Bringing Books to Life! Book-It Repertory Theatre began in 1990 with a mission to transform great literature into great theatre through simple and sensitive production and to inspire our audiences to read. The unique Book-It Style™ preserves the narrative text as it is spoken, not by a single “narrator,” but as dialogue by the characters in the production. We connect with thousands of people every year, igniting their interest in literature and encouraging them to use their imaginations. Book-It All Over, the educational wing of Book-It Repertory Theatre, is dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to read. We tour a diverse range of stories to schools, libraries, and community centers throughout Washington State; conduct long-term residencies in schools; offer teacher professional development for school staff; and present low-cost student matinées of our main stage shows. All of these programs are specifically designed to offer youth a positive and active experience with literature. Book-It All Over brings books to vivid life on stage— literature becomes accessible, curriculum is enriched, students become passionate about reading, and art becomes an integral part of education.
OUR MISSION
To provide an interactive relationship between youth and literature through theatrical productions and educational programs that promote the joy of reading, embrace diversity, enhance student and teacher learning, and inspire the imagination.
CONTACT US! Book-It All Over Seattle Center House, 305 Harrison St Seattle, WA 98109 Ph: 206.770.0880 Fx: 206.256.9666 education@book-it.org www.book-it.org
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Arthur Allen, Jenny Dantes, & Daniel Stoltenberg in La Mariposa, 2008. Photo by Sara Lachman.
What Book-It All Over Offers TOURING STORIES p. 3 – 7 Original adaptations of stories for children, young adults, and adults alike tour to schools, libraries, and community venues. Touring Package includes: Book-It All Over performance, Book, Study guide, and Workshop for 35 students. Cost: $575.
RESIDENCIES p. 8 Long-term, customized program designed with classroom teachers to address specific curricula, academic standards, and students’ needs. Residency Package includes: Customized literature-based curricula, Teaching Artist(s), Book-It All Over performance, and culminates in student performance. Cost: Varies based on scope.
STUDENT MATINEES p. 9 Student matinées of Book-It Repertory Theatre’s mainstage productions: Red Ranger Came Calling, Great Expectations, and Prairie Nocturne. All matinées begin at10:30 a.m. and run 2-3 hours. Cost: $10 per student, one free chaperone ticket per 10 students.
TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT p.10 Book-It offers two professional development programs for teachers: a customized program that works with your school to help teachers use the Book-It Style™ to bring everyday curriculum to life; and a summer intensive workshop—Bringing Theatre into the Classroom—taught collaboratively by four area theatres. Cost $200-$2,000, packages vary based on scope.
Photos by Chris Bennion. Right: May Nazareno in The Prince of the Pond, 2004; Cover photos, top to bottom: Arthur Allen in La Mariposa, 2008; Gavin Cummins & Kate Jaeger in Johnny Appleseed, 2010; The Prince of the Pond, 2004; Terri Weagant inThe Jungle Books, 2009, and Shermona Mitchell, Cassandra Pittman & Zach Adair in Catching The Moon, 2010.
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GRADES: 6 – Adult
Danger: Books! is an ongoing series of readings from books that have been banned or challenged in the United States. Every year, we offer a fresh selection of readings. Past programs have included excerpts from The Lord of the Flies, Beloved, The Lorax, Geography Club, The Boy Who Lost His Face, and And Tango Makes Three. Readings are presented in the BookIt Style™ by professional actors who perform the most controversial sections from the books, then facilitate a discussion on the First Amendment and how and why books are banned and challenged.
TOURS: Sept – Nov THEMES: Censorship, First Amendment rights, artistic freedom
Please note: Danger: Books! does not include a book or workshop.
EVENTS: Banned Books Month, Teen Read Month
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One Hundred years ago, women in Washington State won the right to vote. Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices by Shanna Stevenson tells the story of the women who, in 1910, fought, spoke out, and organized to pass an amendment to the State Constitution giving women permanent voting rights—a full ten years before the United States would do GRADES: 6 – Adult the same. But we know the battle didn’t end there, and this compelling book also details women’s continuing TOURS: Sept – Nov struggle for equal rights over the past century—from THEMES: Women’s History, advocating for the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920 to current struggles to achieve equality in education, Suffrage Movement politics, and the workplace. This timely tour of Women’s EVENTS: 100th Anniversary Votes, Women’s Voices is made possible through a comof Washington State passmission from 4Culture. ing suffragist laws
This fall, Book-It All Over brings back one of our most popular and beloved touring stories. A new twist on an old tale, The Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known as De Fawg Pin, is a charming story of a prince in frog’s clothing. The victim of a witch’s curse, De Fawg Pin tries his best to adapt his human sensibilities to an amphibious world, and the outcome is truly hilarious. Receiving the School Library Journal “Science Is Fun” award, this story blends the fantastic and the facetious, the silly and the scientific, to create not only a delightful fairy tale but also an entertaining lesson in pond life.
