Admired Children’s
Novelist is Guest Artist
at ICC
Children’s novelist Lois
Lowry—one of America’s
most admired writers of
books for children—will
be a guest artist at
Independence Community
College in December to
see the first-ever stage
adaptation of one of her
novels and conduct a
public lecture.
Lowry is a two-time
winner of the
prestigious Newberry
Medal, awarded by the
American Library
Association for
outstanding children’s
literature. She won for
her novels “Number the
Stars” and “The
Giver.” “The Giver” is
part of a trilogy, which
ends with “Messenger”
and the middle story is
“Gathering Blue.”
The ICC Theater
Department and the
William Inge Center for
the Arts present the
first-ever stage
adaptation of “Gathering
Blue,” a musical, which
Lowry will attend.
Performances are 7:30
p.m. Thursday through
Saturday, Dec. 4-6, and
Sunday, Dec. 7, at 2:30
p.m.
“We are honored that Ms.
Lowry is visiting
Independence to see this
staging of her story
‘Gathering Blue,’ ” said
Peter Ellenstein, Inge
Center Artistic
Director, who is also
directing the show. “We
look forward to her
providing us and the
creative team valuable
feedback, as ‘Gathering
Blue’ moves closer to
its professional theater
debut.”
“This is a superb
opportunity for our ICC
student cast to work
with Ms. Lowry and the
phenomenal composers and
writer who are creating
this new show.”
Writing the music for
the stage version of
“Gathering Blue” is
Grammy-winning composer
Michael Silversher
(1999-Best Musical Album
for Children; “The
Adventures of Elmo in
Grouchland”),
co-composer Joy Sikorski,
with Librettist,
award-winning Richard
Hellesen. All three
collaborators will visit
Independence repeatedly
to work on the
production with the
cast. They will also
lead talkbacks following
performances.
“The students could not
be more thrilled to have
a Grammy-winning
songwriter and an
award-winning
playwright, Richard
Hellesen, collaborating
with them on their
production!” Ellenstein
stated. “Getting to
perform for Ms. Lowry, a
favorite novelist, is an
incredible treat!”
While in the area, Ms.
Lowry will also deliver
a public presentation,
designed for adults and
children ages eight and
older; the date and time
will be announced. “Ms.
Lowry will also be
available for book
signings after certain
performances of
‘Gathering Blue,’ ”
Ellenstein said.
Ms. Lowry states, “My
books are varied in
content and style. Yet
it seems that all of
them deal, essentially,
with the same general
theme: the importance of
human connections.
“ ‘The Giver,’
‘Gathering Blue,’ and
the newest in the
trilogy – ‘Messenger’ –
take place against the
background of very
different cultures, each
taking place in a future
time. Though all three
are broader in scope
than my earlier books,
they nonetheless speak
to the same concern: the
vital need of people to
be aware of their
interdependence, not
only with each other,
but with the world and
its environment,” she
said.
“My older son was a
fighter pilot
in the United States Air
Force. His death in the
cockpit of a warplane
tore away a piece of my
world,” she added. “But
it left me, too, with a
wish to honor him by
joining the many others
trying to find a way to
end conflict on this
very fragile earth.”
For more information on
the performances of
“Gathering Blue” and the
visit by Lois Lowry to
Independence Community
College, visit
www.ingecenter.org
or call (620) 332-5492.
