Gimme Foreign Fiction

If you’re old enough to read the paper, you’ve probably outgrown getting tucked into bed each night with a bedtime story. Luckily, Speaking of Stories is here to remind us that nobody is too old to enjoy the magic of a good tale, especially when it’s brought to life by an engaging reader. This month’s installment of the spoken story series, Foreign Fiction, features narratives from around the world, read aloud onstage by veteran actors who know how to fill a tale with verve. In its 16th season, the series returns to the intimate black box space of Center Stage Theater (751 Paseo Nuevo), and attendees can expect a memorable storytelling experience, as well as an international literary tour. Here are just a few things you can expect from the production, which will be held Sunday, January 31, at 2 p.m., and Monday, February 1, at 7:30 p.m. And for more information about the show or to purchase tickets, call 966-3875 or visit speakingofstories.org.

1) T.V. Celebs: Television, film, and stage actor Henry Brown will read from “The Triumph,” by Central Coast author Frank Scozzari. You may recognize Brown from his appearances on Picket Fences and Star Trek: Voyager, as well as the original Lethal Weapon flick.

2) Award-Winning Authors: Classically trained actor James Lashly will stage a reading of Good Advice Is Rarer Than Rubies by celebrity Indian novelist and Booker Prize winner Salman Rushdie. The story chronicles the exchange between a woman attempting to get a visa to leave India and a corrupt government employee.

3) Tales from India: Beloved Santa Barbara actress Laurel Lyle will read Rumer Godden’s “Rahmin,” a short story in which an Englishwoman living in Kashmir develops a relationship with a street peddler.

4) S.B. Talent: Making her debut appearance with Speaking of Stories, the young Rebecca Ridenour will read “The Cat Came Back” by Ivan E. Coyote. The story takes place in Canada’s Yukon Territory.