Authors Take the Stage
Broadway may be dark (due to a stagehands' strike), but that didn't stop four award-winning authors from lighting up the stage with a standing-room-only performance last week. As part of the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) conference held at New York City's Javits Center, children's book authors Avi, Sarah Weeks, Katherine Paterson and Brian Selznick demonstrated the power of dramatizing literature with their Authors Readers Theatre.  ART is the brainchild of Avi Wortis, who opened and closed the presentation with a quotation from Robert Frost, "The ear is the best reader." For the
intervening hour, the quartet of authors proved that they were gifted dramatists as well as writers, reading a scene from each of their works, which they have adapted for performance. Their goal: to model the form, so that teachers and librarians will take it back to students in their schools and encourage them to create their own theatrical adaptations. The authors read from Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia; Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle; Weeks's Oggie Cooder (forthcoming in February 2008) and Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret, among others.  The four actor/authors dressed in black and assumed the roles of different characters, but they also took turns narrating--often within a single work. Several memorable moments emphasized the impact made possible by this unusual form of creative collaboration. For instance, at the point in Paterson's story when Jess and Leslie are about to name their magical world, all four authors whisper in unison, "Terabithia." In another example, and perhaps the most challenging adaptation, audience members watched a screen as images of a full moon melted into an evening cityscape of Paris, then scenes of the Gare Saint-Lazare in the highly visual presentation of Hugo Cabret. All the while, the authors' voices provided a soundtrack: Weeks hummed "(If It Takes Forever) I Will Wait for You," while Paterson simulated the tick-tock of a clock, Avi made the sound of young Hugo panting as he runs through the train station and Selznick created the soft chug-chug of the train's arrival. Launched in September 2006, the original Authors Readers Theatre consisted of Avi, Sarah Weeks, Walter Dean Myers and Sharon Creech. Since then, other writers have joined the traveling troupe (which has aimed the presentation at teachers and librarians primarily, though readers age 9-up have also been in attendance). Their Web site, www.authorsreaderstheatre.com, provides plentiful resources and guidelines for creating such a theatre in the classroom, library or bookstore, including a list of the authors' paperback editions that include scripts in the back. The ART Web site offers a complete list of performances scheduled at conferences and literary festivals through spring 2008, as well as information on how to go about hosting one. - Jennifer M. Brown, Shelf Awareness

"A colleague and I saw A.R.T. perform at the NCTE Conference in New YorkCity. We enjoyed the performance so much that we are attempting to do our own version as a Teacher's Reader's Theatre. I can't say enough about how impressed I was with A.R.T.  It really has brought a whole new dimension to the way I think about teaching... THANK YOU!"
Brittany Hulme, sixth grade teacher from Snow Hill, MD

"We had a fantastic turnout for the Author Readers Theatre signing.  They were among the longest lines that we had the entire weekend.  One suggestion for the future - make sure you have some sort of line management in place.  The lines were so long, and so close together that people were having trouble figuring out which line was which.  Overall I think the Authors Readers Theatre did a fantastic job of bringing in a crowd and selling books."
Erin Sibley, Community Relations Manager, Barnes & Noble

“Teachers know that readers' theater is one of the most engaging ways for children to become more fluent oral readers.   But "engaged" isn't a big enough word to describe what happens when an audience of children, parents, and teachers gather to hear four best-loved children's authors read aloud from scripts they created from their own works.  As the authors' voices lift, glide, and meld, they create characters afresh.  Old favorites become our new favorites again, and new works are read in ways that will 'sound' in our ears long after.  In the question-answer session that followed the performance, the authors urged teachers to take license with these works so as to create scripts that will help literature live through children's voices, too.  Teachers (and children) nodded with deep understanding.  Maybe the word is "enchanting."” - Nancy Roser, Professor of Language and Literacy Studies, University of Texas

"The Reader's Theatre was just awesome. Maybe it can be a tradition of the Texas Book Festival."   Jill Bailey (former manager of the children's department at BOOK PEOPLE and currently a Publisher's rep)

"I loved the Authors Readers Theater..the authors had a rhythm going with each other and were so in sync - like a 4-headed performer." - Judy Paul

"The Paramount event with Avi, Creech, Peck and Weeks was just
fabulous!"  - Cindy Stewart

“I thought A.R.T. was really cool. The transitions were very clear and easy to follow and the stories were very entertaining and funny.” - Hannah Roberts

“I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the Authors Readers Theatre performance at the Texas Book Festival.  Hearing such fantastic authors read their own and each others' work was a delight.  I brought my own elementary and middle school boys and they loved it.  Readers theater is a great way to motivate students to read for meaning, read with passion, and to practice their listening skills.  Teachers can use a variety of Readers Theater strategies to both challenge accomplished readers and to encourage struggling readers.” - Barry Aidman, Principal, Casis Elementary

“My entire family was very impressed with the "show" ~ it was very clever and engaging!” - Kathy Mauro

"Listening to the combination of wonderful voices and texts was 
absolutely awesome.  This was the most wonderful readers' theatre I 
have ever heard!  Thank you!"  - Tina Fortune, Reading Specialist

"I enjoyed your performance at the New York State Reading Conference and am as excited to launch Readers Theatre in my classroom, as I know my students will be receptive to it.  Your production was the highlight of the Conference. What a fantastic and worthwhile adventure!" - Sandra Athans, Chittenango Central Schools, 4th grade teacher

"The Readers' Theater presented at the 2007 Asilomar SCCRC Reading Conference was inspiring, educational, and breath-taking. Thank you for the wonderful gift you gave your audience that day." - Sandi Kegley, retired teacher of 37 years

"The audience howled with laughter, wept, grew hushed, and was constantly moved as the vignettes from the authors played out.  It was such a pleasure to see authors--who normally engage in such solitary work--cooperating, collaborating, syncopating, and enriching each other's words. The program included a variety of pieces, two from each author, ending with Love That Dog by Sharon Creech.  This performance was the final crescendo as Walter Dean Myers took his own part in a book in which he appears as a character.  It felt as if I were witnessing children's book history--it was an honor and an inspiration." - Betsy Franco, children's book author

"Recently I had the pleasure of seeing an A.R.T. performance with Avi, Sarah Weeks, Sharon Creech and Walter Dean Myers. It was breathtaking, emotional, beautifully done, and very personal. To say their reading made the literature come alive is a major understatement. I received a whole new insight into each work, and will revisit them all. An event not to be missed." - Caroll Webster, Redwood City Public Library

"Readers theatre has created a lot of excitement in my classroom.  I've been teaching for 13 years and the kids have always been motivated to read on their own, but never to this degree.  They're even persuading their parents to take them to Barnes and Noble on the weekends so they can get more books.  I attend a lot of conferences and every once in a while, I'll be a part of something that lights me on fire.  Seeing your ART performance at the NYSRA conference did that for me and has definitely influenced my students to want to read more." - Kristi Miner, 4th grade teacher

"You honored me with one of the most memorable experiences I have had in the world of books.  I was moved by the readings and astounded that the talent behind the words were standing side by side on the stage.  I'm generally not star struck, but you had me that Saturday afternoon... It was professional, moving, and if the audience was not inspired to rush to their shelves (after pulling themselves emotionally together) and read, read, read, then I have no idea what will inspire them. - Valerie Lewis, Hicklebee's Bookstore, co-author of Valerie & Walter's Best Books for Children, A Lively, Opinionated Guide.

"The ART team got rave reviews right down to "I was absolutely speechless for over an hour with emotion," from one of the attendees.  It was a marvelous program.  THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" -     Margaret Hengel, co-chairman Asilomar Conference 2007