The Kennedy Center presents the world premiere production of American Scrapbook: A Celebration of Verse January 29 to February 6, 2011 in the Family Theater. Commissioned by the Kennedy Center, American Scrapbook: A Celebration of Verse is an hour-long play based on two collections of poetry selected by Caroline Kennedy: The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children. With script by Jason Williamson and direction by Kathleen Amshoff, this production for young audiences leads a journey through the touchstones of the Kennedy family. The production is part of The Presidency of John F. Kennedy: A 50th Anniversary Celebration and is recommended for audiences aged nine and up.
The cast features Tonya Beckman Ross, Kate Debelack, Paige Hernandez, Matthew McGloin, Tony Nam, Michael Russotto, and Theodore M. Snead. The production team includes set design by Dan Conway, costume design by Kathleen Geldard, lighting design by Andrew Cissna, and sound design by Elisheba Ittoop.
President Kennedy stated, "When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence." Like many Americans, the Kennedys shared a love for poetry and read it together as a family. Based on poetry written and compiled by Caroline Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis from The Best-Loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children, this world premiere Kennedy Center commission uses spoken word, movement, music, and dialogue to explore the touchstones of the life of one of America's most heralded families.
Playwright Jason Williamson has had his work produced or developed at New York Theatre Workshop, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Stanford Summer Theatre, Drama League, the New York Fringe Festival, as well as the Kennedy Center. He is the resident playwright of Dramatic Adventure Theatre, an international company with projects in Zimbabwe and Ecuador. Jason is also the resident playwright of "Exit, Pursued by a Bear," a new theater collective in Hell's Kitchen, NYC. He has been a finalist for the O'Neill Conference, the Bay Area Playwrights Festival, and the Heideman Award and he's been a semifinalist for the Princess Grace Award. The Dramatists Guild and the Shubert Foundation have both granted Jason fellowships. Jason received his MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon.
Director Kathleen Amshoff earned her MFA in Directing at Carnegie Mellon and her BA at Catholic University. She was a Fulbright scholar in Berlin and recently returned there as an International Forum Fellow at Theatertreffen. Kathleen has created new pieces for Dramatic Adventure Theater in Zimbabwe and Ecuador, and originated the musical illumination Rebuilding Appalachian Spring for New Resonance Orchestra in New Orleans. She tours internationally as assistant director of Big Art Group. Her upcoming projects include an adaptation of the graphic novel Swell by Stockholm artist Juliacks, and a new collaboration with Jason Williamson, Prayer of the Condor, a puppet work inspired by Andean myth.
THE PRESIDENCY OF JOHN F. KENNEDY: A 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
In addition to American Scrapbook: A Celebration of Verse, The Presidency of John F. Kennedy: A 50th Anniversary Celebration, will feature three concerts by the National Symphony Orchestra January 22-24 that include Peter Lieberson's newly composed Remembering JFK (An American Elegy) and Leonard Bernstein's Fanfare for the Inauguration of John F. Kennedy; three evening-length performances of mixed repertory by American Ballet Theatre which includes favorite works of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis; tributes to historic performances given at the White House by Pablo Casals and Grace Bumbry performed by Yo-Yo Ma and Denyce Graves respectively; re-creations of the "Concerts for Young People by Young People" as well as other free programming on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage; a new theater work solicited by colleges and universities around the country that exemplifies President Kennedy's legacy and an exhibition by VSA that features the work of artists with severe or intellectual disabilities to honor President Kennedy's signing of the first major legislation to address mental illness in 1963.
TICKET INFORMATION
Performances for American Scrapbook: A Celebration of Verse run in the Kennedy Center Family Theater from January 29 to February 6, 2011. All tickets cost $18 and can be purchased online at kennedy-center.org or by calling Instant Charge at (202) 467-4600. Patrons living outside the Washington metropolitan area may dial toll-free at (800) 444-1324.
