The Big Read Program Launches at People's Light January-March 2011

People's Light & Theatre Company, in partnership with the Chester County and Delaware County Library Systems and select middle schools, plans a Big Read program for January - March 2011, centered on Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The Big Read, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest, is designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment.

Bringing together one of the Philadelphia area's major regional theatres with two of the region's main library systems, the Big Read program is designed to engage challenged readers by linking reading to performances and a series of experiential art-making events. From Laura Eason's stage adaptation of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, which People's Light will produce February 17 - March 13, 2011, to a series of joint book discussion/theatre workshops at local libraries, the program aims to capture the vitality and immediacy of Twain's book by giving readers a variety of imaginative gateways into the material.
People's Light will also partner with three area middle schools to work closely with groups of particularly challenged readers. Through a series of intensive workshops, theatre teaching artists and students from the Pathway School in Norristown, Delaware Valley Friends School in Paoli, and Renaissance Academy in Phoenixville will explore the characters and events of Twain's novel, expanding students' connection to the book through kinesthetic, interactive exercises. Students will then attend the Theatre's Main Stage production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and will participate in follow-up workshops with company arts educators.

PUBLIC EVENTS INCLUDED IN THE BIG READ PROGRAM

Mark Twain Day

Saturday, January 15, 2011
3 - 6pm

Upper Lobby of the Main Stage

An all-ages welcome celebration featuring an introduction to this dynamic American author, as well as games and theatre activities to explore the characters and setting of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Those attending can receive discounted vouchers to the production, as well as book copies. This event will also feature the launch of the "Picket Fence" lobby installation, in which participants may decorate their own picket with the name of their favorite book, and the launch of the online "Picket Fence Blog."

Mark Twain in Story, Song, and Spirit

Friday, February 4, 2011

7 - 9:30pm

The Farmhouse Banquet Room

A family evening at People's Light featuring a mini-performance by company member Tom Teti as Mark Twain, readings from the book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and other Twain writings, as well as a scene from the stage production of the novel. The event will also feature lively discussions and interactive exercises to illuminate Twain's historical and social context, as well as his lasting impact on literature and satire.
Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Adapted for the stage by Laura Eason

February 17 - March 13, 2011

Main Stage

A lively adaptation of this colorful American classic comes to the Main Stage at People's Light! Huck, Aunt Polly, Injun Joe, Becky Thatcher, and that lovable rascal Tom are as alive today as they were in 1876 when Twain created them. Whether it's graveyards at midnight, buried treasure, or whitewashing fences, every day is an adventure if you're a boy growing up in a small town on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi. This production is part of the TARGET Family Discovery Series and is also sponsored by PECO.

Mark Twain Onstage

Mon, February 28, 2011

7 - 9pm

Main Stage

This one-man show drawn from Twain's writings will perform this evening at People's Light before it tours to several branch libraries. The performance will be followed by a post-show conversation with the artists on Twain and the making of the piece.

ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIGHT

People's Light, a professional theatre founded in 1974 in Chester County, Pennsylvania, makes plays drawn from many sources to entertain, inspire, and engage our community. We extend our mission of making and experiencing theatre through arts education programs that excite curiosity about, and deepen understanding of, the world around us. These plays and programs bring people together and provide opportunities for reflection, discovery, and celebration. People's Light & Theatre Company is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern.

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