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An international trio of tales reflects on love and family. First, Aimee Bender’s quirky take on first impressions, “The Meeting,” is preceded by a brief interview with this contemporary mistress of the unexpected. Bender is the author of The Girl in the Flammable Skirt—one of Isaiah Sheffer’s favorite book titles—the novel An Invisible Sign of My Own, and the story collection Willful Creatures. Reader Paul Hecht has performed in every SELECTED SHORTS season since the series began; his theatre work includes “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead” (Tony nomination); “The Invention of Love;” “1776;” “Noises Off” and Pirandello’s “Henry IV,” for which he won an Obie Award. He has appeared as various unsavory characters in most daytime dramas and “Law and Order,” the show that employs many SHORTS actors when they are not reading stories.

From a strange meeting in America, to a strange marriage in Iran. “Mrs. Farrokhlaqa Sadraldivan Golchehreh” was presented as part of an evening recognizing work by censored writers and dissidents, in collaboration with The Asian American Writers’ Workshop. Author Shahrnush Parsipur now lives as a political refugee in the United States, after being jailed in Iran because of the controversial nature of such works as “Women with Men,” and “Touba” and the “Meaning of Night.” Her poignant story of failed marriage and lost love was read by Frances Sternhagen, two time Tony Award-winner for her performances in “The Good Doctor” and “The Heiress.” Other stage credits include “On Golden Pond;” “Driving Miss Daisy,” and “A Perfect Ganesh.” She has appeared in such films as “Starting Over;” “Bright Lights, Big City,” and “Independence Day,” and on television in a host of prime time dramas including “ER,” and, of course, “Law and Order.”

Keret’s story “Pride and Joy” features the usual overachieving child, and doting parents, but with a twist. He is one of the leading voices in Israeli literature and cinema, the author of five books of short stories and the film “Malka Red-Heart.” His collection The Nimrod Flipout has been most recently translated into English. Reader Robert Sean Leonard was up to the challenge of this tale, demonstrating the versatility that had him appearing on stage in Tom Stoppard’s “The Invention of Love” (Tony Award) and “The Music Man” in the same season. Film credits include “Much Ado About Nothing,” “The Age of Innocence,” and “Dead Poets’ Society.”

“The Meeting,” by Aimee Bender, read by Paul Hecht
“Mrs. Farrokhlaqa Sadraldivan Golchehreh,” by Shahrnush Parsipur, read by Frances Sternhagen
“Pride and Joy,” by Etgar Keret, read by Robert Sean Leonard For additional works featured on SELECTED SHORTS, please visit Symphony Space