GRADES: K – 6 TOURS: Sept – Dec THEMES: Family, community, reproduction, acceptance, tolerance, patience, habitat—rivers, lakes & ponds
Illustration from The Prince of The Pond by Donna Jo Napoli © 1992 by Judith Byron Schachner. Published by Penguin Books USA. All Rights Reserved.
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If you were enslaved, to what lengths would you go in order to be free? In Book-It All Over’s winter touring show, Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine, Henry Brown is faced with this question. Born a slave, repeatedly separated from his family and the people he loves, Henry decides to take an incredible risk and literally mail himself to freedom. In this remarkable true story of perseverance in the face of oppression, audiences will have the chance to follow Henry’s rollercoaster of a journey from bondage to liberty.
Illustration from Henry’s Freedom Box by Ellen Levine © 2007 by Kadir Nelson, Inc. Published by Scolastic Press. All Rights Reserved.
GRADES: K – 8 TOURS: January – April THEMES: Perseverance, slavery, family, American history, creative problem solving
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EVENTS: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Black History Month
When her parents die of cholera in Colonial India, spoiled Mary Lennox must go live with her uncle at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire, England. Uncle Archibald Craven is a brooding, mysterious man who mostly leaves Mary to her own devices. Lonely and friendless, Mary chafes in her new situation until she discovers the key to an unkempt garden and, with the aid of a local boy named Dickon, learns how to make it grow. The newly-found key unlocks not only the garden, but Mary’s capacity to love and nurture. Book-It is pleased to celebrate spring with this classic story of family, friendship, and renewal.
GRADES: K – 8 TOURS: February – August THEMES: Friendship, family, rebirth, gardening, the environment EVENTS: Earth Day, Spring Illustration by Troy Howell from The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Published by Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York, 1911. University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections.
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Touring Story Details FALL Danger: Books! Grade 6-Adult Women’s Votes, Women’s Voices Grade 6-Adult The Prince of the Pond Grade K-6
WINTER/SPRING Henry’s Freedom Box Grade K-8
SPRING The Secret Garden Grade K-8 • • • • •
Program includes performance, book, study guide, and workshop Tours to schools, libraries, community venues Performances are 25-45 minutes long Audience size can range from 10-500 in gyms, classrooms, and auditoriums Workshops are 45-60 minutes for a maximum of 35 students
WORKSHOP CHOICES Themes in Motion: Based on the story presented, the teaching artists use creative dramatics to take the students through different themes. 45 minutes long, for grades K-2. Storytelling Standing Up: Thirty students write a seven-sentence story, adapt it into the Book-It Style™, are cast and directed by the teaching artists, then perform their literary creation. One hour long, for grades 3-12.
COST $575 includes performance, book, study guide, and workshop Additional workshops: $125 each Additional travel fees apply
BOOK YOUR TOURING STORY OR RESIDENCY TODAY! Contact Book-It All Over 206.770.0880 • education@book-it.org
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Photos by Chris Bennion, top: John Ulman & Antonia Darlene in Minty, a Story of Young Harriet Tubman, 2008; left: James Weidman in Johnny Appleseed, 2010.
Book-It All Over Residencies
Bring Classroom Literature to Life! A Book-It All Over residency is a long-term, customized program where students explore literature and bring it to the stage. Each program is designed with the classroom teacher to address specific curricula, academic standards, and student needs. All residencies feature professionally trained Book-It teaching artists and culminate in a final performance of the literature. Students explore literacy elements such as character, setting, plot, theme, and point of view to gain a deeper understanding of a book while making it come alive on stage. Residencies create collaborative class environments, providing students with a toolbox of useful skills for the future: cooperation, collaboration, and problem solving. Through the synthesis of literature and theatre, the program challenges and inspires students to analyze and interpret text in a highly personal, fun, and physical way!
Photos by Chris Bennion, top: workshop at Coe Elementary; above: Foster High School residency.
GRADES: K-12 LENGTH: One week or more COST: Varies based on the length and scope of the program. RESIDENCIES INCLUDE Customized literature-based curricula, Book-It All Over performance, Professional Teaching Artist(s), and culminate in a student performance.
“I think that this BookIt [residency] has made me grow emotionally – I feel like I can easily share my ideas, concerns, etc. I also feel like this experience has helped me overcome my fear of performing in front of others, or being afraid of being heard or projecting my voice. This performance has been great!”
