Lessons from the Stage

Gary Scarpa looks back on his life in theater as a calling. In Lessons from the Stage, he traces how one pivotal audition as a college senior set him on a path that would shape the course of his life.

In the fateful summer of 1973, Scarpa performed in a play for the first time and "fell in love with an art form and a girl, all in one fell swoop," as he so aptly puts it. And the rest is history.

In Lessons from the Stage, he recounts an intriguing theatrical journey shared with his wife, Francesca - a partnership fueled by creativity, purpose, and a love of live performance. From directing high school productions to founding a full-time theater, the Scarpas inspired generations of performers while navigating the joys, challenges, and milestones of a life devoted to the stage.

Warm, nostalgic, and deeply reflective, Lessons from the Stage is for anyone who has ever stepped into the light, directed a play, worked behind the scenes, or simply sat in the dark and felt the power of live theater. It's a celebration of creativity and the enduring impact theater has on the people whose lives it touches.