Mountain Play

3 WE ARE BETTER AND STRONGER TOGETHER– Mountain Play 2021 Sunday, May 16, 2021 The California Collection Why do we live here and what do we love about it? These iconic pendants in 14k gold with diamond accents remind us of the places and landmarks that are so special. The Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Tamalpais, Stinson Beach. Muir Woods. All are unique to this region and admired by all. Why not collect them all? 1226 4th Street • Downtown San Rafael, CA• 415-459-5808• stephanhill.com When I stepped into the role of Executive Director on September 1, 2018, little did I know what was ahead. In an early interview with the press, I was asked "what are you going to change?" So much about the Mountain Play is wonderful, that I thought "evolution" would be the better term for my intentions. I really wanted to deepen our roots in the community – to make new relationships and to strengthen the fulfilling ones already in existence. Fast-forward to 2020, and what we thought was our normal was abruptly taken away. It is strange to be writ- ing this in May 2021 with no performances on Mount Tamalpais since June 2019. While we've been stopped by pandemics and world wars before, this feels unique. Just when we most needed to gather, life had something different planned for us. We all watched as the intensity of the pandemic spread, showing us who was hit the hardest and why. As we sheltered at home to stop the spread of one virus, we clearly saw that racism was as rampant and socially sys- temic as the virus plaguing our bodies. In the midst of so much loss, it's hard to imagine any- thing good coming from this past year, but now we must stop and ask: What have we learned? What should we change? It's easy to speak words of change but without action, those words are meaning- less. In acknowledgement of the necessary call to action a!er the murder of George Floyd, we took another look at our institutional values and asked: are we living by those values? Do we truly see those values deeply in action throughout our orga- nization? Our response was the creation of an action plan for how to do the work for Diversity, Equity and Inclu- sion in the Mountain Play community. While we are proud of our theatrical tra- dition, we are now asking, "does everyone feel welcome at the party?" For a look at our working roadmap for inclusion, refer to page 8. We believe that "systemic problems require systemic solutions" and will continue to do the work that inspires change. Our county is rich with natural beauty. But the riches of Marin's many cul- tures and ethnicities o!en get overlooked. Well, 2020 gave us time to stop, look, and find the beauty. At the Mountain Play, we took this time to make new relation- ships and begin building the bridges necessary for change to happen. $is insert would normally be our playbill for the musical taking place on the mountain, but without a play, we've chosen to share this space with members of our community who o!en go unseen. Two years without a Mountain Play – our be- loved Bay Area treasure. We miss you dear audience, but we're still here, keeping the lights on and preparing for the time when we all can safely be together. We are planning a fall production of Camelot and a return to the amphitheatre in spring 2022. Without any income from ticket sales, the reason we are still here is because of you – our contributors, advertisers, and sponsors – who believe in the healing power of the arts. With no earned revenue, the work we are doing depends on your continued partner- ship. $ough our work this year has been "behind the scenes", we still need you. And for those of you who can spare some pocket change, your contributions will be supporting our tri- umphant return to the stage. In another impact of the pandemic, the world has fi- nally learned that the arts are essential. As artists, we knew it all along, but o!en strug- gled with the selling point. Now, stuck at home, with our televisions, computers and Zoom, we hunger for stories, entertainment and the connection that live art brings. So, for now, we'll visit you through technology, but we sure can't wait to see you in person. And when that finally happens, let's make sure everyone gets an invitation to join and a safe place in the celebration. We treasure you. Please visit the About Us page at MountainPlay.org for our annual report Eileen Grady Executive Director & Artistic Director Letter from the Executive Director & Artistic Producer

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