Stories

This blog is guest written by Haley Haas, Anastasis Theatre artistic director

I want to tell you a beautiful story about how a simple item, journals, is being used to pay tribute to one of our community members who passed away in 2021.

His name was Leo Marks.

Leo was a writer, actor and advocate for people facing housing insecurity. He knew the challenges better than most: he was a resident of the Stephen Center, where he regained his footing and started a new independent chapter as a writer and professional actor.

We fondly remember Leo as an integral part of developing the play Stories: On the Brink. This Anastasis play explored the lives of people facing housing insecurity. A story he knew well.

We met Leo at the Stephen Center where he lived in permanent supportive housing. Leo attended every story circle at Stephen Center to gather stories for the play. His enthusiasm for the project led us to cast him in early reading of the play. Because of the renewed confidence this process gave him, he was able to move to his own apartment and pursue his acting and writing dreams.

Leo’s legacy lives on with a journal library dedicated to Leo. We at Anastasis Theatre are honored to collect journals for the journal library they keep stocked at the Stephen Center, so residents can have a journal of their own and write their dreams for the next chapter, just like Leo did.

Send a journal for the journal library

At Anastasis Theatre, we are carrying on Leo’s memory by giving underrepresented communities the power to share their stories and help shape a more just future.

We are looking to #GivingTuesday402 to bring the next wave of support we need for our Rising Voices Project, creating a new play with formally incarcerated women.