Lois Lowry, Author Of THE GIVER, To Visit Florida Rep This Fall

Florida Repertory Theatre is proud to announce that award-winning author, Lois Lowry, and Broadway playwright, Eric Coble, will be in residence on November 6 for a performance and post-show discussion of Coble's adaptation of Lowry's acclaimed book, "The Giver."

The performance begins at 6:00 PM on November 6 in the Historic Arcade Theatre, and the discussion will follow. Tickets for the event are $10 and are available through the box office only at 239-332-4488. Information on the event and Florida Rep's Education Department is at www.floridarepeducation.org.

Now a household name for students across the country, Lois Lowry published her first novel, a dramatic work called "A Summer to Die" in 1977. She showed her lighter side with 1979's "Anastasia Krupnik," which became the first in a series of humorous books. She won her first Newbery Award for the 1989 novel, "Number the Stars," a work of historical fiction about a Jewish family's escape from Copenhagen in World War II. In 1994, Lowry received the honor a second time for "The Giver," which would go on to sell over 12 million copies worldwide, and become a staple in middle school classrooms. The book was adapted to the screen in 2014 starring Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep. "The Giver" is now part of a quartet of books in a series with "Gathering Blue (2000), "Messenger" (2004), and "Son" (2012).

Coble's plays have been produced on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and on four continents, including productions at Manhattan Class Company, the Kennedy Center, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Alliance Theater, Stages Repertory, and the Contemporary American Theater Festival. His awards include the AT&T Onstage Award and National Theatre Conference Playwriting Award. Coble is a member of the Cleveland Playhouse Playwrights Unit, and writes, acts, and plays with his family in Cleveland, Ohio.

Florida Repertory Theatre's relationship with Coble began in 2006, when he was commissioned to write "ZAP!" for the Theatre for Young Audiences Series - Florida Rep's first commission. Sponsored by the Lee County Electric Cooperative, "ZAP!" was a play about electrical safety, history, and conservation. Later, in 2016, Coble's new play, "In Vivo" was read in the now-popular new works festival, PlayLab.

"The Giver" is the story of 12-year-old Jonas living in a colorless Utopian world without any pain or abnormality. Every role in the community is assigned, and nothing is questioned. But when Jonas turns 12 and is given the special role of Receiver of Memories. He meets The Giver and learns of the world as it once was: colored with the violence and fear, but also with joy and love. Now he must make a choice that will change his world forever.

"The Giver" by Eric Coble and based on Lowry's novel is on tour throughout Southwest Florida through May 2018 and is available for school bookings and has on-site performances at Florida Rep. The Theatre for Young Audiences Series is one of many programs that make up Florida Rep's Education Department which reaches 31,000 students yearly.

"The Giver" stars Florida Rep's six performance interns, Haley Clay, Dillon Feldman, Paul Embry Gary, Virginia Newsome, Julia Rifino, and Sean R. Royal, and is directed by Education Director, Kody C. Jones. The production features a set design by resident designer, Jordan Moore, a costume design by Alexandria Vazquez, and a sound design by John Kiselica.

Tickets to the Nov 6 performance are $10 and include the post-show talkback. Limited parking is available starting one hour prior to the performance. To book a tour, contact Education Outreach Manager, Anna McCullers at 239.332.4665 x 2041.

"The Giver" is generously sponsored by LCEC.

Florida Repertory Theatre performs in the Historic Arcade Theatre and the ArtStage Studio Theatre on Bay St. between Jackson & Hendry with limited free parking in the Fort Myers River District. Visit Florida Rep online at FloridaRep.org, and by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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