Nadine Franklin and Paula Tsiagalas star in “The Awakening Time” readers theater performance at St. Charles’ Steel Beam Theatre as part of St. Charles’ Summer Theater Festival.

In “The Awakening Time,” sometimes a spiritual journey begins with a loss and that is exactly what happens to 46-year-old Katie. After losing her husband, John, to cancer a year ago, Katie lives an isolated and emotionally disconnected life.

Her life changes when she meets a charming, off-beat French woman who seems to have the answers to questions Katie doesn’t even know how to ask. This mysterious woman opens doors to the other side that helps Katie realize that love is worth the pain.