Long before she became one of America's most iconic photographers, Dorothea Lange was a pioneering witness — someone who drove California's back roads with a camera and a notebook, determined to see what the rest of the country wouldn't look at. Now, decades later, her archive is being reborn as a work for the stage. Join poet and playwright Tess Taylor and Marin Theatre Artistic Director Lance Gardner for an intimate evening look inside the making of this ambitious new production — and into Lange’s California, with photographs, a video presentation, and a rare glimpse of Lange's own history here in Marin County.

Tess Taylor is a poet, playwright, and NPR poetry commentator whose work explores place, memory, and cultural reckoning. Her collections include Rift Zone (Boston Globe best book, 2020) and Work & Days (NY Times best poetry book, 2016). A US Distinguished Fulbright Scholar, Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow, and Poet Laureate of El Cerrito, her new collection Come Bite (Milkweed, 2027) arrives alongside Last West. tess-taylor.com | lastwestplay.com

Lance Gardner is the Executive Artistic Director of Marin Theatre, where he has led a post-pandemic revitalization of Marin's premier professional theatre. Prior to Marin Theatre, he spent several years KQED, where he collaborated on the creation and launch of KQED Live, a year-round, in-person and virtual events program of unique live experiences marrying journalism, arts, and entertainment. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he made a career as an actor and worked as an EMT before turning to producing and arts administration. 

With thanks to the Living Neal Deal for their support. livingnewdeal.org