To some, my home state might seem an unlikely place to mention in The Dramatist, but it has been home to some notable Guild members including Maya Angelou, David Auburn, Qui Nguyen, and Honorary Guild member and former NEA Chair Jane Chu. So, in the spirit of this issue, I’d like to pay tribute to three people from Arkansas.

My friend, long-time Guild member and founder of Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Cliff Fannin Baker, passed away in September 2018. During his tenure as Producing Artistic Director, Arkansas Rep produced over 25 world premiere plays and musicals including new work by Michael Rice, Jack Heifner, Mike Craver & Mark Hardwick, and Baker himself.

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Joey Stocks

was born into an Arkansas newspaper family. He strayed into theatre as a performer before joining the Guild as Director of Publications and Editor of The Dramatist from August 2011 through September 2023.