Ghost Quartet by Dave Malloy

Ghost Quartet came into my life five or so years ago. I'm sure it was recommended to me by someone to whom I am now very grateful, but time has erased the exact details of their identity and the circumstances of the recommendation. I fell in love with the work instantly; and its exploration of the themes of storytelling, love, forgiveness, grief, and identity has shaped the way I think about those things in real life.

As human beings, storytelling comes just as naturally to us as breathing. Carl Sagan said that we humans are made of star stuff. And when we commune in the joy of making art and telling stories together, stardust comes back out of us to bring more light, hope, love, and healing into our world. I sincerely hope you are able to take home some of the stardust we create with you tonight, and I hope that as it burns it gives you light, hope, love, and healing. And remember: the human experience is forgiveness: forgiving others but also forgiving ourselves.

Figaro Vance, Director