Look Both Ways on Tour

NATIONAL TOUR
CO-PRODUCTION WITH THEATER ALLIANCE

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

Take a step in a new direction.

This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen—they were all too busy. Washington, D.C.-area native, New York Times best-selling author, and Kennedy Center Next 50 leader Jason Reynolds conjures 10 tales (one per block) about what happens after the dismissal bell rings. 10 blocks. 10 unique tales. There’s something for everyone across these 10 vignettes about identity, compassion, fear, and friendship—as told through puppetry, dance, music, projections, audience participation, kamishibai (paper theater), and more. This faithful stage adaptation of Reynolds’ award-winning book (Carnegie Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book, National Book Award for Young People’s Literature finalist, and more) encourages audiences to look both ways not only when crossing the street, but also when acknowledging the people walking by. This world premiere family play is a co-production with Theater Alliance, adapted by El Chelito and Raymond O. Caldwell, and directed by Caldwell.

Recommended for grades 5-12

Estimated duration is approximately 60 minutes.

See Available Tour Dates & Locations

Event image by Jen Clements.

Welcome to the Look Both Ways Learning Guide: Beyond the Walk Home

Step into the captivating world of Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks with thought-provoking questions, compelling interviews, engaging activities, and exclusive behind-the-scenes insights. Whether you’re a curious Gen Zer, an adventurous adult, a student hungry for knowledge, or an educator looking to inspire, this guide has got you covered.

In this Learning Guide, you’ll:

Engage in a comprehensive and analytical evaluation of the theatrical production, utilizing critical reflection skills and participating in meaningful discussions to enhance your understanding of the performance.
Compare and contrast the differences in storytelling styles between original text and theatrical script adaptation through text analysis and discussion.
Effectively express your thoughts, feelings, and ideas using various mediums such as writing, drawing, and discussion.

Education Standards Alignment

TH:Cr1: Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
TH:Cr2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
TH:Cn10: Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
TH:Cn11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.7: Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.D: Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events.

(Social and Emotional Learning)

Self-Awareness: The abilities to understand one’s own emotions, thoughts, and values and how they influence behavior across contexts. This includes capacities to recognize one’s strengths and limitations with a well-grounded sense of confidence and purpose.

Integrating personal and social identities
Linking feelings, values, and thoughts

Social Awareness: The abilities to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, & contexts. This includes the capacities to feel compassion for others, understand broader historical and social norms for behavior in different settings, and recognize family, school, and community resources and supports

Perspective-taking
Demonstrating empathy and compassion

Relationship Skills: The abilities to establish and maintain healthy and supportive relationships and to effectively navigate settings with diverse individuals and groups. This includes the capacities to communicate clearly, listen actively, cooperate, work collaboratively to problem solve and negotiate conflict constructively, navigate settings with differing social and cultural demands and opportunities, provide leadership, and seek or offer help when needed.

Communicating effectively
Identifying solutions for personal and social problems
Reflecting on one’s role to promote personal, family, and community well-being

What to Expect

Performance

The performance is approximately 60 minutes long.
The story is told through dialogue, monologue, choral speaking, singing, movement, dance, puppetry, live camera feed projections, animated projections, prerecorded music, and sound and lighting effects.
The play portrays various aspects of the real-world experience of middle schoolers—the good, the bad, and everything in between. Please be advised that the content includes what could be considered sensitive themes portrayed on stage, including dealing with bullying, grief, illnesses, and trauma.

Performers

All of the actors play multiple characters in the show. To become different characters, the actors add or remove costume pieces, and change their voices and movements.

Sound

The performers sometimes illustrate strong emotions, like when the character Satchmo feels anxious and afraid of dogs. The performers communicate their character’s feelings through the ways that they talk, move, and by what they do.
The prerecorded music during the performance is occasionally exuberant and can be loud for some audience members.
The music and soundscapes throughout the performance include electronic beats and sounds of busy city streets.

Lighting

Lighting effects are used throughout the show on stage to help set the mood of the scene.
Strobe-like lighting effects used in this show may be disruptive to people with photosensitivity.
Flashes of light are used to mimic the flash of a camera in two brief moments during the performance.

