CURRENT PERFORMANCES Literature to Life®, The American Place Theatre's performance based literacy program, presents professionally staged verbatim adaptations of significant American literary works. This educational program gives students a new form of access to literature by bringing to life the world of books with performances that create an atmosphere of discovery and spark the imagination. Literature to Life encourages reading, writing, and critical thinking and provides a catalyst for learning and self-expression for over 100,000 students nationwide. The Theatre, having received over 30 Obies and 16 Audelcos, is critically acclaimed as a birthing place for artistic endeavors at the crossroad of literature and live performance for over 40 years. The Fall 2004 Literature to Life® Season The Shows Whether a fieldtrip to our theatre or a performance in your classroom/theatre venue, the Literature to Life experience can be tailored to meet your needs. Black Boy, by Richard Wright "Your dramatization of Black Boy truly allowed us to have, not only a steller program, but also one whose quality is unsurpassable. I am convinced your work is a must for all high school students across the nation." - Wilfred Samuels, University of Utah A Verbatim adaptation of the classic American autobiographical work, Black Boy dramatizes Richard Wright's journey from childhood innocence to adulthood in the Jim Crow South. The issues addressed in this novel still resonate in today's cultural dialogue. Black Boy From the Novel by Richard Wright Performed by Charles Holt Adapted and Directed by Wynn Handman Themes Explored: Family, Race, Injustice, Civil Rights, Faith and Violence. Contact 212.594.4482 or edu@americanplacetheatre.org for availability and booking information. Dreaming in Cuban, by Cristina Garcia "The performer wastes little time talking about people; she simply becomes with impressive ease, one character after another, including, for a moment, a deliciously important Fidel Castro." - D.J. Bruckner, New York Times Cristina Garcia's novel brings to life three generations of Cuban women living in New York City and Cuba and their separate responses to the Revolution. This bittersweet story tackles the historical theme of spiritual exile and the deadly uncertainty through which Cuba continues to live. Dreaming in Cuban From the Novel by Cristina Garcia Performed by Francisca Vargas Adapted and Directed by Wynn Handman Themes Explored: Family, Race, Injustice, Faith, Violence and the Cuban Revolution. Contact 212.594.4482 or edu@americanplacetheatre.org for availability and booking information. The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd "The Way Denise portrays the characters and the use of only two props allowed me to see the play the way I saw the book, with imagination." -Tricia Grandvill, Grade 9 In this New York Times bestseller set during the Civil Rights Movement, a young girl's search for the truth about her mother leads her to three beekeeping sisters and the discovery of the real meaning of family. The Secret Life of Bees From the Novel by Sue Monk Kidd Performed by Denise Wilbanks Adapted and Directed by Wynn Handman Themes Explored: Family Faith Violence, Death, Race, Cultural Identity and Civil Rights. Contact 212.594.4482 or edu@americanplacetheatre.org for availability and booking information. Zora From the theatrical biography by Laurence Holder "The best art is timeless. It excites us and asks us to question what we know and emerge changed. The audience who shared Zora with us experienced something they will not soon forget." -Diane Kresh, Library of Congress Zora Neale Hurston was one of the most important and celebrated figures to emerge from the Harlem Renaissance. Outspoken, spirited and gifted, Ms. Hurston was a prolific African-American writer of the 1930's, her books defining the black American experience. Zora From the theatrical biography by Laurence Holder Performed by Kim Brockington Adapted and Directed by Wynn Handman Themes Explored: Family, Race, Injustice, Faith, Violence, Pride and African-American Culture Contact 212.594.4482 or edu@americanplacetheatre.org for availability and booking information.