Theatre Aspen Announces First Time Collaboration With Aspen Ideas Festival

On Wednesday, June 27th from 3:45-5:15 pm, the Aspen Ideas Festival and Theatre Aspen will collaborate for the first time ever on a combination live performance and panel discussion event at the Aspen Music Festival's Benedict Music Tent. The session will examine the historical and social impact that iconic theatre pieces have had in highlighting important social issues such as race, gender and social justice. The panel discussions will be moderated by the renown theatre critic of the Washington Post, Peter Marks, and will feature such participants as David Brooks and Katie Couric.

The performance excerpts will be drawn from such legendary works as Hamilton, Angels in America, South Pacific, Fences, and more. They will be performed by a Broadway credited cast of 6, directed by Lonny Price (Sunset Boulevard) and musically directed by Mary Mitchell Campbell (Mean Girls).

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with Kitty and the Aspen Ideas team. The Ideas Festival is world famous for the high-quality level of its programming, and we are excited to make theatre such a unique part of this year's activities," said Jed Bernstein, Producing Director Theatre Aspen.

Added Kitty Boone, Vice President, Public Programs and Executive Director, Aspen Ideas Festival "It is so refreshing to work with Jed and the leadership at Theatre Aspen. Through our collaboration we are creating, through the very critical lens of artistic interpretation, a way to talk about the challenges that we face across our country that will be provocative, fascinating, and beautiful."

The event is part of the annual plenary session between the two weeks of the Aspen Ideas Festival and admission is available to Festival attendees.

Founded in 1983, Theatre Aspen rekindles a sense of discovery in audiences who live in and visit the Roaring Fork Valley by producing big theatre in a small space with intimate storytelling, educating the next generation of theatre artists and enthusiasts, and supporting the creation of new work for the American theatre canon. The Colorado Theatre Guild honored Theatre Aspen with eight Henry Awards for its 2015 season, making the Theatre the most-awarded in the state. New works incubated at Theatre Aspen include Finn the Fearless, Cross that River, Alice by Heart, and-most recently-The MAD Show, a sketch and comedy show inspired by and from the pages of MAD Magazine. To learn more about Theatre Aspen or register for school season educational programs, visit www.TheatreAspen.org.

Photo by Mike Lyons Photography; photo via Theatre Aspen on Facebook.

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