I have enjoyed a remarkably close and rewarding friendship with Stanley for over 10 years now, this is only remarkable in so far as we have never met, sometimes I find it difficult to realise that we haven't, so well do we seem to understand each other. Recently he sent me some press cuttings from American newspapers about himself, which I am reproducing here:

27 August 1978: After directing the musical productions at the Millbrook Playhouse, during one of the most successful seasons in the theater's 16year history, musical director Stanley German will leave at the end of this week for a 10 week engagement of South Pacific in Ohio. For four years and over 26 productions, he worked as MD at the Continental Theatre Co., of Wichita, Kan. The director lives in New York City, where he has assisted in productions for the Direct Theatre and toured as musical director for 1776 for the Masque and Mime Theatre Foundation. German and the Continental Theatre Co. appeared at Lock Haven State College in Godspell. He earned his musical degree from Middle Tennessee State University near his hometown of Chattanooga. He has worked as actor, director or musical director on productions including The Fantasticks, Once upon a Mattress, The Music Man, Little Me, Dames at Sea, The Gondoliers and The Merry Widow.

20 July 1978: "MILLBROOK'S PINAFORE SAILS ON A SEA OF TALENT. A British ship sails on spit & polish, but Millbrook Playhouse's H.M.S. Pinafore which opened last night sails on a sea of talent. It ranks as this summers best show on the barnfloor stage. Theater goers will find director Stan German has whipped together a virtually flawless show with a cast that fits these roles like a glove. Everything from the melodious and resounding 20 piece orchestra, again headed by German, to the goldtrimmed costumes by David Chevillot ... is top of the fleet. ... Charles Muckle who has done a fine job this season, tops himself as the handsome, stone faced young seaman Ralph Rackstraw. His only flaw is a sometimes cracking voice. Shelly Eberhart, the captain's daughter, has shed her past flightiness to give her best performance of the season. Her voice is excellent.

[The main defect of this production seems to have been lack of a critic capable of writing an intelligent report. Reading between the lines it appears that Stan German was doing a marvelous job under frankly rather difficult circumstances. Although I have never heard him, I know from what he has said in his letters and from my own instinct, that he'd never be satisfied with less than the best. GG salutes him. Ed.]

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