.Esther Young

After gaining international recognition with Purple Hibiscus (2003), Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk, “We Should All Be Feminists,” became a global feminist manifesto adapted into a book of the same name (2012).

Self-described as the maker of books “for children, adults who read with children, and adults who simply enjoy children’s books—in that order,” Harris is a 2021 Caldecott honoree as well as the illustrator of Dave Eggers’ Newbery Medal-winning The Eyes and the Impossible (2023).

Her accounts, celebrating the lives of these creatures as individuals, affirm the significance of conservation efforts. The event includes a book signing with the celebrated ’73 SJSU alum.

Rotating casts of talented 8- to 14-year-olds trained at Children’s Musical Theater present the staged version of a classic novel by Mark Twain.

One of the most beloved creators in children’s literature comes to town!

Other highlights include Marcello’s “Oboe Concerto in D Major” performed by oboist Robert Scott, and Jeremy Cavaterra’s “Lost Coast.”

Noises Off is a spectacularly discombobulating show-within-a-show. A theater troupe rehearses their touring production of a sex comedy, Nothing On, and nothing goes right.

The production features some of Rachmaninoff’s most famed pieces, including the Second Piano Concerto, the Paganini Variations, preludes and other symphonic selections.