Esta Rosevear, director of the play "Go, Dog. Go!" which opens Saturday in Spokane -- details here -- was assertive in pitching the play as a main story for our Today section. We don't usually do centerpiece stories on children's theater productions, but "Go, Dog. Go!" happens to be my favorite children's book and it seemed fun to explore the deeper meaning of the 1961 classic.

Esta was delighted. In the course of our interview, she revealed why the play was so special to her. Last year, her 28-year-old daughter died of cancer. And Esta has been slowly losing her eyesight. The longtime drama teacher and director said "Go, Dog. Go!" is likely her last play.

I appreciated two things about Esta. 1) She was articulate about how being involved in the play has helped her find some joy amid great personal sorrows. 2) She didn't use her grief to make a dramatic pitch for us to do the story. Her grief was revealed only in the course of a longer interview after we decided to go ahead with it.

Classy lady. Good luck with the play, Esta.

(S-R/Dan Pelle photo)

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