Stage Left Community Arts Center in Lisbon will kick off its National Endowment for the Arts Big Read exploration of “The Bear” by Andrew Krivak on Saturday.

Stage Left is one of 62 grantees of the 2022-2023 NEA Big Read Grant and is committed to the goal of getting Americans to read and discuss great books. Copies of “The Bear” will be available starting Saturday for loan from the Lepper Library, 303 E. Lincoln Way; Trinity Playhouse, 234 E. Lincoln Way; and the Lisbon Chamber of Commerce, 120 N. Market St.

The book tells the story of a father and daughter who are the last of humankind. They possess a few remnants of civilization: some books, a pane of glass, a set of flint and steel, and a comb. The father teaches the girl how to fish and hunt, the secrets of the seasons and the stars and other skills she’ll need to live in harmony with nature. When she finds herself alone in an unknown landscape, a bear is the one she must rely upon to lead her back home.

Activities for all ages are planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Playhouse, Lepper Library and the Lisbon trailhead of the Greenway trail.

The NEA Big Read in Lisbon is presented in partnership with the Lepper Library, Keep You in Stitches Quilters, the Columbiana Parks District, Source Gallery, SPARK Storytellers, the Mahoning Valley Astronomical Society, Deer Path Designs and the Leap of Faith Dance Studio with support from the NEA.

The full calendar of events can be found at StageLeftPlayers.org/nea-big-read. For more information, email StageLeftSeats@gmail.com.