The American Place Theatre -- Literature to Life

Headlining in the Midwest

2011-09-27T14:57:22+00:00

In addition to our extensive reach in the New York City area, our national expansion is stronger than ever.

This month, The American Place Theatre attended our first Arts Midwest conference in Minneapolis, MN where we were among approximately 1000 theatre professionals from the Midwest Region and beyond. Our Literature to Life performance of Khaled Hosseini's novel, The Kite Runner, was chosen out of almost 400 exhibitors to be 1 of just 18 juried showcases to present at the conference. Solid new relationships were built, and Literature to Life is poised for partnerships in four new Midwestern states (Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri) based on our interactions at this inspiring event.

Teachers Tell Us

2011-09-26T17:43:45+00:00

On September 1st, members of our volunteer Teacher Advisory Board met with APT staff to discuss the current climate of public education in New York City. Practicing educators from a variety of schools and perspectives provided us with candid and in-depth insight into the challenges and opportunities teachers are facing in the coming year because of new nationwide Common Core Standards.

At APT, we believe that to achieve results it is essential to work as partners with our classroom teachers and to stay informed of the expectations placed on their teaching in the classroom. Our teachers report that APT residencies directly inspire the new units of study required by the city and state in the 2011-12 year. They assert that Literature to Life ensures achievement because we help students make deep personal connections to text.

COMPANY WORDS: Spotlight on Piper Anderson

2011-07-13T20:00:46+00:00

Seven years ago, Piper Anderson participated in The American Place Theatre's very first round of Teaching Artist Training. Since then, she has masterfully led countless hours of Literature to Life workshops for students across the city. The value of her contributions are evident in the assessment and evaluations of the classroom work she facilitates. We feel so grateful to count her among our Company as we move into our 50th Anniversary Season. In as much, she's first up this year for our Company Spotlight!

How would you describe yourself and what you do?
I’m a performance artist, budding filmmaker, and an educator.

What are some (three?) things you love/ are passionate about? And why?
Performing. I've loved to perform since I was really young but came from a family of athletes who encouraged sports over the arts. I was an All American in Track & Field in High School and ranked 3rd in the country in the half-mile so everyone expected me to one day compete in the Olympics but when I was a senior in high school I got the itch to not only write a play but also perform it. I took my play to the youth leader at my church who happened to be an actor and musician and asked him to direct and produce it. He agreed. We put it up at my church the summer before I went to college and that was the moment I fell in love with theatre. I’ve been writing and performing ever since.

Not only am I passionate about performing but I also love sharing the arts with young people. Something magical happens when an artist steps into the classroom, rearranges the room, and introduces activities that engage the imagination. It totally shakes up the status quo in the classroom. Suddenly students are learning in ways they never thought possible. Students who didn’t think they could learn realize they have something to offer. I remember that’s exactly what happened to me when my 8th grade Social Studies teacher came into class one day and put us in role as news reporters covering the U.S Senate in the months leading up to the Civil War. In those two weeks I went from being a mediocre student to the top of my class winning the History award at 8th grade graduation. I want to offer students those kinds of experiences when I visit their classroom.

You work with young people a lot. What were you interested in as a young person?
I loved to read. That was the biggest thing I was into besides running track. I spent my Afternoons in the library reading books. When ever I’d go to the mall with my mom and sister I’d leave them to their shopping while I hung out in the bookstore. Eventually I started to write as well. I wrote everything from poetry, to essays, and plays. I was the editor of the literary magazine and editorial editor of my school newspaper. I knew very early on that my real passion was writing.

When I wasn’t reading I was running track. I started competing nationally when I was 12 years old. That was pretty much my life year around. Training after school and in the summers traveling to meets from coast to coast but ultimately it wasn’t my dream so I decided not to pursue a career in sports.

What is one thing that you would most like to say to young people?
Figure out what you love and do it. There is this great youtube video of an interview with Junot Diaz where says (I’m paraphrasing) that you can’t grow up until you decide to do what you really love. No matter how long it takes, or how old you get to be, you must decide to do the thing you love the most. Don’t ever give up on yourself and keep growing towards love, toward your passion, and your dreams. You can’t go wrong if you choose to live this way.

What projects have you been busy with recently?
I’ve discovered a new passion in film-making and I’m writing my first short film, which I plan to shoot in August. Its called BABY WONDER. It’s a very cool little film dedicated to quirky, creative, girls with skateboards, sketchbooks, and a Wonder Woman obsession.

