Book-It Company Member Reginald André Jackson Honored

Reginald André Jackson, a Book-It Company member, actor, director, and adaptor, hasreceived the Distinguished Play Award, with Dramatic Publishing, for his adaptation of Bud, Not Buddy.

Bud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul Curtis, is the story of ten-year-old Bud Caldwell who, orphaned at age six in 1930sChicago, is sent to an orphanage, then a foster home from which he runs away, and finally reunites with a grandfather he hasnever known. Reginald André Jackson describes young Bud: -This child; this bud;‘ this flower to be, suffers more in hischildhood than most adults in a lifetime. Just the same, Mr. Curtis has given Bud a most amazing coat of armor: a magneticimagination, which I felt would translate very effectively to the stage.

Book-It premiered Bud, Not Buddyat Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center in a critically-acclaimed workshop production in 2006, and mounted a fully staged production on its home stage at the Center House Theatre the following year. It has since been produced at Children‘s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, Main Street Theatre in Houston, Chicago Playworks, and at the University of Michigan. -National attention from this honor almost certainly guarantees further productions,? said Book-It Co-Artistic Director Myra Platt, adding, -one of Book-It‘s goals is to see that these adaptations welovingly bring to the stage can find life beyond Book-It in productions around the country.

The American Alliance for Theatre and Education is an organization for theatre artists, educators, and scholars committed to transforming young people and communities through theatre arts. Their annual awards recognize exceptional individualsand organizations for high quality work in the field of theatre with and for young audiences. The AATE Awards are presented annually at the National Conference, held this year in San Francisco. More about the AATE at http://www.aate.com/.

The Distinguished Play Award honors the playwrights and the publishers of the most outstanding plays for young people published during the previous calendar year. Reginald André Jackson's adaptation of Bud, Not Buddywas published by Dramatic Publishing in 2009. Winning scripts are selected for their execution, delineation of characters, theatricality, and appropriateness of style-they should respect young people's understandings and abilities, provide them with perspectives on their own experiences and enhance their imagination and emotional growth.

Of the honor, Jackson said, -the fact that this work continues to be produced nationally, has become a published work, and isnow being honored by the AATE, speaks more of Bud‘s imagination than mine. ...my feelings (from my initial drafting of the script, to accepting this award), can best be summed up by the words Bud‘s mother: ?A bud is a flower to be. Waiting for justthe right care and warmth to open up. It‘s a little fist of love waiting to unfold and be seen by the world.‘ I am very happy thisplay continues to find a home.

-Book-It could not be more proud of Reggie‘s contributions to the Company, the Seattle theatre community, and now thenational theatrical literature world,? commented Founding Co-Artistic Director Jane Jones by email from the rehearsal studio (where The Cider House Rules, Part Two, by John Irving is underway). -Just as, thirteen years later, Cider House continues to beproduced-the Book-It style connects with audiences and this honor is another affirmation of that.

ABOUT BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE

Book-It Repertory Theatre, a leader in the narrative theatre movement, was founded in 1990. Book-It is a non-profit organization with a dedication to great literature and quality theatre experiences employing simple, sensitive and imaginativeproduction techniques, and to inspiring its audiences to read. The company is funded, in part, by generous contributions from corporations and foundations, and hundreds of individuals who share a passion for literature.

Play Subscriptions for the season are on sale now and range from $79.20 - $189. Single Tickets go on sale August 10 and may be purchased online, by phone or in personBox Office Contact 206.216.0833, Tues. through Fri., Noon - 5:00 p.m. (Tues. - Sat. during production)www.book-it.org

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