THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT HEAVEN BEARS Comes To Center House 4/14 - 5/9

An Ethiopian American’s debut novel lends a singular perspective and a visceral poignancy to the issues of immigration in contemporary America. Dinaw Mengestu’s The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears is the fourth world-premiere adaption in Book-It’s 2008-09 season and takes the stage April 14 – May 9 at the Center House

In the early 1990s, life in Washington, D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood was no Paradise—far from it. But for Sepha, an Ethiopian immigrant with a failing convenience store, heaven seems a little closer when a lovely new neighbor resurrects a run-down house across the street. Sepha’s friendship with Judith, a white academic, and her precocious bi-racial daughter rejuvenates his belief in himself and the hope of once again having someone, someplace to belong to and a reason to dream again of what might be.

Novelist Dinaw Mengestu’s family immigrated to the United States following the communist coup in Ethiopia in the 1970s. Only two years old when he arrived in America, Mengestu grew up with little memory of his first home. It was during his time at Georgetown University that curiosity led him to research Ethiopia with the initial thought of writing a nonfiction account of his extended family’s experience. After he finished his M.F.A. at Columbia, his research became instead The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, published in 2007.

Book-It was introduced to The Beautiful Things… by Chris Higashi at the Washington Center for the Book, which had selected the novel as the 2008 Seattle Reads book. She asked Book-It to adapt a few scenes from the novel and tour them to select library branches and community centers to support the Seattle Reads campaign. Response was so positive, that Book-It Co-Artistic Directors Jane Jones (who directs this production) and Myra Platt (who plays Judith) were moved to add it to the 2008-09 season line up.

Kevin McKeon, adaptor of The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears was recently lauded for his 2007 adaptation of another contemporary novel, David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedars (Seattle Times Footlight Award), with previous adaptations of Breathing Lessons, Plainsong and (with Jane Jones) A Tale of Two Cities. A Book-It company member, McKeon has also acted in many productions including Persuasion, Cowboys Are My Weakness, and Plainsong. His Snow Falling on Cedars will play next season at Portland Center Stage.

Co-Artistic Director Jane Jones directs the production. Having directed over 30 Book-It shows, Jane’s most recent was 2008’s The Highest Tide, by Jim Lynch; last fall, she directed Twelfth Night at Portland Center Stage. Jones’ approach to directing the novel has centered on the ideas of belonging, home, and identity. “We all need to belong—to people, to a place—and discover for ourselves what ‘home’ is,” she told the cast in early rehearsals. She is also guided by Dinaw Mengestu’s description of his story as neither “an African, nor an African-American novel. To me it’s a novel about America…” “And the striving for ‘the American Dream’ is a great motivation for the characters in the novel,” Jones adds.

The Beautiful Things production team also comprises scenic designer Curtis Taylor; costumes by Christine Meyers; and lights by Andy Smith; with sound design by Jason Gorgen.

The cast of Beautiful Things features Sylvester Kamara as Sepha and Book-It Co-Artistic Director Myra Platt as Judith, with Earl Alexander, Olachi Anamelechi, Tracy Michelle Hughes, and Reginald André Jackson, and an ensemble. Meet the cast and crew in our new online production diary at http://www.theadamsmith.com/bookitproductiondiary/ where behind-the- scenes looks at the cast, designers and crew can be viewed (also linked from our website).

Special dates include Pay-What-You-Will performances offered on April 14 & 15; a low-priced Preview April 16; and Opening Night April 17. A Post-play discussion will follow the Sunday, April 26 matinee. On May 2 between the matinee and evening performances, there will be a Season 2009-10 Preview Open House at 4:45 p.m.

The Title Sponsor of The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears is the Safeco Insurance Foundation. Making Book-It’s 2008-09 season possible are our season supporters: The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, ArtsFund, The Boeing Company, Bill & MeLinda Gates Foundation, the Seattle Foundation, the Washington State Arts Commission, and Media Sponsor KUOW 94.9FM.

Tickets are available online at www.book-it.org or by calling 206.216.0833. Prices range from $15 to $35; opening night, all seats are $40 (includes party). Box office hours are Tues. through Fri., Noon – 6:00 p.m. (Tues. – Sat. during production). Tickets are also available online at www.book-it.org. Showtimes are 7:30 evenings, 2:00 matinees; performances in the Center House Theatre.

Following The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, and closing Book-It Repertory Theatre’s 19th season, is Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s tale of the pioneering pilots in Argentina, Night Flight (performed at the Moore Theatre) adapted and crafted into an operetta by Myra Platt, with Degenerate Art Ensemble’s Joshua Kohl. The company’s 20th anniversary season wil be announced in mid-April.

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 imaginative production 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 our passion for literature.

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