My name is Tyson Forbes Lien. I am a direct descendent of Ralph Waldo Emerson. I have always felt an intimate responsibility to his lineage, and for years, have imagined a play that could bring his spirit and teachings to a broader audience. My connection to Emerson ties me also to Henry David Thoreau, his fellow author, student and friend. When I read their work; their respective individuality, relationship to each other, and mutual appreciation for nature; I find answers to burning questions on how to live my life more deeply and responsibly in this world. In todays world, we are so estranged from our natural environment and I feel that humankind must reconnect with nature in order to survive. As oil spills into our oceans, as we race through our lives, as we look further and further outside ourselves for the answers, it is my hope that Nature can be a catalyst for our collective healing.