‘Big Read Project’ brings ‘Literature to Life’ through dramatic readings

A powerful performance sets the stage for Young Auditorium’s month-long BIG READ collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Join us on Wednesday, April 7th at 7 p.m. as ‘Literature To Life’ presents a virtual performance of dramatic staged readings from this year’s BIG READ novel, “The Latehomecomer.” An arts initiative in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA BIG READ broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. 

Centered on her family’s personal experience, The Latehomecomer, by Kao Kalia Yang, pays tribute to thousands of Hmong families who made the journey from the war-torn jungles of Laos to the overcrowded refugee camps of Thailand and onward to America. In this ‘Literature To Life’ performance, accomplished Hmong actress and traditional Flower Singer, Gaosong Heu, brings this powerful, personal story to life, with her musical talent and knowledge of Hmong culture. The performance tells a universal story of immigration, through the specific lens of this ancient culture inextricably bound to the history of the war in Vietnam. 

Online registration forms for all BIG READ 2021 events can be found at https://youngauditorium.wordpress.com/. Free copies of The Latehomecomer are currently available at participating Big Read libraries (while supplies last). A full list of library partners can be found below:

Lennox Library at UW Rock County 

Eager Free Public Library (Evansville) 

Jefferson Public Library 

Andersen Library at UW-Whitewater 

Clinton Public Library 

Fontana Public Library 

Barrett Memorial Library 

Irvin L. Young Memorial Library (Whitewater) 

Edgerton Public Library 

Dwight Foster Public Library (Fort Atkinson) 

Milton Public Library 

Matheson Memorial Library (Elkhorn) 

Hedberg Public Library (Janesville) 

Orfordville Public Library 

Thank you to our Big Read Event partners: 

Hoard Historical Museum 

The Book Teller 

Fairhaven Lecture Series 

UW-Whitewater Children’s Center 

Rotary Botanical Gardens 

American Association of University Women 

Old World Wisconsin 

UW-Whitewater Philanthropy & Alumni 

For information on all Young Auditorium BIG READ 2021 events, including details about the author and book selection, community and library partners, and a complete listing of all Big Read events, please visit: www.youngauditorium.wordpress.com. 

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Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America. Visit arts.gov to learn more. 

Arts Midwest promotes creativity, nurtures cultural leadership, and engages people in meaningful arts experiences, bringing vitality to Midwest communities and enriching people’s lives. Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 35 years. For more information, please visit artsmidwest.org. 

Funded in part by a grant from Wisconsin Humanities, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Wisconsin Humanities strengthens the roots of community life through educational and cultural programs that inspire civic participation and individual imagination.