DORSET - The Dorset Players will be hosting a Vermont Reads event at the playhouse on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 7:30pm. Maureen Chaffee will be directing a staged reading of Paul Fleischman's book "Bull Run," a novella that takes place during the Civil War. It is written in the first person from the point of view of sixteen different characters, eight northerners and eight southerners - male, female, black, white, old, young, soldier, and civilian.

Each year, communities around the state have the opportunity to bring people together to read, discuss, and build activities around that year's selected book. In 2011 communities read the classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. In 2010 more than one hundred communities read "The Day of the Pelican" by Katherine Paterson.

Vermont Reads was launched in 2003 in this area with "Witness" by Karen Hesse. Chaffee attended some of the events for that first book and continues to support the statewide effort.

One of the caveats of the program is to have organizations collaborate. Therefore, Chaffee has been working with Maple Street School's Mary Mangiacotti, and Long Trail School's Kim Rizio and Katie Redding to fill the roles of the eight southerners and eight northerners.

"It is great to work with a group from ages 12 to 60 something," said Chaffee. "The students are enjoying their time with experienced Dorset Players actors, and the Players are pleased to introduce our playhouse to some new performers."

The reading

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will also be performed at the Martha Canfield Library in Arlington on Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. Students and their families are encouraged to come and listen to the reading as there is no admission. These events are sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council and VPR and underwritten by NRG Systems.