In honor of ONE BOOK STEAMBOAT's community reading of The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien's' unparalleled Vietnam testament and  classic work of American literature,....

Bud Werner Memorial Library presents
A Literature to Life® Community Workshop and
an excerpt of The American Place Theatre’s Literature to Life® stage presentation of
The Things They Carried
By Tim O'Brien
Performed by Billy Lyons
Directed by Wynn Handman

Join the ultimate community book club conversation!  Seasoned theater professionals from The American Place Theatre will lead participants through interactive drama-in-education techniques to help them gain new access to The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, a unique and important piece of American literature that fictionalizes his experiences surrounding the Vietnam War. O'Brien presents a blurred line between truth and reality, fact and fiction, that makes his journey unforgettable.  

By exploring characters, settings and themes from the book in an active and kinesthetic way participants will develop insights into the process of writing and will connect personally with the world of the literature.  After seeing a brief excerpt of the stage presentation, participants will use the frame of the Literature to Life theatrical adaptation of The Things They Carried through which to view and explore a particularly provocative theme from the book. The theme of this workshop will center around Vietnam and the military draft.

The workshop is FREE, and it is limited to 40 participants.
Want to participate in the Literature to Life® Community Workshop? Register online or contact the Adult Programs Coordinator, Jennie Lay at (970) 367-4917.

About the Workshop Teaching Artist
Erin Ronder received her M.A. in Educational Theatre and NYS Teaching Certificate in Theatre for Grades K-12 from New York University. She is currently a Theatre Teaching Artist at The American Place Theatre, The Center for Arts Education, Disney Theatrical Group, The DreamYard Project, TDF- Theatre Development Fund, and Manhattan New Music Project. In addition, Ronder is an Adjunct Instructor in City College of New York’s Graduate Program in Educational Theatre. She proudly sits on the Teaching Artist Affairs Committee of The Arts in Education Roundtable, the Support Committee for The Arts in Special Education Consortium, and is an Associate of Teaching Artist Group (TAG). Ronder is also a regular presenter and attendee at local and national conferences focusing on arts in education. Ronder is dedicated to creating connections between students with disabilities and the performing arts and making the arts accessible to everyone. Ronder is also a guest lecturer at NYU, CCNY and for The Career Development Program at The Center for Arts Education.

About the Actor
Billy Lyons, New York, NY, is a graduate of Ithaca College (B.F.A. Acting). Credits include The Things They Carried (dir. Wynn Handman, The American Place Theatre, NYC). The Laramie Project, Die Fledermaus, The Cherry Orchard (Ithaca College), and The American Dream (Icarus Theatre Ensemble, Ithaca, NY). Lyons currently studies at the Wynn Handman Studio and is Mr. Handman's studio assistant.

About American Place Theatre & Literature to Life
The American Place Theatre is committed to producing high quality new work by diverse American writers and to pursuing pluralism and diversity in all its endeavors. We strive to respond to the needs of our time with work that is relevant and cuts deeply into the fabric of American society. LITERATURE TO LIFE, The American Place Theatre’s performance-based literacy program, presents professionally staged verbatim adaptations of significant American literary works. This educational program gives students a new form of access to literature by bringing to life the world of books with performances that create an atmosphere of discovery and spark the imagination. Literature to Life has already provided a catalyst for learning and self-expression for over 400,000 students nation-wide. The Theatre, having received over 30 Obies and 16 Audelcos, is critically acclaimed as a birthing place for artistic endeavors at the crossroad of literature and live performance for now 48 years.