A good writer knows a good story when they hear one.

There's that instant recognition that they're hearing a tale that should be told. Thoughts begin formulating as to what would be the best angle from which to approach the subject matter. It can all happen very fast, and it doesn't take long to put pen to paper, finger to keyboard. It's what writers do -- they write.

Good theatergoers know a good play when they see one, too, and there's a very good one currently playing at Heller Theater. Playwright Donald Margulies' "Collected Stories" is about a good story, told well, and under Julie Tattershall's direction it's a two-woman drama that features a pair of the finest performances this year in Tulsa theater.

Ruth Steiner (Cyndi Vetter) is an aging short story writer in New York, renowned as a bit of a specialist in the field of the Jewish experience in the 1950s. She is also a teacher, and the play opens in 1990 at the point of her first tutorial with a new graduate student, Lisa Morrison (Kristin Harding).

Morrison has a childlike admiration for the curmudgeonly Steiner. She knows all of her works and is unable to restrain herself in this initial meeting from babbling in an embarrassingly nervous manner, coming off something like a bubbleheaded Valley Girl.

But her writing is good, colorful, detailed. Ruth, who is animated but terse in her speaking ("If she were alive today, Thelma Ritter would play me in the movies," she says with a laugh), recognizes the young woman's talents and is intrigued. She fires back witty answers to Lisa's constant badgering and insecurities, as well as mixing in little gems of knowledge about the literary process.

By the second scene, it's six months later and Lisa is fully entrenched as Ruth's assistant, quickly moving into the additional roles of protege and confidante. They discuss and debate easily as friends. Lisa is polishing "Eating Between Meals," her semi-autobiographical short tale of bulimia as well as other short works. Ruth sees in her something similar to herself 30-plus years earlier.

They laugh and spar as they discuss the Woody Allen-Soon-Yi Previn affair. This leads to Ruth's remembrance of her own dalliance with poet Delmore Schwarz, in 1957 when she was 22 and he was twice her age. It is a fond telling of the woman's most sacred youthful indiscretion. Since writers usually write what they know, Lisa can't understand how Ruth never used this tale for inspiration.

"Some things, you just don't touch," Ruth tells her.

We watch as Lisa continues to mature, first in her ability to get her work published in a small journal when Ruth's efforts are unsuccessful elsewhere (which brings about a brief snit between them, peaking with a hilarious moment of the two emphatically turning magazine pages as a substitute for door-slamming).

Further publishing success comes, and that leads to celebrating between the pair but also a friendly bit of rivalry and envy. An "All About Eve" comparison is inevitable, especially when things aren't so friendly anymore. It's 1996, and Lisa is about to publish her first novel. It's set in 1957, and it's about a 22-year-old Jewish woman who has an affair with a renowned writer twice her age.

Suffice it to say that things could get ugly at this point, though the arrogance of youth and the hurt of this blatant act are lost on Lisa, who wonders why Ruth has a security chain in place on her door when Lisa comes to visit just before the novel is published.

"(I use it) only when I'm expecting burglars," Ruth calls out to her from inside her home.

But is this a theft on the part of Lisa, or simply good observation? Who owns memories? How thin a line is there between homage and invasion of privacy? These questions and more have to be asked, but not necessarily resolved in this case.

To anyone who loves to write or loves to read, this story should prove fascinating. If that's not enough, there's the solid work of everyone involved, including Tattershall's unobtrusive direction and the smart, economical set design of Ruth's book-lined apartment by Larry Latham and Scott Heberling.

But the highlight here is the performances of Vetter and Harding. Vetter is a veteran who in her return to the stage after 11 years is solid as a rock, kvetching and beautifully catching the charm and pride of this woman, as well as her pain.

Harding is the new face here, and she's a welcome addition. Her impressive talent and stunning looks are put to good use with Heller's theater-in-your-lap approach, as the back row is no more than 20 feet from the action.

She starts out as giddy and nervous and makes quite a transformation from ingenue to polished writer, from admirer to potential exploiter. Her emotional range runs the gamut, and she has an impressive command of the stage, going toe-to-toe with Vetter.

The result of these performances and production work is a small-scale standout of a show that's among this season's best.

Heller Theater's production of "Collected Stories" continues with 8 p.m. performances Friday-Saturday and May 2-4. There is also a 2 p.m. showing on April 28. All performances are at Heller Theater, 5328 S. Wheeling Ave. Tickets are $5-$7 and may be reserved by calling 746-5065.

Review

When: 8 p.m. performances Friday-Saturday and May 2-4. There is also a 2 p.m. showing on April 28.

Where: Heller Theater, 5328 S Wheeling Ave.

Tickets: $5-$7; 746-5065