Rainbows: John Lithgow. One Night Only.

John Lithgow, an arm chair, a lamp, and a withered old story book. These were the four elements that made last night's performance of "Stories by Heart," a two hour show with Lithgow as the sole performer. The only thought that I had after the performance was: John Lithgow may be one of the most talented actors of this generation.

In the two hour time slot, Lithgow talked about the importance of storytelling in his family history. He discussed his father's exuberant, showman-like personality (a persona that he has inherited), and the stories that he loved to hear his father read. Lithgow goes on to share that his father lost his performer's energy after going through an operation. What made his father survive the medical problems was Lithgow moving home (since he was the only actor in his family and thus "between jobs") and reading these stories out loud. Storytelling raised his father's spirit through the last year of his life.

The background information from this personal reflection gave a feeling of family, joy, and the importance of storytelling that lasted throughout the night.

Lithgow went on to perform the story "Uncle Fred Flits By" from memory, playing all 11 characters (including a parrot). Lithgow was hilarious in his storytelling, and used the entire stage and few furniture pieces as a  performance space. He was able to play a doting young woman, a love struck teen boy, and an elderly woman with believability and captivation.

After intermission, Lithgow began with a personal story about being the new kid in elementary school. Since he was alone at the age of 10, he read his English textbook for fun. There, he discovered a story called "Haircut," a sinister tale about a seemingly jolly barber.

This story had a more somber and dark tone than the first tale, but was another facet to see in Lithgow's range.

I was amazed to see a stage performer use only his body and a few items to vividly tell a story. I felt like a little child at bedtime after the final story, desiring to say, "Can I have another story please?"