Theater Wit to Present a Conversation with Joshua Harmon and Itamar Moses

Theater Wit, in collaboration with the Crown Family Center for Jewish Studies at Northwestern and Northlight Theatre, will host CityTalk: A Series of Conversations on Assimilation, Antisemitism and Culture. This free, unprecedented series of curated talks and convenings with distinguished experts in Jewish history will be presented throughout the Chicago area, through May 9, 2025.
 
A special, online-accessible event has been added to the CityTalk schedule on Friday, May 2, 2025, at 7:00pm. Off Book: Faith, Culture & the Playwright’s Pen: A Conversation with Joshua Harmon and Itamar Moses will be moderated by Theater Wit Artistic Director and director of Prayer for the French Republic Jeremy Wechsler.
 
The events are free, and advance registration is required. For more information and registration, visit https://citytalkchicago.org/.
 
CityTalk crafts public conversation to create live, inclusive events to bring people together and encourage a humane perspective about safety, security and fundamental human rights for all. CityTalk invites everyone to take part and brings curiosity, courage and compassion to the table as we explore how the stories of our past shape the possibilities of our future.
 
CityTalk features presentations and discussions by nationally renowned scholars, artists and thought leaders, acting as a springboard for a space as nuanced and thoughtful as Prayer for the French Republic. These programs explore historical, social and cultural themes of Jewish assimilation, integration and identity across America and Europe centered in an academic, humanistic, and intersectional perspective.
 

About Off Book: Faith, Culture & the Playwright’s Pen: A Conversation with Joshua Harmon and Itamar Moses

Friday, May 6, 2025 at 7:00pm, online
 
Join us for an extraordinary conversation with two of America’s most acclaimed playwrights, Joshua Harmon (Prayer for the French Republic, Admissions, Bad Jews) and Itamar Moses (The Band’s Visit, The Ally, Completeness), as they sit down with Theater Wit Artistic Director Jeremy Wechsler to explore how faith and culture shape their creative voices and challenge the boundaries of modern storytelling. With a body of work that dives deep into questions of identity, belonging, and community, Harmon and Moses bring sharp insight and surprising humor to some of the most urgent conversations happening in American theater today.
 
This lively online discussion will unpack how personal history, heritage, and belief systems filter into the artistic process—from character development to narrative conflict—and how these influences resonate with contemporary audiences. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to their work, this is a rare chance to hear directly from two singular voices shaping the future of theater.
 
Jeremy Wechsler comments, “The questions raised by Prayer for the French Republic are too urgent, too layered, to be confined to a single production—even the largest in Theater Wit’s history. We need a city-wide conversation. CityTalk is our way of making that happen, offering Chicagoans a rare chance to grapple with the present through the lens of history. In this moment, Americans are being confronted with fundamental questions about safety, identity, and the nature of our society. We cannot navigate the choices ahead without understanding the peril. History and conversation is our best ally in the days to come.”
 
Winner of the 2022 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best New Off-Broadway Play, Prayer for the French Republic explores the profound and often painful intersections of faith, family, culture, and country — and what it means to be Jewish in the 21st century. Set in the shadow of Marine Le Pen’s far-right political rise, the play’s themes resonate deeply with the current cultural and political climate in America, where questions of assimilation, identity, and safety remain deeply urgent.