Trinity Rep and Providence Athenaeum to Host Salon Inspired by VERONICA MEADOWS, 4/7

Trinity Rep and The Providence Athenaeum invite the public to attend a free salon conversation inspired by Trinity Rep's world premiere Veronica Meadows. Girl Power: The Girl Detective in American Literature and Her Impact on American Culture, a conversation moderated by the Athenaeum's Christina Bevilacqua between Brown University cultural historian Susan Smulyan and playwright Stephen Thorne, takes place Monday, April 7 at 7:00PM in Trinity Rep's Dowling Theater. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP to events@trinityrep.com.

This is not the first time Trinity Rep and The Providence Athenaeum have partnered in presenting public programming. "We are thrilled to be working with The Athenaeum again, and this time welcoming them to our home," shares Trinity Rep's artistic director Curt Columbus, "The support from our community for Stephen Thorne's wonderful new play has been thrilling, and we look forward to the dynamic conversation it is sure to inspire."

Susan Smulyan is Professor, Department of American Civilization at Brown University, a cultural historian of the United States in the 20th century, and the author of two books: Selling Radio: The Commercialization of American Broadcasting (Smithsonian Institution Press, 1992) and Popular Ideologies: Mass Culture at Mid-Century (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007). In addition, she has worked on three large web projects: "Whole Cloth: Discovering American History Through Science and Technology"; "Freedom Now!: An Archival Project of Tougaloo College and Brown University"; and "Perry Visits Japan." These websites exist at the intersection between faculty research and teaching. Professor Smulyan teaches courses in popular culture, advertising history, radio, digital scholarship, and American Studies methods, directing nine dissertations, and serving as a reader on 25 others. She was selected by the American Studies Association as a delegate to the Japanese Association for American Studies and has presented papers in France, Italy, New Zealand, and Australia.

Playwright Stephen Thorne is celebrating his 14th season as a member of Trinity Rep's resident acting company. Perhaps best known to audiences as Tom Joad in this season's production of The Grapes of Wrath, Arthur in Camelot and the title role in Hamlet, his other memorable Trinity Rep roles include Homer Wells in The Cider House Rules, John Proctor in The Crucible and Henry V in The Henriad. He has worked as an actor with Actors Theatre of Louisville, Long Wharf Theatre and Riverside Shakespeare Festival, as well as the Bread Loaf School of English Acting Ensemble. Stephen's play The Completely Fictional- Utterly True - Final Strange Tale of Edgar Allan Poe had its world premiere at Trinity Rep in 2011 and subsequently was produced at Baltimore's Centerstage as part of their '12-'13 Season.

Christina Bevilacqua is the Director of Programs and Public Engagement at the Providence Athenaeum, where she has worked since 2005. In 2006 she created the Athenaeum's Salon Series, which brings members of the general public together for weekly conversations on such topics as history, visual art, theater, politics, fashion, collecting, literature, food, music, architecture, science, education, and urban policy. In 2013 the RI Council for the Humanities awarded her the Tom Roberts Prize for Creative Achievement in the Humanities in recognition of the impact that the Salon Series has had on cultural life in the state. Prior to working at the Athenaeum she directed educational programming at Leadership Rhode Island for three years. She has a BA in writing from Bard College and an MA in Social Policy from the University of Chicago. In addition to her work in publishing, social services, retail, and criminal justice in New York, Boston, Chicago, and Providence, she spent the years from 1992 to 2000 as a custom milliner.

The Providence Athenaeum, a unique independent, member-supported library and cultural center, welcomes and enriches the educational and cultural pursuits of its members and the community and encourages a diverse public to engage in spirited conversation. It offers a wide range of experiences by providing and conserving extraordinary collections, offering innovative and compelling programs, promoting and collaborating with the community's vibrant cultural sector, and highlighting and preserving its historic building.

TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY: The State Theater of Rhode Island, Trinity Repertory Company is now celebrating its 50th Anniversary Season. Since its founding in 1963, Trinity Repertory Company has been one of the most respected regional theaters in the country. Featuring the last permanent resident acting company in America, Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works for an estimated annual audience of approximately 145,000. In its 50-year history, the theater has produced 62 world premieres, mounted national and international tours, and, through its MFA program, trained hundreds of new actors and directors. This season marks the 46th year of Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program. Last season, Trinity Rep's educational programs reached over 16,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut students through matinees as well as in-school residencies and workshops. Brown University/Trinity Rep offers professional training for actors and directors in a three-year MFA program. The 50th Anniversary season concludes with the world premiere of Veronica Meadows by Stephen Thorne and A Lie of the Mind by Sam Shepard. Subscriptions are now on sale for Trinity Rep's 2014-2015 Season, which includes the world premiere Curt Columbus' translation of Ivanov by Anton Chekhov, Barefoot in the Park by Neil Simon, Middletown by Will Eno, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, A Flea in Her Ear by Georges Feydeau and the world premiere of Melancholy Play: a new chamber musical by Sarah Ruhl with music by Todd Almond. For more information, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.

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