Audience Interaction

Performers address the audience directly at the beginning and at the end of the show.
Performers enter and exit through the audience throughout the show.
There are several invitations to participate in the production, if you choose. These moments include a call-and-response when performers say “When I say LOW, you say CUTS,” and singing “Happy Birthday” along with the performers.

What to Bring

Everyone is encouraged to bring any sensory or accessibility tools that will help make the experience comfortable for them. A few suggestions of items audience members may find useful include noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses or visors, fidgets, and communication devices.

Note from the Director

Read a special message from the director, Raymond O. Caldwell, about the genesis of the idea to adapt the book for the stage.

Photo by C. Stanley Photography.

I first read Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks on my way to India and I couldn’t put it down. By the end of the flight, I was in tears – a sobbing mess! The woman sitting across the aisle handed me a tissue and said, “That book is so good. My son and I read it together, and I think we both got so much out of it. It gave us a lot to talk about.”

As I closed the book, prepared for landing, and wiped away my tears, I understood this woman and her son’s experience of the book. I knew I wanted to adapt it for the stage, for our community, and for D.C., because young people – and their perspective and experiences in this world – deserve to be elevated and celebrated. I was thrilled to partner with the Kennedy Center and D.C.-native El Chelito to bring this story to the stage.

The world Jason builds in all his writing centers the experiences of young people in nuanced and tangible ways. As a creator, I’ve always been fascinated by and drawn to the experiences of our tween and teen years because they are often the foundational seeds of who we grow up to be.

Society often holds pessimistic views of these years, but Jason respects young people and their experiences, and honors what makes these moments of growing up special and unique. He paints a portrait of youth that centers love between both young people and the adults in their lives. He illuminates the love that exists in communities who are interconnected in inexplicable and sometimes magical ways. Look Both Ways exemplifies the kismet of life.

I hope that after the show, on your walk, drive, or bus ride home, you’re talking about one of these ten stories. I hope it inspires you to share the stories from your life with someone in your community. I hope you call/text/Facebook Message/drop into the DMs/snap the peers and adults from your past who made you feel seen and loved.

Before the Performance

What to Look and Listen for:

Keep an eye on the performers as they cleverly use and manipulate the minimal set pieces to transport to various locations. Notice how the projected street names and scene titles hint at what a scene will be about.
Listen for how performers switch up their tone, pitch, speed, and voice quality to bring a whole cast of characters to life on stage.
Check out all of the innovative ways that technology is used in the production to take theatrical storytelling to the next level, like projections that make some of the adult characters larger than life.

After the Performance

Think About and Discuss:

Which character in the play do you feel like you could relate to? Why? Did any of the stories make you think of stuff you’ve been through, too?
Various forms of bullying are portrayed in the play. How do these examples stack up against the real-world bullying you have seen? Would you handle these situations like the characters in the play?
What did you notice about how the characters dealt with their stress and anxieties? What strategies did they use to manage the rollercoasters of emotions? How do you handle your own intense feelings?

Try It Yourself

Map it Out

The streets around Latimer Middle School play a significant role in the story of Look Both Ways. Now, it is your turn to map out and share your afterschool travels.

Draw a map and mark the path of your afterschool journey. Be sure to include street names, stops, and landmarks along the way!

Your map may include:

The school as a starting point
A place along the way that brings you joy
A place along the way where you wish you could stop
Any landmark buildings, streets, or signs
Any places of personal significance
A place where the journey ends

Draw your method of transportation (walking, biking, bus riding, car riding, etc.) and mark the path you take from the starting point to the end point.
You can share your journey with us on Instagram using @kennedycentertya (#LookBothWaysKC), with your family, or as student maps that can be viewed as a “gallery walk” or a presentation in the classroom.

Tale Trek

The play Look Both Ways dramatizes ten different perspectives of the walk home from school. Now, it’s your turn to share yours and become a storyteller!

