Honoring the Past, Forging into the Future

“I think you have to recognize, acknowledge, and honor the things that have been important to them while giving them a chance to see new works or different types of works, from that artistic director’s perspective, that will expand their view of the theater.”

Derek Charles Livingston took his place as Stages artistic director a little over a year ago, but he lost little time immersing himself in Houston life and its theater community. He moved into the historic Third Ward, attended Astros games, judged a Writers in the Schools poetry slam, and above all began exploring the Houston art scene. In fact, I’d spotted him in the audience at several other theaters across the city long before I stopped by a rehearsal of the Stages fall opener, The Lehman Trilogy, to ask him about his first year at the helm and what’s to come.