The sacred texts of the Old Testament of the Bible contain stories that have been the focal point of Jewish and Christian teachings for four millennia.
The stories will come to life on stage when the Story Dramatization Class of ETSU presents “In the Beginning: Stories from the Old Testament” on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 22-23, and Sunday, April 27.
The weeknight performances begin at 8 p.m. at the Acoustic Coffeehouse, 415 W. Walnut St., and the Sunday performance will be at 3 p.m. at the International Storytelling Center’s Krispy Kreme Theater, 115 W. Main St., Jonesborough. All three performances are free and open to the public.
In addition, a special showing will be held as a tribute to veterans at the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Mountain Home on Friday, April 25. Attendance for this session is limited to VA domiciliary residents and their families.
The biblical tales include those of creation, Adam and Eve, the Tower of Babel, Sodom and Gomorrah, and stories of sibling rivalries, such as Cain and Abel, Joseph and his brothers, and Rachel and Leah.
The program has been created, scripted and directed by the Story Dramatization students under the tutelage of Dr. Joseph Sobol, director of ETSU’s Master’s Degree Program in Storytelling.
“In the Beginning” will be interpreted for the hearing-impaired by Libby Tipton, Valerie Menard and other staff from the ETSU Office of Disability Services.
For more information or special assistance for those with disabilities, contact David Claunch, a graduate assistant with the Storytelling Program and TaleTellers of ETSU, at 439-7606 or storytel@etsu.edu. For more details on the April 25 performance at the VA, call Paul Burchuk at 926-1171, ext. 7921.

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