What’s next for you?
I just completed an MA in Applied Theatre this spring so I’m looking forward to putting my learning to work creating dynamic, interactive theatre experiences for communities. I really enjoy performance work that allows me to balance the aesthetic values of a strong performance with an educational goal. Performing the Bluest Eye Living Library piece has been an awesome opportunity to experiment with these kinds of techniques and I’m looking forward to doing more work like that.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
Still very athletic but not into competition any more so I like to stay active by surfing, snowboarding, yoga, and dancing. And of course I still enjoy a good book.

What do you wish/hope for in this world?
My hope for the world is that all young people have access to a quality education that includes the arts and a safe, healthy, supportive living environment to grow up in.

How does your work with APT - and our mission of bringing literature to life to help young people find their own voice - complement your own personal/professional mission as an artist/artist educator.
I love my work with APT because I get to offer young people an opportunity to discover new possibilities for who they can be through the theatre. A few years ago, I worked with a group of 6th and 7th graders at I.S 208 in Queens leading a theatre arts residency culminating in a performance. There was this one 6th grade boy in the group who had been diagnosed with ADHD. His teachers and family struggled to manage his hyperactive behavior but his mother refused to put him on medication. At first I had no idea how I would get this kid to stand still long enough to rehearse a play but then I discovered that when ever we played theatre games he would take all that chaotic energy and focus it on the objective of the activity. So it was clear to me that theatre offered him a way to channel all of his energy while learning. A few months later at our final performance his mother sat there in awe watching her son stand on the stage focused and committed during the entire show. She came up to me after the performance and thanked me. It's experiences like that that remind me of the power of our work to transform young people's lives.

Interview questions by Claire Yang, Spring Intern 2011

IN THE NEWS: Hot topic: Message of Fahrenheit 451 resonates in Flint

2011-04-22T14:35:17+00:00

Flint, Michigan is one of the many communities across the country The American Place Theatre is proud to bring our Literature to Life program. This week our stage presentation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 will grace the stages of our wonderful partner venue in Flint, The Whiting.

We are thrilled to be able to provide a forum for dialogue about major issues facing Flint through the lens of Mr. Bradbury’s novel. And lucky for us the people of Flint seem pretty excited too. Jessica Strachan of the Flint Journal wrote a terrific piece about The American Place Theatre, Fahrenheit 451 and the city of Flint, read the full article here.

COMPANY WORDS: Three Cups of Tea

2011-04-18T19:19:34+00:00

(updated 4/19/11)

Literature to Life is a non-profit organization with the mission of advancing literacy through the arts in education across the nation. Literature to Life presents verbatim staged presentations of both fiction and non-fiction books, and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson is among the books on our 2010-11 roster.

Many of you are aware of the recent CBS/60 Minutes segment regarding Mr. Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute, or otherwise became aware of the allegations that were made public this weekend. We learned of these allegations only when they were made public, and we will continue to follow the story closely.

We are proud of the literacy and thematic outreach to young people that has resulted from our performances and workshops based on Three Cups of Tea to date, and we continue to believe in the relevance of its basic message regarding the promotion of education in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

At this time, we respectfully withdraw the Literature to Life presentations of Three Cups of Tea and Listen to the Wind from the roster of offerings.

RESEARCH ROOM: Which New Literacies?

2011-04-13T17:36:34+00:00

2011 Literature to Life Awards on Monday, May 23rd

2011-04-08T17:13:56+00:00

The 8th Annual gathering of The American Place Theatre's community of writers, actors, publishers, educators, and friends is less than 2 months away.

Mark your calendars for an opportunity to spend a memorable evening in support of the non-profit outreach program, Literature to Life. It's your opportunity to hear directly from the award winners, check out The American Place Theatre's newest presentations, and celebrate with other friends and fans.

Tickets go on sale Monday April 11, 2011. More event details, committee announcements, auction listings and full invites coming soon.

For more information on getting involved or sponsor opportunities, contact David Kener at dkener@americanplacetheatre.org.

IN THE NEWS: Company Member Arian Moayed on Broadway

2011-04-01T14:51:12+00:00

Congratulations to Arian Moayed on a smashing review in the New York Times. Charles Isherwood of the Times said Arian’s performance was “played with soulful intensity” in the recent Broadway opening of Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo.
We are always so proud of members of our company as they thrive both in and out of the Literature to Life program. Keep up the good work Arian! Read the full review here.

