By By ERIN VER BERKMOES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - It's not your typical dramatic production.
For the past several months a group of Niles residents have been taking part in a workshop learning about "readers theater."
The focus of the performances is the actors reading the parts rather than memorizing the lines.
This workshop was able to be funded by a grant which the Niles District Library received from the Michigan Humanities Council as part of the "Arts and Libraries Community Literary Partnership Program."
The goal of the program is to provide funding to libraries across the state for projects that infuse new arts and cultural resources into community-based literacy programs that address literacy, celebrate local literary and cultural legacy, and foster the joy of reading.
The participants of the readers theater workshop, which took part in seven, three-hour classes, will be giving their first public performance at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29, at the Niles District Library, 620 E. Main St.
The Niles District Library has paired up with the Four Flags Players for this project.
Selections performed will include "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs," "And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon," "Casey at Bat" and four or five individual pieces.
Through the workshop, Rader was able to help 17 participants hone their acting skills through the art of reading.
With the workshops completed, the readers theater group will continue on its own and will hold meeting twice a month at a yet to be determined location, according to Rader.
The readers theater will be open to community members of all ages and will move in the creative direction of its members, he said.
For more information on the new readers theater group contact Rader at the Niles District Library, at (269) 683-8545.