On Dec. 8 Burton, Imperioli and Lavin will read "The H Street Sledding Record" by Ron Carlson, which takes a wild ride through a family's unusual Christmas traditions, and Edna O'Brien's "Violets," which recounts a passionate romance.

Also, a lovesick young man makes thrilling revelations at his mother's Hanukkah party in "Live Wires" by Thomas Beller, and an elevator operator is overwhelmed by the generosity of his riders in John Cheever's "Christmas Is a Sad Season for the Poor." Performances are at 2 PM and 8 PM.

On Dec. 9 Burton, Imperioli and Auberjonois will again read the stories by Beller and Carlson, as well as "Jamaica" by David Schickler, a wacky depiction of a book club at the holidays; and Frank O'Connor's "Christmas Morning," a moving and funny gem about an Irish family told from the point of view of a boy. Performances are at 2 PM and 7 PM.

"Selected Shorts" is the show more than 300,000 people listen to every week on public radio. The series is hosted by Isaiah Sheffer.

For tickets, priced $35, visit berkeleyrep.org.