A Message from the Artistic Director

Welcome to our 42nd season - the season of Awake and Dream! Our slogan this year may seem an odd or whimsical call to action, but it is nonetheless a wondrous and provocative one. It is all about possibility . It is a perfect theme for our 2004 roster of offerings, for without exception, all tell tales of awakenings, of revelations and of dreams about what might be - whether it be the promise of a better life, the discovery of love or faith, or the prospect of a better kingdom.

Awake and Dream! is an equally apt description of what happens when we engage in the act of theatre-going. There is a ritual to which we all intuitively submit upon entering the dimly lit hall of a theatre. We prepare to enter an alternative realm –– a domain where anything is possible — and we open up to the "proposals" and the worlds conjured up by our writers and artists. In the magical darkness of our theatres, we enter territories where our hearts, minds and senses are awakened in a way that is unique, potent and often life changing.

This mysterious power of theatre can electrify, mobilize and help us see visions of what might be, or what we might become — visions that encompass the entire scope of human experience, from the basest to the most noble, from the most humble to the most ambitious quests or dreams. Like our dreams, theatre leads us to undiscovered countries, new ideas, startling revelations and fresh inspirations. It is a place where dreams come true and where they are born. In these troubled times, it is more important than ever that we remember how to dream and believe that our visions can be realized. So, let the tales and words of our master storytellers lead the way — come, awake and dream with us!

Bonnie J. Monte

Artistic Director