RESEARCH ROOM: The Education Potential of Drama for ESL

2011-03-31T15:07:30+00:00

Building on the energy of last year's book reports, this semester each staff member will provide a presentation on a scholarly article or research study that interests him or her and relates to the work we do with Literature to Life. On Wednesday, the 16th of March, Education Intern, Claire Yang, presented her research. Here we hope to capture some of that presentation for our reading room readers.

Titles of Study: The Education Potential of Drama for ESL
By: Sarah L. Dodson
Publication Information: Body and Language: Intercultural Learning Through Drama Greenwood Publishing Group, Westport, 2002.

This study explores the efficacy of using drama in the study of English as a second language with college age students. The author writes about the following ways in which drama helps with language learning:
- Drama exercises help in improving pronunciation
- Improvisation enables students to practice communication on the spot and negotiate meaning.
- Reading, analyzing and re-creating/creating dialogue in scenes allows students to learn the patterns and norms of communication in American English.
- Studying plays/stories allows the (largely immigrant) students to learn about American culture.
- Reading stories/plays and then adapting and/or creating original work based on the themes of their stories/plays requires students to understand the language, make connections to their lives and improve speaking and/or writing skills.
- Affective barriers to language learning such as low self-confidence were lowered through the safety of fiction, the incorporation of fun and the opportunity to rehearse and create.

One of the main goals in an ESL classroom in the integration of reading, writing, listening and speaking, Literature to Life can do this. This research could help teaching artists tailor residencies and/or Living Library presentations specifically for this population. This could also help with the marketing Literature to Life to this population in middle, high schools, colleges and adult learning centers.

This presentation provoked the question: Where do you want to see or find our English Language Learner (ELL) presence?

Alexandra: I would love love to see our ELL outreach on broadcast news! I believe that what we accomplish in ELL classrooms can be framed in a way that would make our story work as one of the public interest stories that I frequently see featured on news programs such as "NY1 Living" or "CBS Sunday Morning."

Will: I think it would be great to see our impact on younger ESL students.

Claire: Professional development for TESOL programs, residencies at ESL schools, residencies in ESL programs at colleges, residencies with community-based organizations that provide ESL classes for adults.

Gwen: I would like to see our ELL programming more deeply embedded into classroom practices so that Literature to Life becomes an essential part of helping this population to compete on tests that are, by the way, the same exact tests as native English speakers are taking. Although the test is not in their native language, ELL students are expected to compete as though it were. Continued and even more frequent partnerships with dedicated teachers like Julie Mann at Newcomers High School would influence these excellent educator's work greatly and would inevitably yield data that proves our deep impact with language acquisition for this important population of students.

Jennifer:I would like state and/or national immigration departments to know of our work with ELL populations and include Literature to Life as part of services offered to new and aspiring Americans.

NEXT WEEK'S REPORT: Book Clubs!

RESEARCH ROOM: Trends in Literary Reading in America

2011-03-23T17:12:31+00:00

Building on the energy of last year's book reports, this semester each staff member will provide a presentation on a scholarly article or research study that interests him or her and relates to the work we do with Literature to Life. On Wednesday, the 9th of March, Development and Finance Associate, Alexandra Scuro, presented her research. Here we hope to capture some of that presentation for our reading room readers.

Titles of Studies:
“Reading at Risk: A Survey of Literary Reading in America” (2004)
"To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence" (2007)
"Reading on the Rise: A New Chapter in American Literacy" (2009)

By: The National Endowment for the Arts

This trio of related studies published by The National Endowment for the Arts ("NEA") tracks trends in literary reading among Americans ages 18 and up. It finds a sharp decrease in literary reading from 1982 to 2002 and a reversal in the trend from 2002 to 2008.. Generally, these trends were true across all demographics (e.g., gender, race, region, age, education).

The underlying point of the studies - that reading rates correlate strongly to test scores, employment rates, and civic engagement - is part of the foundation of Literature to Life. In our mission, we say that our programs "create an atmosphere of discovery and spark the imagination." The NEA emphasizes the importance of imagination and inspiration by saying, "It is time to inspire a nationwide renaissance of literary reading and bring the transformative power of literature into the lives of all citizens."

References for Further Study: 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts and 2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts

Our question for this week was, "What reasons can you think of for the recent increases in reading?"

Claire: Books that have been made into movies.

