Kickstarter

"The Ones Left Behind" is an original student musical written and composed entirely by Stanford University students. We're in the process of making the production a reality that will hit the stage on April 20 and 21. Please consider supporting us!

The sailor sees the world, living fast beside the sails

The woman left behind knows life but from his tales...

This is the story of an island community, governed and divided by the sea - its men go out for years at a time, hunting whales in the far-off Pacific, while the women lead their lives on land, raising children on stories of their absent fathers.

For nearly a century, Nantucket was the whaling capital of the world. At a time when the leviathan was coveted for its vast stores of oil, this windy island off the coast of Massachusetts reaped riches and lit the lamps of millions. By the 1840s, it was in decline. As its people fought fiercely to hold on to the golden age, one young sailor brought home a mysterious, alluring woman. Returning to his ship, he left her there on the island, amid suspicious neighbours and reluctant relatives. Though never meant to be a whaleman’s wife, this strange bride was as equally called to the sea as her lover. Theirs was a romance sustained across years and leagues of stormy ocean, held captive by the tides of history and chance. Their story is the story of a world changing too quickly, clinging to its sinking glory, gazing at the dawn of future in the distance.