[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 34 (Friday, February 27, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E276-E277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE IN SEATTLE

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                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, February 27, 2015

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 25th 
anniversary of Book-It Repertory Theatre (Book-It) in Seattle and to 
salute the company's commitment to bringing great literature to life on 
stage.
   Since its founding in 1990, Book-It has established itself as the 
nation's leader in narrative theatre, and over that time has 
transformed more than one hundred works of literature into a repertory 
of works of live theatre. Book-It's adaptation style has also been 
honed into a highly effective tool for teaching literature of all 
kinds, resulting in the current launch of its Literacy Initiative with 
Washington State schools.
   Twenty-five years after it began as an artists' collective, the 
company's mainstage works are seen by 20,000 theatre-goers annually, 
and its prolific Arts and Education programs serve as many as 62,000 
students through performances, workshops, and residencies State-wide.
   Classic works by vaunted authors like Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, 
Leo Tolstoy, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, John Irving, 
Maya Angelou, Michael Chabon, and many more have been adapted into 
Book-It plays alongside treasured writers who live in the great State 
of Washington including Ivan Doig, Garth Stein, Stephanie Kallos, Jim 
Lynch, Jess Walter, and David Guterson. And Book-It adaptations have 
gone on to productions in regional theatres across the U.S.
   The Arts and Education Programs, through alliances with school 
districts throughout the state, have helped to bring vital arts 
programming where it's needed, serving student audiences through 
performances of literature for youth, including bilingual plays for 
young people in areas with high immigrant populations, notably in 
Central Washington's food- and wine-growing regions.
   Book-It's commitment to literature and literacy fosters community 
through partnerships with Seattle and regional libraries, as well as 
King County's 4Culture, which connects Book-It artists with regional 
historical, cultural, and

[[Page E277]]

social service organizations to help tell their stories in meaningful 
ways. The performances resulting from these partnerships are often the 
only arts experience a group may have.
   Founding Co-Artistic Directors Jane Jones and Myra Platt were named 
among seven Unsung Heroes and Uncommon Genius by The Seattle Times for 
their contribution to life in Seattle; The Paul G. Allen Family 
Foundation awarded them a 20th Anniversary Founder's Grant; in 2010, 
Book-It was given a Mayor's Arts Award; and in 2012, the Governor's 
Arts Award.
   As we celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Book-It Repertory Theatre, I 
would like to convey my congratulations to Book-It on its steadfast 
commitment to delivering broad, high-quality live theatre experiences 
to its constituents in Seattle and throughout all of Washington.

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