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87 | DOING BUSINESS IN CONNECTICUT | 2018 2018 | DOING BUSINESS IN CONNECTICUT | 87 A Love of Literature Lisa Natcharian's vision creates fantasy worlds for kids and adults By Joan Hunt At the Storyteller's Cottage in Simsbury, owner Lisa Natcharian elevates the love of books into a personal experience. Three Victorian-style mystery rooms pit the wits of visitors against a seemingly unsolvable murder investigation, a missing person's case, or a team of mischievous fairies. "We have a whole team of 20-somethings who run the games and know how to give clues without giving away the mystery," said Natcharian. She creates the games herself. Her husband, Matthew, learned electrical skills to rig magnetic triggers that unlock doors and drawers. Parties and events at the Storyteller's Cottage center around favorite works of fiction. A Great Gatsby gala, for example, was attended by people in 1920s-attire and included a martini tasting. A mystery party for children 10 and under brought together Nancy Drew fans and included board games and making new friends. Each room evokes a story, like the Alice in Wonderland Room, where small clubs meet, parents wait to pick up their children, and kids pass through to grab candy and other treats on their way to someplace else. A Dungeon & Dragons group meets in the Enchanted Library for adult board game nights, and children love the Harry Potter Room – modeled after Gryffindor – for birthday parties as well as a place to read, or write, or to play games. The Jane Austen Regency Salon is home to classes for writers of all ages and stages. Book clubs meet there, and patrons who drop by with their lunch might also listen to a local bard who plays the harp and recites poetry. "I wasn't sure it was going to fly," Natcharian said of her brainchild that opened in October 2017. Her boys – Chris, 19, Ryan, 16, and Will, 13 – are all advanced learners, and she got her masters in gifted education because of them. When she and her husband bought an investment property at Fiddler's Green, the restored 1896 home of local legislator Alexander Pattison captured her imagination. "The atmosphere was wonderful," she recalls. She decorated the rooms for old-fashioned charm with furniture she acquired from craigslist. "The most fun thing about this is being able to meet all these creative people," said Natcharian. Staff ranges from 17-year-old "Princess Heather," who fits magically into the venue, to an older woman named Helen, who is a writer, performer and librarian, formerly from Wales. Rooms can be rented by groups or individuals, with a total capacity of 49 people at any one time in the entire house. Visit www.storytellerscottage.com for more information. PROFILE Lisa Natcharian, founder of Storyteller's Cottage.