I often catch myself walking around the streets of New York not really paying attention to the city or the people around me. But inside the rehearsal room, I am always fully present. The theater for me is like church, working on plays a sacred activity. I try to lead with curiosity and compassion, creating a space for the entire company to explore the fullness of life—the warts, the curse words, the pain, along with the joy, the love, and the laughter, all mixed in together. Together we pursue greatness; the truth we find in the room we aim to share with you.

That’s why I love This World of Tomorrow. It touches on everything I care about. I believe we need this play TODAY. In the story, a man travels to the past to find his future. How beautiful. I sometimes forget that the past is important. Especially when I’m too busy on my phone to look up and really notice the environment I’m in, too busy to really see the precious humanity all around me.

So I would love it if you would please put away your phone for the next two hours and come time-traveling with us. Allow yourself the chance to wrestle with this question that I ask myself every day while working on Tom Hanks and Jim Glossman’s play: Can love change your DNA?

Now I can’t give you the answer directly. But I do promise that if you approach this performance with the same open heart and spirit we all shared in the rehearsal room, something core in your life will be changed in a positive way.

Perhaps in another life I’d be a preacher.