“A novelist writes a novel, and people read it. But reading is a solitary act. While it may elicit a varied and personal response, the communal nature of the audience is like having five hundred people read your novel and respond to it at the same time. I find that thrilling.”  
—August Wilson


The last year has taught us a lot about community. We have missed those moments of social connection with friends and family. We have experimented with creating community in digital spaces with varying levels of success. And we have done our best to support local artists at a time when they face significant challenges. Through all of this, we’ve really missed having a live audience, a key ingredient in bringing the performing arts to life. 

So you can imagine how excited we are to start bringing people back into our spaces. We thought a fun way to start would be to feature some of our most famous alums on screen. We’ve assembled a line-up of contemporary and classic films that will run through June, including two new features from recent graduates of the MFA in Documentary Film Program. And very soon, we plan to announce a summer music and comedy series that will once again bring artists and audiences together.     

For those who are not quite ready to return to live events, we’ll continue our digital programming through the spring quarter, including illusionist Scott Silven’s interactive performance The Journey and a special event featuring recent alum Lowry Yankwich (’16) where he and special guests will discuss their collective love of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. We will also release two new films this spring featuring Daniel Hope and the New Century Chamber Orchestra and two of our favorite Peninsula musicians—Tuck & Patti.  

Finally, we take a moment to celebrate an individual who has been on the frontline at Stanford Live for decades. Bill Starr has decided to retire and will not be returning as our front of house manager. During his tenure, Bill built a wonderful community of volunteers who, along with the Stanford Live team, will miss him dearly. Please join us in wishing Bill the very best as he continues to do what he loves best—making theatre.

We hope to see you at Frost!

 

Chris Lorway
Executive Director

 

 

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Cover Illustration by Helen He, '23
Instagram: @helenhestudio
helenhestudio.myportfolio.com