L.A. Theatre Works presents Five Short Stories by Women: A quintet of tales from some of America’s most distinguished female authors.

"Life after High School", by Joyce Carol Oates, read by Sarah Drew: Oates takes us to a time in the late 1950s, to South Lebanon High School, and shows us the lives of three people at a time of self-discovery.

"The Banks of the Vistula", by Rebecca Lee, read by Emily Bergl: An ambitious student wants desperately to make her mark in a linguistics class. Published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill ©2013.

"Never Marry a Mexican", by Sandra Cisneros, read by Rita Moreno: The story of a woman named Clemencia who remembers her family, her parents' culture, and her affair with a married man.* 

"In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried", by Amy Hempel, read by Lynn Collins: What do you say to someone on their deathbed? Amy Hempel addresses this question head-on, as a young woman describes her visit to a dying friend.

"Once Upon a Time", by Nadine Gordimer, read by Alex Kingston: This is anything but a fairy tale. It’s more of a dystopian fantasy - with overtones of the racial inequality in Gordimer’s native South Africa.

*From WOMAN HOLLERING CREEK. Copyright © 1991 by Sandra Cisneros. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, Vintage Books and by Vintage Español as EL ARROYO DE LA LLORONA, translation, © 1996 by Liliana Valenzuela. Available on Random House Audiobook read by the author. By permission of Susan Bergholz Literary Services, New York City and Lamy, N.M. All rights reserved.

Mixing Engineer: Mark Holden for The Invisible Studios, West Hollywood.