Tell a story about a time when your journey home from school took an unexpected turn. Use this framework to help get you started:

My ride home usually was… (i.e., the world “as it was”)
Then, this happened… (i.e., something changed or happened)
And then, this next thing happened…to complicate the situation (an obstacle)
So, I had to… (your final decision)
And so… (how your story/journey ended)

Share your story with a friend, family member, or classmate. Have them share their story with you.
Now, take turns telling each other’s story with the whole family or to the class.
Educator Extension: Students can continue to work on their stories as a storytelling performance in the classroom or for caregivers as part of a special event.

Verse Vibe

Showcase your unique journey by creating an “I am” poem about your afterschool adventure. Write your own “I am” poem to share using this framework:

I am (on my way to…)
I see…
I smell…
I hear…
This makes me think of…
I feel….
I touch…
It feels…
I love…
I avoid…
I arrive…
And I feel…

You can share your poem with us on Instagram using @kennedycentertya (#LookBothWaysKC), with your family, or have students perform them as part of an in-class poetry slam.

For inspiration, check out slamKC, Poetry Out Loud, and How to Perform Spoken Word in the Kennedy Center Digital Resources Library.

Continue Exploring

Learn more about Jason Reynolds and the writing process:

“”: A Kennedy Center interview with Jason featured in CENTER magazine.

Meet Author Jason Reynolds: A resource from the Kennedy Center Digital Resources Library providing more insight, a Kennedy Center Education video interview with Jason at the Kennedy Center, as well as writing prompts.

Character Sketches lesson plan: Students analyze how a character’s personality traits and motives influence the plot of a story. Then, they’ll use their own senses to create character sketches and dramatize the character for an audience.

Plotting a Story lesson plan: Students examine a plot’s function within a story, and do independent and collaborative writing of original stories to then present through audio storytelling.

Author Jason Reynolds, a Black man with long dreadlocks and a beard wearing a black shirt and silver chain around his neck, is smiling and standing outside in front of a white concrete wall at the Kennedy Center REACH.

Jason Reynolds

Transforming Words into Action: The Low Cuts

Explore the magic of bringing literature to the stage with a glimpse into Reynolds’ Look Both Ways and the script adaptation it inspired. The following is an excerpt along with a corresponding scene adapted from the chapter entitled “The Low Cuts Strike Again.”

Excerpt from the book (used with permission by Pippin Properties, Inc.)
Excerpt from the script

Four cast members on stage all wearing dark green hoodies and backpacks. One cast member is pointing at another with both hands and has a serious and upset look on his face. Another cast member with long hair and arms folded looks on.

Photo by Noah Willman.

Questions to inspire thought and spark discussion:

Pre-Show

What stood out to you when comparing the two texts?

How do these texts compare in terms of language, structure, and characterization?

Do you think that the scripted scene captures the same emotion as the book excerpt or is it different? Why?

Post-Show

How did reading the scene compare to watching it performed live?

How has the stage performance influenced your opinion of the book?

What do you think are some advantages and disadvantages of adapting a story for the stage?

The Future of Theater: Meet the Pioneering Projection Designers

Explore the world of projection design with Look Both Ways’ Kelly Colburn and Dylan Uremovich. These innovative creatives are redefining what’s possible with their groundbreaking use of AI technology in projection design. Dylan is a lighting and multimedia designer for live performance, based in Washington, D.C. Kelly is an interdisciplinary artist working as a producer, director, projections designer, and devised performance-maker, also based in the D.C. area. Immerse yourself in the full audio interview (with Fall 2023 TYA Intern Meggie Ferguson) or get the highlights in this captivating Q&A with the artists.

Audio Interview

Introduction

The following is a conversation between Dylan Uremovich (he/him) and Kelly Colburn (she/they/k), co-media designers for Look Both Ways. Here, they discuss their process of creating the media for this production, highlighting the exciting use of AI technology and how it is expanding possibilities in the world of live theatre. DISCLAIMER: This interview has been edited and condensed.

Could you talk about your process a little bit?