Jennifer: I'm curious if movie adaptations of edgy young adult literature are translating to reading. For example, titles like Push by Sapphire, might be made more accessible by the film and cast. What's key is 1) how they are introduced to the literature followed by 2) the content of the books that earn their time and effort spent reading. We at APT might consider how to position our approach to those two items.

Alexandra: I think that extremely popular books (like those in the Harry Potter or Twilight series, the publication of which have been veritable pop culture phenomenons) can greatly impact large scale statistical analysis like the kind done in these NEA studies. It would be great to see Literature to Life expand the great work that it has been doing with comparative literature (a recent Residency at Young Women's Leadership School, Astoria compared The Secret Life of Bees and To Kill a Mockingbird and a current Residency at The Global Learning Collaborative is studying Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge alongside a work from the Literature to Life roster) by utilizing other popular classroom titles and favorites.

Will: I think that Harry Potter opened the door for reading to be cool again, a trend that has been continued by the Twilight series. In general it seems like there are just more books being written specifically for the Young Adult audience.

Gwen: I am curious if the frequency of reading on the internet - whether it be an article, a blog or a simple post has had a positive impact on adolescent readers. Technically, "reading" is something that teens do all day everyday on the internet. Perhaps this has improved skills in reading fluency and in young adult's associations with reading as a pleasurable experience

NEXT WEEK'S REPORT: Drama as a Tool for Language Learning

RESEARCH ROOM: Engaging Aliterate Students

2011-03-17T18:27:29+00:00

IN THE NEWS: Literature to Life in the Daily News

2011-03-17T14:24:12+00:00

The Daily News recently interviewed actor Elvis Nolasco and Executive Director David Kenner about one of our new shows, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Check out the full article here.

RESEARCH ROOM: Revitalizing Arts Education Through Community-Wide Coordination

2011-03-03T16:05:19+00:00

Building on the energy of last year's book reports, this semester each staff member will provide a presentation on a scholarly article that interests him or her and relates to the work we do with Literature to Life. On Wednesday, the 16th of February Company Manager, Rob Bradshaw presented his research. Here we hope to capture some of that lovely presentation for the lovely reading room readers.

Title of Study: “Revitalizing Arts Education Through Community-Wide Coordination”
By: Bodily, Augustine and Zakaras
Commissioned by: the Wallace Foundation
Published by: The RAND Corporation
Publication date: 2008

This study researched the efforts made by communities to revitalize and sustain arts education and learning in children. It analyzes the differences, similarities, obstacles, solutions and efficacy of strategies and philosophies implemented within these communities. The conclusions drawn from this report can help APT have a better understanding of how other arts communities utilize the resources in their communities to strengthen arts education initiatives. It encourages organizations like APT to form a unified front with other arts organizations, provides and influencers so federal and state education standards will not be able to easily disregard the importance of arts education.

As a group we were left with a burning question of “What if…? As in, what if NYC used some strategies implemented in other areas, such as utilizing our thriving arts scene? Or What if we didn’t have to spend time and money defending why arts ed exists and could focus instead on programming? As "homework" we came up with some questions to post here and we would love to invite you to find your own “what if” question and include it in the comments below.

Our What ifs:

Claire: What if the arts were seen as critical for survival and growth in this world and the learning of and through it were made an essential part of learning?

David: What if we looked at this equation form the different perspective. Revitalizing the community through Arts Education.

Gwen: What if members of the Arts Education Community around the country could collectively agree to annually choose a rotating member organization to lead the design, standardization and implementation of that year's assessment and research practices within the field work that is done that year in their community. Annually each leader organization would also choose a neutral party from an outside industry to act as consultant and observer for their research. After several years of many different leader organizations gathering data, the complete body of research would be entered into a national database of accessible reports available for analysis by the entire community and by a national team of research experts.

Jennifer: What if the Cultural Data Project included more assessment/evaluation line-items to connect the results of our collective work in the field?

Will: What if we started thinking about Arts Education as extending beyond the classroom and start thinking how all arts are educational in some way, even for adults?

Jackie: What if assessment didn't equal evidence gathering for funders? What if we were all conducting our own research in arts in education all the time, and by definition, we were posing the questions about arts in ed that we really want to know and are always seekers in that research question?

Alexandra: What if funders started to ask arts education funding seekers for quantitative analysis of their impact?

Manuel: What if every local community/district in the nation had a dedicated arts liaison that represented and coordinated the efforts of every cultural organization in that locality? Each cultural district liaison would work in tandem with that same locality's school arts liaisons to unify or coordinate goals and assessment efforts. What if all these cultural and school liaisons fed into a vital and active city, then state, then national arts and education network? What it this were a true national endowment for the arts ardently supported by our federal government? What if we used even a small percentage of what we currently spend on weapons of war to support this new and vibrant national arts agency?

