Director’s Note | Neva Cockrell

This is a story about change. Kato experiences a loss in her life. Though it’s not what she wanted or chose, it is what propels her into the next phase of life. After deep grief and a walk through the woods with her fear, in her most challenged place, she calls out for help. Sure enough, a guide arrives, to walk with her, believe in her, and help her find her way. Together they make their way through depression, yearning, anger, learning new skills, resting, reconnecting with hope and dreams, and finally into an inner springtime, a rebirth. She finds a new version of herself, a new version of her life, a new role in her community.

Many people worked together to devise this piece. We got together, told stories, talked about what we cared about and what is needed in our current culture. One of the themes that arose was change. We found ourselves asking the question, “When a big change occurs in one’s life, what is the journey like to find a new equilibrium and how can one walk this path?”

In a culture that often values the ascending moments of life more than the descending ones, where can we find space and support for the full spectrum of experience? For the grief, the anger, the depression, the rest – trusting in the seasons of life, that after summer comes fall, then winter, then spring. May we have the courage to move through all of our inner seasons, each in their own time. And find good company, good friends, and good teachers along the way.