What if the Buddha were a woman, living in our times? In this captivating new musical, which the San Francisco Chronicle called “an absolute delight,” Mama Sid is a modern-day “awakened one” with a worldwide following. But a determined young woman seeks to unearth Mama Sid’s mysterious past, exposing long-held secrets that could change everything. Epic and intimate, comic and profound, The Fourth Messenger investigates what it means to be both enlightened and human.

Hailed by TheaterMania as "a work of wit, grace and enlightenment" and The Huffington Post as “hugely ambitious and refreshingly original,” The Fourth Messenger features a richly lyrical score by internationally renowned five-time Independent Music Award-winning recording artist Vienna Teng and book and lyrics by nationally acclaimed playwright Tanya Shaffer. Featuring original San Francisco Bay Area cast member Anna Ishida as Mama Sid.

This special concert reading of The Fourth Messenger is a fundraiser for The Ark.

Directed by Giovanni Rodriguez and Tanya Shaffer. Music Directed by Rebecca Biber.

Vienna Teng is the composer of this musical, but will not perform in this reading.