"WordTheatre is a great, freewheeling, passionately engaged interpreter of contemporary short fiction. Whereas other such enterprises are content to cherry pick a few classics in a predictable setting, WordTheatre finds work that can bring about great performances in its constituency of first-rate performers, always in search of the ineffable and the uncanny that are at the heart of the very best in world literature. Their ambition is for the new, the challenging, and the emotionally rich. In my own case, I have never heard such wonderful and illuminated performances of my own work." - Rick Moody, author of The Ice Storm
Our Supporters
About Us
WordTheatre is an innovative, internationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring a love of language and literature by presenting live performances of contemporary short stories. We feature world renowned actors who bring to life exquisitely crafted stories penned by the finest authors working today. Our unique theatrical and literary events take place in America and the UK.
"WordTheatre is a great, freewheeling, passionately engaged interpreter of contemporary short fiction. Whereas other such enterprises are content to cherry pick a few classics in a predictable setting, WordTheatre finds work that can bring about great performances in its constituency of first-rate performers, always in search of the ineffable and the uncanny that are at the heart of the very best in world literature. Their ambition is for the new, the challenging, and the emotionally rich. In my own case, I have never heard such wonderful and illuminated performances of my own work." - Rick Moody, author of The Ice Storm
Programming
WordTheatre Author/Actor Series
Brilliant film and television actors bring the world's finest contemporary short stories to life with the authors present for a post-performance Q&A and book signings. We also create events that celebrate holidays such as Valentine's Day.
WordTheatre Benefit Performances
Celebrities perform our original theatrical collages which weave selections of fiction, memoir, jokes, facts and quotes together with live music. These red carpet events are designed to benefit fellow charitable organizations such as Autism Speaks, The El Camino College Foundation, NARSAD and Sunshine from Darkness.
WordTheatre Writers‘ Workshop & Retreat
This annual July workshop is led by a distinguished author and set in Edale, in the heart of England's Peak District where Wiliam Wordsworth and Lord Byron wrote. The week is enriched with an inspiring WordTheatre performance and dinners with illustrious guest speakers.
WordTheatre's Digital Archive
We video and audio record all of our events and currently house an archive of over 500 performances that are among the best in the English language.
WordTheatre in the Schools
WordTheatre authors and actors bring to life emotionally rich stories culled from the best in world literature in schools where more than 60% of students live at or below the poverty line.For many students, WordTheatre is their introduction to live performance and our film and television stars get their attention. We encourage them to listen closely and translate the stories into images, developing the relationship between literature and imagination. Post-performance conversations with the writers and actors explore connections between the stories written in books and the stories told on the playground. The artists challenge students to tell and write their own.
WordTheatre also tours schools with our original performance pieces such as Dreams which quotes a variety of luminaries including Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Shakira and Kanye West.
What People Are Saying
"Whenever I leave a WordTheatre performance, I have so much more compassion for the people I pass by on the street." - Doug Spearman, WordTheatre Patron
"Thank you so much for last night and for making all of that happen. It was a great evening and the range of incredible acting talent was really astonishing." - Cathy Galvin, Founder of The Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award
"Thank you for the incredible performance you brought to El Camino College. It was inspired, inspiring and truly one of the most outstanding events I have ever been involved with. You made us shine!"
- Katie Gleason, Executive Director, El Camino CollegeG
"Last night at London's Cafe de Paris I attended one of Cedering Fox's WordTheatre gatherings. Actors are always best when savored live. Because the stories are carefully chosen and the readings aren't just "read" but performed with exceptional flair and expertise, a WordTheatre event delivers the same kind of nutritious turn-on vibe that a first-rate play usually provides." - Jeffrey Wells, Hollywood Elsewhere