This evening has been a decade in the making. My passion as a storyteller is to shine a light on the women whose historical legacies have been unfairly diminished. Marlon Brando is undoubtedly one of our greatest actors. However, we forget he wasn’t born fully formed, like Athena from Zeus’ forehead. Brando, as we know him, might never have existed if it weren’t for the genius of Stella Adler. Similarly, had Marlon not stumbled into Stella’s classroom, she may never have risen to become one of the foundational voices who shaped the art of acting in America. Imagine if the radio disc jockey never played Elvis. Stella’s and Marlon’s providential encounter carries the same magnitude; its ripple effects still felt throughout stage and cinema today. My deepest thanks goes to Abingdon Theatre Company and to you, the audience, for being here to celebrate this unsung origin story. - Julia Adler Batavia