Dylan Uremovich
Every show is its own special flower and happens differently. For Look Both Ways, Raymond and El Chelito integrated a lot of visual effects ideas into the script, which gave us something to start from. Raymond also wanted each section to have its own creative aesthetic, so we have the Kamishibai, which is like Puppet Theater, where we’re just doing a live feed of their creative lives; and then we have the “How You Gon’ Change the World” section, where Fatima is sketching wildly in her notebook. That led to a more hand drawn aesthetic in the projections, and we used a lot of AI to learn the characters’ faces and then re-render them into a hand drawn style.

Kelly Colburn

We wanted the adults in the world to feel larger than the kids, and one way we could achieve that was by using live cameras and projecting them at a much bigger scale. We see that with Ms. Post, the crossing guard, and the adults in the Placer Street pool hall. It creates a sense of adults looming over young people. So that was one way that we could differentiate between adults and kids.

You said AI was used to render the avatars. Was it used in other ways in the process?

Dylan Uremovich

We used it to generate the hand drawn sketches of different characters: We got pictures of the actors and trained the AI on each of their faces so we could render them into different styles, like the graffiti portraits of the Low Cuts. We also created backgrounds by taking a photo of the set and feeding those into an AI generator called Stable Diffusion. Basically [it] uses an edge detect to find the contours of the set, which has a lot of intricate designs in the back wall. Then you can iterate off that, saying, “Make this a school in a cartoony style.” We used that for a lot of the settings, so it was a lot of fun! It was the first time experimenting with this type of generation. It was great because it could render a bunch of different places and designs, while maintaining the patterns inherent in the set so that everything felt unified.

Kelly Colburn

Yeah, the cool thing about Jonathan Dahm Robertson’s set is that he pulled inspiration from the back of a school bus, which we highlight at the beginning of the show. But it also doubles as a bird’s eye view of the neighborhood, so part of how we used the AI was to find a way to bring the different personalities of the neighborhood alive, almost like Google Earth or Maps. At different times, it looks more like a city, sometimes more rural; sometimes it feels cold and blue like a concrete jungle, and sometimes it feels warm like suburbia. That was one way that we could take the intricacies and contours of the set and reimagine them in different ways… And the best thing about the AI program we use, Stable Diffusion, is that it’s housed on the hard drive, so no photos of the actors are going to any big cloud or the internet… They’re still in control of their images and their image. I feel like that’s important as we talk about AI. In Look Both Ways, we found these awesome and artistic ways of using it that helped to amplify the story, without posing a risk to our artists.

Do you have a sense that performers are interacting with their settings any differently with these new elements?

Kelly Colburn
In the live feed moments between the adults and the middle schoolers, the actors are interacting completely with the video. Sometimes the backgrounds just help to establish the environment, and the actors aren’t engaging directly with what’s on screen.

Dylan Uremovich
I feel like [in] “Call of Duty,” the social media scene, the media is very much a character because we’re seeing all these video pop ups… That’s a good example of how these new elements are integrated in the storytelling.

Kelly Colburn
Yeah, that’s actually one of the better examples of how, over the last 10 years, we’ve become one with digital and social media in some way. It’s become an extension of ourselves and, in this case, it’s negative, it’s social media bullying. I feel like that was a good representation of how real life digital media merges with the theatrical life and storytelling.

The world that people are growing up in today is very tech and social media centric, and it’s clear in that scene how you played into that relationship. How else did you consider that relationship in designing the media for this production?

Dylan Uremovich

We’re considering integrating mobile phones as another source of live feed using an application called NDI. This lets us use the webcam on a phone and, over Wi-Fi signal, loop it back into our system so multiple characters can have and control cameras. So it can really feel like social media because it will literally be the same cameras that we use in everyday life.

In looking towards the future of projection and digital media work for live performances, what kinds of opportunities are you excited about exploring and seeing?

Dylan Uremovich
I’m always excited by these AI tools. There’s always something new and I’m addicted to novelties. Also, I think AI generation allows you to iterate on a lot of new ideas very quickly.

