Starting January 2022, acclaimed author Jacqueline Woodson, whose works range from picture books to adult novels, will begin a residency at the Kennedy Center, a hub of the performing arts located in Washington, D.C. The National Book Award winner’s residency will include a wide range of performances spanning genres and formats, which will be seen at local and national levels.
As part of the programming for the Kennedy Center’s 50th season, two of Woodson’s works will be adapted for the stage. Show Way, which received a Newbery Honor in 2006, will be reimagined as a concert to include new music from Tyrone L. Robinson. The book, based on the author’s own family history, follows seven generations of Black women as traditions are passed down in a celebration of the past and the future. To be staged in collaboration with HopeBoykinDance, Woodson’s 2001 picture book, The Other Side, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, tells the story of two girls who, despite the fence that segregates their town, decide to become friends. These adaptations will hit the stage in February and April 2022, respectively.
Additional programming with Woodson is set to take place during this season and will be announced at a later date. For more information on Woodson’s residency, click here.
