LOOK BOTH WAYS

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. New York Times best-selling author, Jason Reynolds conjures 10 tales (1 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.

Preview the Performance

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at 10AM and 12PM
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 10AM and 12PM

Show run time: 60 minutes

About The Kennedy Center

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is the United States National Cultural Center, located in Washington, D.C. and opened in 1971. It produces a wide range of theater, dance, ballet, and popular music performances. Learn more at kennedy-center.org.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT

Performance
  • The performance is approximately 63 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.
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.
  • 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.
Sound
  • 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
  • Strobe-like lighting effects used in this show may be disruptive to people with photosensitivity.
  • Lighting effects are used throughout the show on stage to help set the mood of the scene.
  • 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 an opportunity to sing “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.

Paramount Theatre Digital Tour

Want to introduce the historic Paramount Theatre to your students before their in-person field trip? Watch a preview of our Paramount Theatre Digital Tour.