having as much fun as the kids do.

“Gems of Ballet” will be presented at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 5th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 6 at 2 p.m. For tickets call 314-516-4949 or visit tickets.touhill.org.

 

DON’T GO TO THE THIRD DEGREE GLASS event on Saturday, Feb. 19.  The correct date is Friday, Feb. 18 from 6 to 10 p.m.