Bright Star
Hale Center Theater OremView digital playbillFeb 25, 2022 – Apr 9, 2022
Whether in a familiar theatre or gathered on the porch on a summer's evening with fireflies filling the air, stories bring us together as a community. Particularly when it's live storytelling, when we're all here together in this special moment. We are teller and listener, and neither can exist without the other. I've spent a lot of my life telling stories and listening to stories. When thinking about Bright Star, long before we set foot in the rehearsal room, I immediately was drawn to the thing I have missed most during this complicated time: being in a space with other people, both strangers and friends, and sharing stories. Our storyteller tonight, Alice Murphy, is a remarkable woman. I have cherished the time I have had with her, and I don't mind saying I will miss her. She is prickly, impulsive, strong, honest, confident, and utterly true to herself. More than a few times I have found myself wishing that I could be more like Alice, and I think knowing her and her story has made me a better person. This is a story of hope and a story of love and a story of family. It's also a story about the power of stories. From the first words of the first song, stories flow throughout the play: stories about who we are, stories about who we've lost, stories about what could have been and what can be. I'm deeply grateful to the community of storytellers here at Hale Center Theatre Orem for allowing me to be part of this story —one of so many I have enjoyed sitting in these seats. I've long admired the work done here and am in awe of all those both on and off stage who make it happen. If you needed any more proof that stories are important, just look around -- we're all here to be part of a story tonight. Stories tell us we're not alone. Stories tell us that if we stumble and fall, we can get up again. Stories tell us that the sun will shine again. Stories are our bright star. "If you knew my story, you'd have a good story to tell" —Alice Murphy, Bright Star