–9th grade student at Chief Sealth High School
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Student Matinée Series Book-It Repertory Theatre’s mainstage productions are available to schools through low-cost student matinées. Experience unique theatrical productions that promote the joy of reading, embrace diversity, enhance learning, and inspire the imagination. Tickets are $10 per student with one free chaperone ticket per 10 students. All shows start at 10:30 a.m., see below for theatre location.
NEW THIS YEAR: In-class pre- and post-show workshops are available!
For more information Contact Book-It All Over206.770.0880 or education@book-it.org
RED RANGER CAME CALLING by Berkeley Breathed
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SHOWING: Dec 1, 8, 2010 • Eve Alvord Theatre at Seattle Children’s Theatre GRADES: K-6 Book-It’s musical holiday favorite, Red Ranger Came Calling, is based on the true story of the author’s father who, at age nine, insisted on be addressed as the Red Ranger of Mars. Christmas 1939, the Red Ranger was sent to Vashon Island to spend the holiday with Aunt Vy, where his encounter with a man thought to be Santa himself left an indelible mark on the landscape still visible today!
GREAT EXPECTATIONS by Charles Dickens
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SHOWING: Feb 15, 16, Mar 1, 2011 • Center House Theatre • GRADES: 7-12 A terrifying graveyard encounter with an escaped convict; a summons to meet 1 the bitter, decaying Miss Havisham and her beautiful, cold-hearted ward Estella; the sudden generosity of an unknown benefactor—this series of events changes the orphaned Pip’s life forever, and he eagerly flees his humble origins in favor of a new life as a gentleman in London. Dickens’ haunting late novel depicts Pip’s education and development through adversity as he discovers that having “expectations” is a two-edged sword.
PRAIRIE NOCTURNE by Ivan Doig SHOWING: Mar 23, 2011 • Center House Theatre • GRADES: 9-12 Set in 1924 Montana, Prairie Nocturne tells the story of two former lovers reunited to share in an extraordinary goal: launching the singing career of Monty Rathbun, a black chauffeur and former rodeo clown. Doig’s rich narrative twists through the challenges of racism on the prairie, winds its way back into its characters’ pasts and ahead into their shared futures in New York during the Harlem Renaissance.
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Photos by Erik Stuhaug, top: The Cast of Red Ranger Came Calling, 2004; right: David Quicksall, Heather Guiles & Marty Mukhalian in Hard Times, 2003.
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Professional Development CUSTOMIZED TEACHER TRAINING Book-It offers customized training for K-12 teachers and educators. Our professional development program works with your school to help teachers use the Book-It Style™ to bring everyday curriculum to life. We offer workshops for 10-20 participants for three-hour sessions or longer and provide clock hours—a perfect workshop for an in-service day! COST: $600-$2,000 based on number of workshops, customization, and the scope of the program.
BRINGING THEATRE INTO THE CLASSROOM A collaboration between four area theatres— Book-It Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and Seattle Shakespeare Company—Bringing Theatre into the Classroom (BTiC) is a fiveday intensive summer workshop for K-12 teachers, with a one-week followup during the school year. BTiC creates an engaging and fun learning community among Participants in the 2009 teachers and teaching artists to inBTiC workshop. Photos tegrate drama into all curriculum by Laine Mullen. areas to help make subjects come alive. First-hand involvement allows time to test ideas and build them into workable, practical units. DATES: July 12-16, 2010 LOCATION: Seattle Repertory Theatre COST: $200 per teacher APPLY ONLINE: www.book-it.org/btic.php Book-It Repertory Theatre (as part of Bringing Theatre into the Classroom) and the South Kitsap School District have been selected to participate in the Partners in Education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Back cover photos by Chris Bennion unless otherwise noted, clockwise from top left: James Weidman & Kate Jaeger in Johnny Appleseed, 2010; Mona Leach and Emjoy Gavino in Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, 2004; Students at Coe Elementary; Sara Mountjoy-Pepka in Jabuti The Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon, 2009, photo by Laine Mullen; Nick O’Donnell leads a post-show classroom workshop, 2004; and Antonia Darlene and Shermona Mitchell in Minty, a Story of Young Harriet Tubman, 2008.
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Book-It Repertory Theatre 305 Harrison Street Seattle, WA 98109
Seattle, WA Permit No. 631
PAID
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage
The National Endowment for the Arts, Safeco Insuance Foundation, Lucky Seven Foundation, 4Culture, The Medtronic Foundation, The Norcliffe Foundation, Target, Washington State Arts Commision, US Bancorp Foundation, The Baker Foundation, Fales Foundation Trust, and ArtsFund/Wells Fargo Cultural Education Enhancement Fund.
Book-It All Over is Supported, in part by:
Book Your Story Today! Call 206.770.0880