Hello dear Hartford Stage supporters:

An enormous thank you to the 250+ strong who braved the interwebs to join us this past week for Scene and Heard: LIVE!  Knowing that so many of you care about Hartford Stage makes this difficult time a little easier to bear. I have to do a shout-out to our guests, former Hartford Stage Artistic Directors, Darko Tresnjak, Michael Wilson and Mark Lamos. I could have spoken to each of them for hours, and perhaps will in the weeks to come (let it not be months!). And it was a gift to share the company of Emily Mann, Richard Thomas, Felicity Jones Latta, Emilio Delgado, Mary Beth Peil, Gordana Rashovich and all of you. Thank you.

I came across this paragraph in the New York Times and thought of our Scene and Heard: LIVE! "broadcasts":

"...Being near other people also allows us to express our most human qualities, like empathy and collaboration. Those are the skills that can’t be automated. And they’re what produces the kind of meaningful interpersonal contact we miss out on when we’re stuck at home."  (Kevin Roose NYT, March 10, 2020)

It's not the same as being there —but the empathy and collaboration aspects of our craft were nonetheless in evidence.

Join us this coming week when our special guest will be Playwright Martín Zimmerman. He is the author of next season's Simona's Search, as well as a story editor and writer for one of my all-time favorite series, Ozark. We will be reading a scene from this play to further whet your appetite for next season. Don't miss out.

And while everyone is hunkering down to practice social-distancing, I’m unveiling Melia’s Picks. In each installment, you will find a selection of sites to relive or discover great theatre moments and artists. And while we celebrate these works, in one of these cases we mourn. Once again, we have grief and joy side by side with us. But take a peek, and figure out how these Picks are connected to Hartford Stage! Tune into Scene and Heard: LIVE! on Wednesday to find out if you've made the right Hartford Stage connections!

And of course, you know that your support of Hartford Stage during this difficult period means the world to us. Please consider making a charitable gift today to help us rebound from its current crisis to continue its legacy of fine theatre. And remember, between now and June 30th, your donations will be doubled with our $50,000 match. Please go to www.hartfordstage.org and make a contribution today!

See you Wednesday for Scene and Heard: LIVE!

Warmly and gratefully,

Melia

PS: Join us Wednesday, April 8^th for Scene and Heard: LIVE!, our virtual happy hour via Zoom with Melia at 4:00 PM EST this week, in observance of Passover. Visit www.hartfordstage.org to RSVP.

MELIA'S PICKS

Click the photos to begin your journey!

Can you figure out their connection to Hartford Stage?