Literature to Life

Conceived as the educational program of the American Place Theatre more than three decades ago, Literature to Life (LTL) is a performance-based literacy program that presents professionally staged verbatim adaptations of American literary classics. The American Place Theatre (APT) was founded in 1962 by veteran director, acting teacher, and producer Wynn Handman, with Sidney Lanier and Michael Tolan at St. Clement's Church in New York City. It developed a reputation for fostering new works, including adaptations of outstanding writers such as Robert Lowell, Joyce Carol Oates, Ed Bullins, and Sylvia Plath. APT nurtured and produced works by cutting-edge American playwrights including Sam Shepard, Maria Irene Fornes, Emily Mann, Richard Nelson, and Ronald Ribman.