Reading

• Who: Peter Neofotis
• What: “Stories from Concord, Virginia” a performance of excerpts from his book
• When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday
• Where: Theater at Lime Kiln, Lexington
• How much: Tickets are $8 to $15
• Contact: (540) 463-7088; theaterat-limekiln.com

Peter Neofotis, who grew up in Lexington, will give a staged performance of stories from his new book, "Concord, Virginia" (St. Martin's Press, $19.99), at Theater at Lime Kiln on Sunday.

Concord is a fictionalized version of Lexington, and Rockbridge County landmarks such as Goshen Pass and Natural Bridge figure prominently in his work. So do snakes, vultures and magical dogs -- who do battle with the county's board of supervisors, among others.

Neofotis was valedictorian of the Rockbridge County High School class of 1999. He now lives in New York, where he works for the NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies. He was a contributing author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.

Neofotis tells his stories from memory. He has performed them often in cafes and experimental theaters in New York. "Concord, Virginia" is his first book.

Q: How did you get started performing short stories?

In high school, I would memorize other people's short stories and perform them. I would play all the characters. I'm very comfortable talking.

Q: What makes your stories work on stage?

These are fully staged pieces. I incorporate lighting. We do it all up. The other thing that helps them is, they're not about me. Often I feel like I'm talking about the audience and we're all just living this together.

Q: Why don't you write plays?

I've tried to write in a play format. I'm never happy with the way it works. The narrator is the main character. I don't see them as plays until I sit down to memorize them.

Q: How do you memorize your stories?

Sentence by sentence.

I take the manuscript and walk around the streets of New York at night, reciting sentences. People think I'm crazy. I had three bums run away from me the other day. I felt bad.

Q: How do people react to your performances?

The early performances were very emotional. I would be weeping for the last part of the show. And people were weeping with me. The way they react is, they come back.

Q: Do you ever change a story while on stage?

No, never.

Q: Are there real-life connections between Concord and Lexington?

Absolutely. I've taken poetic license. Sometimes I've changed the names to protect the innocent.

Q: Will people recognize themselves in your work?

I hope not.

Q: Are you writing more stories about Concord/Lexington?

I'm still writing, yeah. I think I'm going to gravitate to a merging of Northern and Southern stories in one book.

Q: Will you ever stop performing your stories?

I don't think so. It's a lot of fun.

Q: Is your production kid-friendly?

It's not appropriate for kids. There's a lot of death. I think death is horrible. But it's part of life.

Q: Are you worried that some members of the real board of supervisors might show up at your performance?

You know what? I just don't care. I love those magical dogs. When I do it in New York, it's always a big hit.

Either I'll get strung up and tarred and feathered, or I'll get a standing ovation. I promise an exciting night.