The public is invited to Return to Mayberry, an evening of storytelling. The event will feature multimedia storytelling projects by University of Iowa students and Iowa City community members, and begins at 5 p.m., Wednesday, May 2, at the Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room B—the day after a free community performance of the play Mayberry, which was produced locally by Working Group Theatre and Hancher.

Return to Mayberry—co-sponsored by CrossingBorders.us, The University of Iowa’s Digital Studio for the Public Humanities, and Working Group Theatre— is the culmination of a semester-long project by college students in an Interpretations of Literature class at the University of Iowa. The class, taught by Raquel Baker, a Ph.D. candidate in English, in collaboration with Ted Gutsche, a Ph.D. candidate in Journalism and Mass Communication, has focused on storytelling and how literature, news, TV shows, and other forms of popular culture represent both dominant and marginalized voices.

Some of the stories shared will focus on insider/outsider narratives in Iowa City and comment on how the “Southeast Side” is represented in the local media and in the imaginary of Iowa Citians.

The event is free and open to the public and includes light refreshments. For more information or special accommodations to attend, contact Gutsche at robert-gutsche@uiowa.edu or 608-345-0717.