Fire Arts Festival Preview: The Pocketbook Monologues at the Dayton St. Theatre

The Fire Arts Festival that's set to hit the Aurora Arts District on East Colfax Avenue this weekend will offer local art lovers gallery openings, live iron pours, a half marathon and a host of other activities. In the days leading up to the festival, we'll be running regular previews about the many events that will be on tap in Aurora this weekend. 

The Afterthought Theatre company will add a dramatic spark to this weekend’s Fire Arts Festival in Original Aurora.

To kick off an arts weekend that will feature new exhibitions, live iron pours and a half marathon, Aurora’s newest theater troupe will perform a staged reading of Sharon K. McGhee’s “The Pocketbook Monologues” at 8 p.m. Friday, May 13, at the Dayton Street Theatre, 1468 Dayton St. The reading will follow the Aurora Art District’s monthly art walk and open house, which will run at different galleries and shops on East Colfax Avenue from 5 to 8 p.m.

McGhee’s “The Pocketbook Monologues” is a collection of anecdotes about sexuality, intimacy and consequences. Told from the perspective of several black women, the tone of “The Pocketbook Monologues” ranges from lighthearted to poignant, from casual to brutal.

The collection tackles serious health and social issues related to the black community. Specifically, McGhee’s collection explores the impact of the AIDs epidemic for black women in recent years, even as it pushes a message of precaution and prevention for younger generations.

The stage version of McGhee’s book made its national debut in 2009 on the Bravo Network’s series “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” and has earned praise from former Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders.

Before the reading, the Afterthought will host a happy hour event at the Dayton Street Theatre bar from 5 to 8 p.m. The theater’s gallery will also feature artwork from students across the Aurora Public Schools district.

Admission for the happy hour event and the reading is free and open to the public. Information: www.afterthoughttheatre.com or auroraartsdistrict.com.