Kelly Colburn
AI is definitely exciting to me. It’s been a struggle to have directors, other designers, and companies understand the value of projections and digital media in terms of advancing how we tell stories. Sometimes it can help enhance the scenery, as we’re doing here with Look Both Ways; sometimes it can transform the scenery entirely; sometimes it can help to establish mood… So I’m excited that people are beginning to embrace it and understand it more. There’s less resistance in a good way. Change is good. I think that’s what I’m excited for.

Dylan Uremovich
It’s also becoming more accessible. Now, more companies without incredible budgets can start playing with these things. It can be very transformative when you’re on a shoestring budget and can’t have the automation and giant sets rolling in and out all the time. You can do a lot with a digital world.

Have you used AI as a springboard or a starting point for ideas?

Dylan Uremovich
Yeah, absolutely. The AI tools are great, but they’re rarely perfect out of the box, but you can iterate from what it gives you. And sometimes, it can be a very fun brainstorming activity because I can play with different keywords or try to describe what I want in different ways. It can just keep churning out images, and I’m like, “Oh, I never thought of using the surface like that! I never thought of that sort of composition.” So it can definitely spark ideas that you can keep refining and iterating from.

Kelly Colburn
It also makes some of these things very accessible. Neither of us is the best at drawing, so when we do need something hand drawn, AI has been just instrumental in helping us find what style we want it to be in and also making it look good. And it eliminates the need for hours and hours of studying someone’s face and how their body moves and trying to capture the character in that way.

How does working with other areas of tech on a show work? When you have an idea, how do you consider what the other teams want to be doing at that point in the show?

Kelly Colburn
It definitely differs from team to team. I think because this team has been working together for a long time, it’s a lot easier to communicate what you want. Raymond has this sort of mantra of “the best idea wins.” I think it’s a bit about understanding what the story is about and what the moment needs, and discovering how this element might help shape or tell the story better. And doing it as kindly and gracefully as possible, too!

Dylan Uremovich

If someone is doing something, it’s stronger when the other design disciplines support it. If we have a video moment, it’s better if sound is with us to help lift that moment up. There are usually a lot of discussions with lighting because we’re both shooting photons at the stage. So a lot of times a discussion is, “Who’s in charge of the moment.” It’s a dance.

What suggestions do you have for young people who are interested in this type of work or who are particularly struck by this feature of the performance?

Dylan Uremovich
I say always experiment! We’ve never been in a better moment for learning new skills. Beyond that, if you see a show and you’re really excited about it, you can always reach out to a designer and ask to shadow them during tech. Most designers are happy to talk or give advice. And if you want to just see what happens during tech, most of the time, they’ll find a way to get you in the room.

Kelly Colburn
The barrier to entry for creating content has never been lower because of our smartphones. So piggybacking off what Dylan said, continue to just play. It’s about following your curiosity and asking questions and finding the right people to ask those questions of. Actually, that’s a good note for adults too: just keep a sense of play, curiosity, and fun. The world is going to keep making advancements forward with technology and we will continue to move forward with it!

AI generated cartoon-like images of a white man with graying curly hair wearing glasses in front of a backdrop resembling a bulletin board with various colorfol shapes dispalyed on it; and an Asian woman in a suit jacket with shoulder-length dark hair and glasses in front of a background with very bright angular shapes displayed on it.

Dylan Uremovich and Kelly Colburn

Learning Guide Credits

Writers: This Learning Guide content was written by Katie Campbell and Jen Clements. Try It Out activities were devised collaboratively by Tamekia Jackson (arts educator and artist) and Cynthia Gertsen. The audio interview and transcript were conducted by Fall 2023 TYA Intern Meggie Ferguson.

Curriculum Specialist: Cynthia Gertsen

Editors: Tiffany A. Bryant, Ellie Pline

Producers: Tiffany A. Bryant, Eric Friedman

Accessibility Consultant: Office of Accessibility

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Facebook: Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences

Hashtag: #LookBothWaysKC

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LEARNING GUIDE

Look Both Ways on Tour

Look Both Ways on Tour

NATIONAL TOUR
CO-PRODUCTION WITH THEATER ALLIANCE

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

Welcome to the Look Both Ways Learning Guide: Beyond the Walk Home