“American Scrapbook: A Celebration of Verse,” at the Kennedy Center, is a tribute to the favorite poetry of the Kennedy family. It is based on poems selected by Caroline Kennedy for her books, “The Best-Loved Poems” of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and “A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children,” and is part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration of John F. Kennedy’s presidency. But “American Scrapbook” pays honor to poetry itself, to its depth and breadth, its ability to provoke humor or sadness, its relationship to music and dance. Last of all, the production is an homage to specific poets and particular poems, which are divided into four general categories: reflections, nature, civil rights and America.
| On stage |
| “American Scrapbook: A Celebration of Verse” |
| Where: The Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW |
| When: 1:30 and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday |
| Info: $18; 202-467-4600, kennedy-center.org |
The poems are collected in a script by Jason Williamson and primarily acted, rather than recited, by seven young men and women, who sing and dance to music composed by Elisheba Ittoop. It’s an effective way to get a variety of voices heard, sometimes in unison, sometimes alone. Director Kathleen Amshoff cleverly uses her actors to magnify the text.
The rear wall of Dan Conway’s two-level wooden set is made up of four large, louvered windows. The cast opens those windows to reveal a new vista for each poem — for instance, a snowy countryside for Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” and two green country paths for Frost’s “The Road Not Taken.”
Perhaps the nicest element of this production is that it makes it very clear that poetry is many things to many people. It offers part of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride,” and Langston Hughes’ “Merry-Go-Round,” two very different works in format and subject. It offers Ogden Nash’s silly “The Porcupine” right after Carl Sandburg’s thoughtful “Buffalo Dusk.” It presents well-known poems, like Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing,” and some lesser known poems, like the “Iroquois Prayer.”
The actors in this production are all talented and very able to communicate not just the words but also the mood of the poetry entrusted to them. The ensemble includes: Tonya Beckman Ross, Kate Debelack, Paige Hernandez, Matthew McGloin, Tony Nam, Michael Russotto and Theodore M. Snead.
The production is geared for children nine years and older. Whether you’re interested in sparking a child’s interest in poetry or furthering an interest that already exists, “American Scrapbook” is a good way to expand a child’s horizons and a delightful reminder that poetry benefits by being heard, not just read.