References for further study: State of the Arts by The RAND Corporation, 2009
Improving Arts Education Partnerships by Melissa K. Rowe, 2004
Teaching Partenrships by Arts Education Partnership, 2002
Strengthening State-Level Arts Education Partnerships comissioned by The Kennedy Center, 2000

NEXT WEEK'S REPORT: "Engaging Aliterate Students: A Literacy/Theatre project helps students comprehend, vizualize and enjoy literature"

IN THE NEWS: Literature to Life in the Wall Street Journal

2011-02-25T20:56:40+00:00

Wednesday evening Preview of the Arts presented our Literature to Life presentation of Fahrenheit 451 at Joe’s Pub, “NYC’s most celebrated and in-demand showcase venue for live music and performance.” A journalist from the Wall Street Journal was also in attendance, and wrote an intriguing article interviewing Wynn and David. Read what she had to say about the show here, and by all means feel free to make a comment.

COMPANY WORDS: O’Brien’s Story Comes to Life at Joe’s Pub

2011-02-24T15:39:25+00:00

The Things They Carried at Joe's Pub - November 5, 2010 at 7pm

As a relatively new addition to The American Place Theatre family – and as a lover of theatre and live performance, but relative newcomer to all things backstage and behind the scenes – I had the most wonderful experience at Joe’s Pub on November 5, 2010 for the Literature to Life performance of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried.

On the day of the show, I left my development and finance work behind at my desk at around 3pm, and headed downtown to Joe’s Pub with David Kener (our Executive Director), Manuel Simons (our Associate Director: Education Programs and Stage Manager for the evening), and Katie McGhee (one of our fabulous Fall interns) to help out at my very first tech rehearsal.

Over the next two hours, I was treated to a fascinating glimpse into the theatrical production process as I observed Manuel working with our Co-Founder/Artistic Director Wynn Handman (who also adapted and directed the show) and the Joe’s Pub technicians to set the sound and lighting cues for our actor, Billy Lyons, and bassist, Kai Ando.

After the doors opened at 6pm, the SOLD OUT crowd began to stream in, order dinner and drinks, and eventually settle into their seats. By the time 7pm rolled around, the energy in the venue was electric. It was enthralling to see the way that the snippets of the show that I had seen Billy and Kai run through during rehearsal came together as a coherent narrative. Billy and Kai's performances were wonderful, and the post-show panel was the perfect way to cap off my experience.

The panel, moderated by our Executive Director, David Kener, featured David Montgomery (Clinical Assistant Professor of Educational Theatre at NYU and a specialist in drama education), Todd Bowers (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America-IAVA Deputy Executive Director), Billy, and Kai. Hearing Todd tell us about the things he carries after experiencing multiple tours of duty in two theatres - both Iraq and Afghanistan - was incredibly moving and breathed even more life into the evening.

HAPPENING SOON: Fahrenheit 451 on Feb 23 at Joe’s Pub

2011-02-09T17:10:48+00:00

PREVIEW OF THE ARTS AND THE AMERICAN PLACE THEATRE PRESENT RAY BRADBURY’S FAHRENHEIT 451 - FEBRUARY 23 AT JOE’S PUB
Adapted and Directed by Wynn Handman, Performance Is Part of The American Place Theatre’s Signature Literature to Life® Program

Following The American Place Theatre’s sold-out presentation of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried in the inaugural Preview of the Arts last November, the organizations are continuing their collaboration with Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. This, too, is part of The American Place Theatre’s Literature to Life® series, a performance-based literacy program offering professionally staged verbatim adaptations of significant American literary works. Adapted and directed by The American Place Theatre Artistic Director Wynn Handman and performed by the Emmy-nominated actor Rich Orlow, Fahrenheit 451 will be staged Wednesday, February 23 at Joe’s Pub.

The performance will begin at 7:00 P.M. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased by visiting www.previewnyc.com, calling 212.967.7555, or in person at the box office. Dinner reservations must be made separately by calling 212.539.8778. Joe’s Pub is located at 425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003.

