Message From the President

Dear Friend,

My name is Granville Burgess and I am writing to tell you a little about the history of our organization.

I am from South Carolina. Southerners love history. Our tortured past compels most of us to a life-long obsession from the why's and wherefore's of existence. We thrill to the intricate web of the roots that trace our ancestry. It is as natural as breathing for us to continually refract the present through the mirror of the past.

It is just as natural to expend that breath telling stories. I don't know if southerners have more imagination than others (or just more time on their hands!). I do know we have a decided propensity for taking the world as given, reworking it in the cauldron of our "overheated" minds, and spinning it back in altered, entertaining (and often elongated!) form. I have no doubt the birth of Quill was foreshadowed by my coming-to-be on southern soil.

My storytelling I refined through writing assignments at The Phillips Exeter Academy. My love of history I augmented as a magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University. Also at Princeton, I joined and became president of The Triangle Club, which creates, performs and tours original musicals. An M.F.A. in Directing from The Catholic University of America completed the foundation upon which Quill was to rest.

In 1975, I received my first grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for the creation and production of a trilogy of musicals for children, presented on The Mall in Washington, DC during the Bicentennial Summer. And who was the leading character? Mr. History! The same wacky tour guide of the history musicals we are creating today. He has a long pedigree!

In 1999, I met Stephen Lawrence, who has composed for "Sesame Street" for over twenty-five years, winning three Emmys in the process, among other honors. We revived Mr. History and launched our Mr. History Musicals. Our company has grown and developed, entertaining and educating thousands and thousands of students and teachers.

We at Quill have imagined a world where our children delight in discovering the charismatic characters and dramatic events of our remarkable past. We are embarked upon a tremendously exciting and educational journey. We invite you to travel it with us.