(New York, NY) — Starting Fall 2022, Literature to Life (LTL)is a performance-based literacy program that specializes in presenting the classics of American literature, with more than 20 performances in five states thanks to partnerships with the National Book Festival in Washington, DC and the Freedom Reads Foundation. correctional facility. LTL presents verbatim adaptations of classic and contemporary novels featuring solo actors.
Performances for the 2022-2023 season include: black boy (Richard Wright), county of kings (Lemon Andersen), 451 degrees Fahrenheit (Ray Bradbury), If Beale Street could talk (James Baldwin), The short and mysterious life of Oscar Wow (Juno Diaz), Donor (Lois Lowry), and late homecomer (Khao Kalia Yang).
From February to May of this year, LTL will showcase the company’s award-winning works in schools, performing arts centers, and correctional institutions in New York City, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. bring to the facility. .
All LTL productions include an educational component, from open discussions with the audience after the show to a series of in-classroom workshops facilitated by LTL Teaching Artists. LTL productions are available in live, virtual, and pre-recorded formats to best suit the needs of your presenter’s audience.
Production of Kao Kalia Yang’s work by Literature to Life late homecomera memoir about Yang’s life as a young Hmong girl who immigrates to America with her family, was adapted during the shutdown of the pandemic. It was virtually only staged until the late homecomer continues its Minnesota tour in February at Ordway in St. Paul, Minnesota with performances on February 9th and 22nd. late homecomer This first-hand performance holds special significance in the history of this LTL production, as it is where actors Gao Song Huu and Kao Kalia Yang first settled with their families in the book.
latecomer It will then tour the University of Northern Iowa on February 22nd and the Hyde Center for the Arts in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin on February 23rd. in May, late homecomer will hold a workshop at the Volker Orth Art Museum in Flushing, Queens on May 4th, followed by a performance at the Kupferberg Center at Queen’s College on May 5th.
Works by Richard Wright by LTL black boy It will tour February 15th at Harvest College-Eight High School in Manhattan and March 13th at the Zyterion Theater in New Bedford, Massachusetts. In the second half of 2022, black boy was the first Literature to Life title published in a correctional facility with the support of Freedom Reads. Founded by Reginald Dwayne Betts, Freedom Reads helps people in prison to imagine new possibilities for their lives through access to books and literacy programs. On April 19, at Taconic Correctional Facility, If Beale Street could talk This will be James Baldwin’s second LTL performance for people in prison.
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Each year LTL partners with Whiting of Flint, Michigan to offer programs to local schools. From late 2022 to his early 2023, Lemon Andersen’s county of kings and James Baldwin If Beale Street could talk provided in virtual form. From March 9th to 10th, Literature to Life returns to Whiting with Junot Diaz short strange life of Oscar Wow. This spring, Oscar Wow will attend Fordham High School in New York City and on March 29th, William Patterson College in Wayne, New Jersey.
Other Spring LTL New Jersey shows include:: Ray Bradbury’s 451 degrees Fahrenheit at Jersey City’s County Prep High School and Royce Lawry’s Donor At the Algonquin Theater on May 18th. Donor It will also be presented at UPenn Arts in Philadelphia, PA from May 22-23.
Artistic Director Elise Tron said: “I was so happy to see the long awaited in-person premiere of ‘Late Homecoming.’ Now I’m so happy it reached such a large live audience. The wonderful Dwayne Betts. The performances we are doing in prison through our Freedom Lead Project are very impactful. …that’s exactly what we aim for. And more!”
“This season started with DC’s National Book Festival,” says Executive Director Lisa Beth Vettoso. “It turns out that the high-profile event was emblematic of the level of growth Literature to Life will achieve this season. Brilliant, timely, and by authors of all ages and backgrounds.Our company is made up of thoughtful actors and educational artists who reflect the diversity of the titles we present. , conference room, stage, anywhere on the map, ready to meet you.”
LTL is a program adaptable to a wide range of venues and audiences and is continuously accepting new bookings. For more information on how to implement her LTL productions in your school, theater, institution or business, please contact her Executive Director, Lisa Beth Vettoso, at lisa.v@literaturetolife.org.
literature to life is a performance-based literacy program in professional verbatim adaptations of American literary classics. Its mission is to present great books to inspire young people to read and become authors of their own lives. , continues the legacy of founder Wynn Handman, who championed American writers from diverse backgrounds as “voices worth listening to.” Today, under the leadership of LTL Co-Founder Artistic Director Elise Thoron and Executive Director Lisa Beth Vettoso, this powerful collective of artists and educators brings the voices of diverse writers to thousands across the country. We provide the tools to reach and empower students and audiences. “Voices Worth Hearing” of our future.