Fahrenheit 451 presents a frightening vision of the future: Fireman don’t put out fires; they start them in order to burn books. The American Place Theatre’s Literature to Life presentation, first adapted for the stage in 2008, helped to launch the company's national campaign Project 451: Let’s Keep Literature (A)live, featuring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and others. In 2009, The American Place Theatre selected Bradbury for its 2009 Literature to Life Award.

Handman’s treatment of Bradbury’s classic novel offers a haunting look at the dangers of censorship in a modern world. The show features sixty minutes of performance spanning the full breadth of the novel. The actor Rich Orlow, a master of character work, tells the story from the perspective of the protagonist, Montag, and seamlessly transitions between five other primary characters. About Rich Orlow

Rich Orlow has performed in Off-Broadway and regional productions, independent films, television shows and over a thousand voice-overs for radio, television and animation. This year, he can be seen in an upcoming episode of “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” and the comedy pilot Neerja. In 2007, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his work as the Narrator and all the characters in Discovery Education’s The Icons of Science.

About Wynn Handman
Wynn Handman co-founded The American Place Theatre with Sidney Lanier and Michael Tolan in 1963. He has brought to the stage the early work of many of America’s finest playwrights, including William Alfred, Ed Bullins, Phillip Hayes Dean, Maria Irene Fornes, Ron Milner, Jonathan Reynolds, Ronald Ribman, Sam Shepard, and Steve Tesich. He has introduced plays by writers from other areas, such as Donald Barthelme, Robert Lowell, Joyce Carol Oates, Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, and Robert Penn Warren. Important writer-performers received early recognition through their work at The American Place Theatre, including Bill Irwin for The Regard of Flight, Eric Bogosian for Drinking in America, John Leguizamo for Mambo Mouth, Aasif Mandvi for Sakina’s Restaurant, and Dael Orlandersmith for Beauty’s Daughter.

He is a recipient of the 1999 Obie for Sustained Achievement; the Lucille Lortell Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the league of Off-Broadway Theatres in 1993; the Rosetta LeNoire Award in 1994 from Actor’s Equity Association in recognition of his artistic achievements and contribution to the “universality of the human experience in American theatre”; two Audelco for Excellence in Black Theatre Awards, as Best Director for Zora Neale Hurston, in 1990, and Fly in 1998; the Carnegie Mellon Drama Commitment to Playwriting Award in 1996; the Working Theatre’s Sanford Meisner Service Award for “his leadership in disseminating the arts to working people,” and was honored by The New Federal Theatre in 2001. In addition, he received from the Alumni Association of City College of New York, The Townsend Harris Medal, “in recognition of his distinguished contributions to his chosen field of work and the welfare of his fellow men." In May of 2003, Mr. Handman was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters by the University of Miami.

A noted teacher for over 50 years, in his professional acting classes, Mr. Handman has trained many outstanding actors including: Alec Baldwin, James Caan, Kathleen Chalfant, Chris Cooper, Michael Douglas, Sandy Duncan, Richard Gere, Joel Grey, Allison Janney, Raul Julia, Frank Langella, John Leguizamo, Susan Lucci, Donna Mills, Burt Reynolds, Tony Roberts, Anna Deavere Smith, Mira Sorvino, Christopher Walken, Denzel Washington and Joanne Woodward.

About The American Place Theatre and Literature to Life
The American Place Theatre’s Literature to Life® program, led by David Kener, is a national arts education outreach program serving young people and educators in New York City and across the country. Through theatrical adaptations, Literature to Life develops students’ engagement and academic achievement by fostering personal connections to their classroom curriculum. Following a Literature to Life performance, 85% of students want to read or re-read the book, and after a Literature to Life in-school Residency, over 90% of teachers report a positive impact on students’ critical thinking, cultural awareness and reading comprehension. Literature to Life has already served over 400,000 students nationwide. For 49 years, The American Place Theatre, recipient of over 30 Obies and 16 Audelcos, has earned acclaim as a birthing place for artistic endeavors at the crossroad of literature and live performance. The Theatre is committed to producing high quality new work by diverse American writers, and to pursuing pluralism and diversity in all its endeavors. The American Place Theatre strives to respond to the needs of our time with work that is relevant and cuts deeply into the fabric of American society.

