AG Educational Events
Tuesday, May 12, 2026
6:00 pm Eastern
Online
When a book gets adapted for the stage, the author’s story takes on new life for new audiences. Join us for a behind-the-scenes talk on the process with Kelly Starling Lyons, whose children’s book Tiara’s Hat Parade is now a theatrical production on a multi-city tour. We’ll hear Paige Hernandez, the playwright and director, and Adam Burke, artistic director of the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, which co-commissioned and debuted the play.
Theatrical adaptations can be both a creative and financial success for authors. Learn about sharing creative control, working with creative experts in other fields, and what to expect from the experience of watching your work on stage in this hour-long chat.
A Q&A will follow the presentation; you can pre-submit a question when registering for the event. A recording will be made available for those who cannot attend live.
The event will take place via Zoom with automatic closed captioning. To request any other accessibility features, please email support@authorsguild.org and we will make every effort to accommodate.
Kelly Starling Lyons is a founding member of The Brown Bookshelf, a teaching artist, and an award-winning author of more than 30 books for young readers. Among her acclaimed picture books are Caldecott Honor winner Going Down Home with Daddy, Christopher Award winner Tiara’s Hat Parade, which is also a touring children’s play, Anna Dewdney Read-Together Award winner My Hands Tell a Story and Bank Street Best Books selection Sing a Song: How Lift Every Voice & Sing Inspired Generations. Kelly is also the author of three popular series for young people—chapter books starring her characters Jada Jones and Miles Lewis, and the Ty’s Travels easy readers which won a Geisel Honor for Zip, Zoom. She regularly presents to schools, libraries, festivals, and conferences around the country. Learn more at http://www.kellystarlinglyons.com/.
Adam Burke is the artistic director at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, where he has led the development of over 30 new works including The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical; The Invisible Boy; The Magic Kite; Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba; and The Night Diary. Prior to Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Adam was the artistic director of the Scioto Society, which produces the outdoor drama Tecumseh. Before that, Adam was the artistic director of the Chicago Theatre for Young Audiences and an artistic associate at Childsplay Theatre in Tempe, Arizona as a recipient of the Theatre Communication Group’s New Generations fellowship. Adam holds degrees from the University of Arizona and Northwestern University. During his tenure in Chicago, Adam worked at the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare and Northlight Theatres and as the resident director at Open Eye Productions. Adam participated in the International Directing Symposium, hosted by LaMama Theatre, in Umbria, Italy; the National Advanced Stage Combat Workshop, hosted by the Society of American Fight Directors, ASSITEJ’s (International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People) One Theatre World, and the ASSITEJ International Directing Symposium in Stuttgart, Germany. Adam is a recipient of the ASSITEJ/USA Ann Shaw Fellowship and of the Chicago Drama League International Research Grant.
Paige Hernandez is a multidisciplinary artist who is critically acclaimed as a performer, director, choreographer and playwright. As an AEA equity actress, Paige has performed on many stages throughout the country. She has collaborated with the Lincoln Center and has been commissioned by several companies including the National New Play Network, the Smithsonian, The Kennedy Center, La Jolla Playhouse and the Glimmerglass Festival. She is the recipient of an Individual Artist Award from the Maryland State Arts Council as well as four Helen Hayes nominations for choreography, directing and performance. Paige has also been named a “classroom hero” by The Huffington Post, a “Citizen Artist Fellow” with the Kennedy Center, “40 under 40” by the Washington Post and one of “Six Theatre Workers You Should Know” by American Theatre Magazine. Her work on inclusive spaces and theatre-based trauma informed practices has received international acclaim and garnered her such acknowledgement as the inaugural Victor Shargai Leadership Award and a repeat keynote speaker and presenter for Disney. In 2023, Paige was appointed to the Maryland State Arts Council by Governor Wes Moore. Paige was recently named one of the Top 5 Most Produced Artists for Theatre for Young Audiences. She is elated to be the Associate Artistic Director of Everyman Theatre in her hometown of Baltimore. With her company B-FLY ENTERTAINMENT, Paige continues to develop and tour original work internationally.
With the generous support of our donors, the Authors Guild Foundation is able to offer our educational programs for free to all interested writers. If you’d like to support the Foundation, please click here.
