All happy families

A satire of sisters in an oversexed home.

All happy families

When the play “Sweet, the Breath of Children” ran in Seattle’s Odd Duck Studio last September, the Seattle Times named it a Critics’ Pick, praising the “wonderfully written” riffs and dialogue and dubbing it an “auspicious beginning” for “promising young playwright” Neil Ferron ’05. With a title taken from Euripides’ tragedy “Medea,” Ferron’s play is a dark comedy about a pair of sisters raised in an opulent and oversexed home (think Tennessee Williams) in West Hollywood. It was inspired by Ferron’s participation in a DISCOVER internship working with homeless and troubled teens in the U.S. and a fellowship assisting at an orphanage in Calcutta. While a student at SCU, Ferron said he began writing the play as a way to answer lingering questions these experiences posed, such as, “How do you move forward with respect, dignity, and practicality?”

—EE

A Crescendo of Achievements

Nicolás Lell Benavides ’10 shares how his Santa Clara experience and passion for composition led to the creation of his largest project to date: “Dolores.”

Haunted or Not? We Ask the Winchester Historian

“One day, I was at the house very early when no one else was there, and I heard the clearest footsteps treading on the metal roof above me.” Meet Janan Boehme ’81, the first-ever historian of the Winchester Mystery House.

Impact That Lasts

“Steve and I want whatever is left when we die to make a real difference for people and the planet.”

A California Leader

Richard Riordan ’52 leaves a lasting California legacy as a distinguished leader, committed philanthropist, and a visionary innovator.