About Preview of the Arts
Through Preview of the Arts, the Broadway, Off–Broadway, downtown and the independent arts scene come together to offer performances, talks, film and stage readings. Preview of the Arts began as three–day event in November 2010 at Joe's Pub and highlighted the work of writers, directors, filmmakers and performers from all artistic arenas. The Preview was created to stimulate, illuminate and build excitement for the 2011 arts season. The inaugural Preview featured contributions from Adam Rapp, John Patrick Shanley, Joe Iconis, Museum of the Moving Image and The American Place Theatre. The Preview offers audiences a backstage look at theater, and allows audiences to see work created by the artists in advance from preproduction, design, casting and staging to the process behind key decisions. Preview of the Arts events offer previews of productions prior to opening night and explore everything from modes of expression and storytelling to the rigors of the craft and the business of the arts, to feeding the beast—the art of creation itself. The Preview offers promotion and exposure for artists and artistic institutions. Our scheduling process presents the greatest possible variety of work throughout the year. The content is created and programmed by participants.

As part of the Preview of the Arts 2011 event in November, The American Place Theatre drew an overflow crowd to Joe’s Pub on November 5, 2010 for its Literature to Life presentation of The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien, directed by Wynn Handman and performed by Billy Lyons.

Preview of the Arts 2011 is a production of Artist Collective NYC, a nonprofit collective of established and emerging artists. ACNYC's mission is to enhance the exposure of artists through collaborations, publicity, exhibitions, benefits and hybrid events that sustain and reinvigorate the artistic community in New York City and abroad. Please contact Nickey Frankel at artistcollectivenyc@gmail.com, or join The Preview mailing list for more information at www.previewnyc.com.

For more information, please visit www.literaturetolife.org/451, www.youtube.com/joinproject451, and www.previewnyc.com.

To see The American Place Theatre Executive Director David Kener’s interview with Bradbury on the occasion of 2009 Literature to Life Award, click HERE:

Press Contact: Blake Zidell, Blake Zidell & Associates, 718.643.9052 or blake@blakezidell.com.

IN THE NEWS: Adapting the Novel for Live Performance

2011-02-09T15:12:21+00:00

In January 2005, Australian PhD student Jenni Munday wrote an email to The American Place Theatre. Her aim was to further her research on the topic of adapting literature for live performance, and without doubt a match was made. A few months later, she and her charming daughter Bonnie flew across the ocean to spend the summer in New York. Jenni's careful observations of our premiere Teaching Artist Training, and her work with Wynn Handman on the adaptation of a new (as yet unfinished) adaption called Dorothy and Red, are insightful and memorable.

Best yet, her work is now published for us all to read at womenplaywrights.org.

Remembering Michael Tolan

2011-02-04T15:35:28+00:00

We at The American Place Theatre note with sorrow the passing of our co-founder whose talent and belief enhanced our beginnings some 50 years ago.

From the NYTimes:

Michael Tolan, an actor who became a recurring presence on television in the 1960s and ’70s after walking away from film and Broadway but who returned to the stage to help found the American Place Theater, a successful Off Broadway house, died on Monday in Hudson, N.Y. He was 85.

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READ MORE ABOUT MICHAEL'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE WORLD OF THEATRE.

IN THE NEWS: A slave’s journey to freedom, retold for a new generation.

2011-02-04T15:22:47+00:00

From an article in Lancaster Online:

Harriet Jacobs spent seven years hiding in an attic crawl space that at its tallest reached only three feet.

There were no windows, no heat, no cool breezes, only the distant sounds of her children's voices to keep her company.

Jacobs was born a slave in North Carolina in 1813. Her tiny hideaway, in which she lived while in her 20s, was part of her plan for freedom.

Cherita Armstrong is a contemporary actress from New York City, who for three years has portrayed Jacobs in the American Place Theatre's Literature to Life presentation of "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," taken from a memoir by Jacobs.

She'll be bringing that story to the stage at Millersville University Friday and at MU-Lancaster on Saturday.

It's a story filled with the shame, indignities and profound injustices suffered specifically by female slaves.

But it's also a story filled with the hope, patience and perseverance of one woman who dared not only to escape from the bondage of slavery, but to write a book about her experiences to try to educate people on the spiritual and psychological torture endured as human property.

"Each time I tell this story, I feel such an appreciation for her and so grateful that I can tell it, that it makes me feel stronger as a person and proud as an actor," Armstrong says.

"I'm honored to be able to do it."

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON LANCASTER ONLINE.

IN THE NEWS: Fahrenheit 451, Black Boy, and Huckleberry Finn

2011-01-18T16:08:20+00:00

We’ve been seeing Fahrenheit 451 in the news a lot lately, specifically connected to the new edition of Huckleberry Finn that is being published by Alan Gribben and NewSouth Books. As mentioned in a piece on AOL, in this edition Gribben has removed Twain’s use of the “N” word and replaced it with the word “slave.”

