LEWISTON — On Friday, May 25,  Rivera Sun Cook will give a dramatic reading of her work “The Freedom Stories of Lala” at the Lewiston Public Library. The stories of Lala begin in her childhood and trace her journey through early adulthood.

The presentation emphasizes that love is the best catalyst for change and ultimately the freedom of one’s spirit.

Rivera Sun Cook was born in Portland and moved with her parents and four siblings to Auburn when she was 3. At 13, the family relocated to an organic potato farm in the St. John Valley, where Cook cultivated stories in her head to alleviate long hours of weed pulling and potato picking.

As a teen and young woman, she studied weaving and blacksmithing in coastal Maine while also majoring in dance and theater at Bennington College in Vermont. 

Rivera is artistic director of Rising Sun Dance and Theater Inc., which produces and tours her performance work nationally. She has written seven plays, numerous dance presentations and two books of poetry and commentary. 

The free performance will be at 7 p.m.