In celebration of reading and literacy, the Aurora Theatre will be screening the documentary at the Lawrenceville Arts Center as part of the South Arts Southern Circuit of Independent Filmmakers.
“Butterfly in the Sky” tells the story of the PBS children’s series “Reading Rainbow” as well as its iconic host, American actor and director LeVar Burton. The documentary takes a deep dive into the challenges its creators faced when trying to cultivate a love of reading through television.
The event, in partnership with Gwinnett County Public Library, is set for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
Take a look, it’s in a book
Not only did the series insist on having kids talk to their peers about their favorite stories, but Reading Rainbow also introduced the world to one of the most adored television hosts of all time, LeVar Burton.
Thanks to his direct, non-patronizing, and, most importantly, kind delivery, Burton became a conduit of learning for children from every background.
This specific showing is part of the South Arts program of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.
“South Arts has done this beautiful job of creating these little circuits here in … the Southern states where they put together 56 cities and 56 locations,” said John Geertsen, Complex General Manager of Lawrenceville Arts Center.
“We give them a short list. … For a week, that film tours that circuit. The beauty of the Georgia circuit is all the locations are within two to two and half hours of each other,” he added.
Aurora Theater has a total of six films in the deal. It already screened three in the fall and the remaining three begin in February with “Butterfly in the Sky.” The others will be announced at a later date.
Reading Rainbow’s cultural impact
“You can’t talk about reading in America, libraries, literature, literacy or popular culture without talking about Reading Rainbow,” said Geertsen. “The TV series is for lack of a better term, in the zeitgeist.”
He explained that when people of a certain generation hear the opening refrain of the theme song, they immediately perk up because it conjures fond memories of childhood.
“All of our partners on the circuit selected it,” said Geertsen. “It was the film that everybody jumped to quite quickly.”
Yet, the event goes beyond just the screening. The Aurora Theater will also be the site of a literacy festival.
“For about three hours prior to the screening, we’re going to invite Gwinnett County independent booksellers to come and hang out,” he said. “We’ve partnered with the library, which will be helping with an excellent promotional campaign.”
A fun event for the whole community
Bringing the community together for the sake of literacy is what Gwinnett County Public Library is all about.
“We are so excited to be involved with the screening of ‘Butterfly in the Sky.’ We hope this documentary reminds our community about the importance of reading and how literacy can change lives,” said Duffie Dixon, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Gwinnett County Public Library.
“We think that it’ll be a good day to get folks in here, and the mobile library is going to be here, which is very exciting,” said Geertsen. “There will certainly be something for everyone.”
Aurora Theatre at the Lawrenceville Arts Center presents “Butterfly in the Sky.”
7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6Lawrenceville Arts CenterAurora TheatreClyde & Sandra Strickland Grand Stage125 N Clayton St., Lawrenceville
Learn more about the film here.