Our own David Kener wrote an article for RHI, Random House Inc.’s publication on banned books and censorship (available as a free download here) about an eerily similar issue we faced with our Literature to Life title Black Boy by Richard Wright. Below is the text of Kener’s article as well as an AOL news article rehearsing the censorship debate for both sides of the fence. However we may feel about the censorship discussion personally, it is always good to see people so fired up about literature - take what Gawker’s Chance Hamlin said for example, “So... great! I myself am working on a new edition of Othello in which the word "Moor" is replaced with "nice man."”

FROM RHI, Inc. (Vol 3, Issue 1) Bringing Literature to Life, by David Kener

Not that long ago, I was seated in our intimate studio theatre in midtown Manhattan watching a dynamic, solo performance of The Things They Carried, by Tim O’Brien. Quite suddenly, I was called out to address an urgent phone call. Our educational partner in Cleveland had some difficult news.

Our production of Richard Wright’s classic novel Black Boy, one of the best-known in our Literature to Life® series of great American literature brought to the stage, was to be performed for 1,600 students, 300 live and 1,300 via closed circuit TV into their classrooms. The pre-show would begin in a few short hours, and the leadership of the school had just announced to our teaching artist that the actor could not, under any circumstances, use the “n” word as contained in the script. “If he says it even once we will have the police remove him from the stage.”

My heart just stopped. Our Literature to Life Program prides itself on verbatim adaptations of selected text in order to provide new access to the author’s words and encourage deep personal connections to the material. How could a modern educational institution even consider removing any text whatsoever, let alone a word that is at the very center of the journey and moral significance of the story?

My first response was absolutely, no. It is not my place, or my right, to alter the words of the author. That is sacred ground. I vowed long ago not to allow words and ideas to be removed from our texts and our lives. Sitting in my office, I immediately thought of Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury (a classic we have since selected for our 2009 Literature to Life Award). Over the span of 15 years, we have adapted more than twenty works of great writers from Toni Morrison to Frank McCourt, Sandra Cisneros to Khaled Hosseini, but Ray Bradbury and that book have been a sort of a Holy Grail to us.

F-451 takes a very passionate and essential truth—that ideas are sacred and necessary—and sounds the alarm. The transformative power of both words and writers are at the heart of the work we do at The American Place Theatre. Words are indeed sacred, but also precious and vulnerable. They are powerful and must be heard. For young readers with 21st century approaches to learning, having Montag come to his monumental realizations in a more visceral way, dramatically on a stage, is a consummation devoutly to be wished. To meet Captain Beatty in person and have him deliver his precise explanation of why it came to be that books, by necessity, be eliminated; to eavesdrop on Montag and Professor Faber’s crazy scheme to save the world—these are experiences that will remain with you forever. They are neither the same as reading nor a substitute for that very private experience; rather, they are a communal engagement that activates the imagination in critical and profound ways.

So put yourself in my shoes in regards to Black Boy. What would you do? What would Richard Wright do? What would Ray Bradbury do? While an actor must “live truthfully under imaginary circumstances,” American Place remains resolutely aware that the environment in which we present our work is not the real world, but the school world. We are partners in a very delicate balance with the teacher, the school, and the student.

Putting yourself in the shoes of others is at the very essence of drama-in-education and the Literature to Life methodology. It informs the surrounding activities of our in-classroom Residency workshops and our Professional Development activities. Adhering to that purpose, I investigated further and discovered the situation at the high school was more nuanced than it had at first appeared. The community had just experienced severe racial tensions that the school did not want to enflame. However, if I simply agreed to eliminate the “n” word, I would be denying the entire school the chance to see and hear all of the ideas and thoughts of Richard Wright as he battled racism and hatred in his own country.

We were ultimately left with a stark choice: either cancel the show and deprive the students of Wright’s work, or do the show without the offensive word. I asked to speak to my actor privately and, considering the circumstances, we decided we could not deny even one student the right to be inspired by Wright’s hunger for truth and equality. So we staged the play, albeit with a substitute word.

I vowed that day to push harder, to make bolder our mission of “voices worth hearing.” We present this upcoming season of books to the stage, specifically Fahrenheit 451, in order to stoke the flame that is too easily extinguished. To learn how this and other great literature can be brought to life for you and your students, visit www.americanplacetheatre.org or call 212-594-4482 x22.