The Imaginists Theatre Collective (ITC) presents “How A Mountain Was Made,” by author Greg Sarris as part of its “Plays in Progress” series on April 21 at 7 p.m.

Plays in Progress is a new series of discussions in which the Imaginists, co-collaborators and the community come together to talk about the process of creating original theatre. How a Mountain Was Made is a collection of stories by Sarris based on Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo creation stories. The Imaginists will begin the process of translating these stories to the stage this summer for performances in their 2012-13 seasons.

"We are thrilled to be able to create a stage adaptation of How a Mountain Was Made," says ITC artistic director Amy Pinto, "and honored that Greg will be coming to talk about the stories. We want to invite our community into the discussion of how we might embody these stories for our time now."

The stories in How a Mountain Was Made center on the Santa Rosa plain, Copeland Creek and the sacred site of Sonoma Mountain. The stories include characters such as Coyote, Warm Wind, Centipede, Lizard and Frog Woman, to name but a few. The quiet narrator at the beginning of the book says, “The stories from the Mountain teach important lessons, and many of the songs that Coast Miwok people have sung since the beginning of time are gifts from the Mountain and come from the stories.”

“We are very interested in creating place-based theatre,” ITC Executive Director Brent Lindsay said. "That means creating performances with, of, and for our community. These stories go so deep, they show us an unbroken history and relationship between all those who live and have lived in the Santa Rosa plain, including, and at the heart of Sonoma Mountain.”

Sarris received his Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University, where he was awarded the Walter Gore Award for excellence in teaching.

The Imaginists Theatre Collective is located at 461 Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa. Tickets are $5 at the door for those under 25 and over 62 and $10 for everyone else. For more information, go to www.theimaginists.org or call 528-7554.