Hilton Als, Theater Critic For The New Yorker, To Speak at REDCAT 5/17

REDCAT and USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism announce a special talk with Hilton Als, theater critic for The New Yorker. As the keynote speaker for the 2010 NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater conference, Als visits REDCAT to discuss the role of the critic in contemporary theater and art. The event will be held in the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater on Monday, May 17, 2010 at 8:30 pm.

Having contributed theater, visual art and literary reviews, Als discusses the versatility of the critic, as well as how the approach to theater criticism varies in form from other artistic disciplines. Hilton Als began writing for The New Yorker in 1989 becoming its theater critic in 2002. He was awarded a Guggenheim for Creative Writing in 2000 and the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism for 2002-03. His first book, The Women, a meditation on gender, race, and personal identity, was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 1996.

This public event launches the sixth National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater at USC Annenberg. Twenty-five arts journalists from 16 states were chosen to participate as fellows in the rigorous 11-day program beginning on May 17, 2010 that includes writing workshops and one-on-one master classes with theater critics, including Hilton Als, as well as reporters, editors, and general arts and entertainment journalists. For more information about the NEA Arts Journalism Institute in Theater and Musical Theater, visit www.annenberg.usc.edu/nea.

Hilton Als will speak at REDCAT on Monday, May 17, 2010 at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $10 ($5 for students with current I.D.) and are available at www.redcat.org or by calling 213-237-2800. REDCAT is located at the corner of W. 2nd and Hope Streets, inside the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex (631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012).

ABOUT THE USC ANNENBERG SCHOOL FOR COMMUNICATION & JOURNALISM
Located in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California, the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism is among the nation's leading institutions devoted to the study of arts journalism and criticism. It offers an innovative, nine-month graduate degree program focusing on arts journalism in partnership with USC's five arts schools (www.annenberg.usc.edu/specialized). In addition to its programs for working professionals, USC Annenberg enrolls more than 2,200 students earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalism, communication, public diplomacy and public relations. For more information, visit www.annenberg.usc.edu.

ABOUT REDCAT
Opened by CalArts in 2003, REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) introduces diverse audiences, students and artists to the most influential developments in the arts from around the world, and gives artists in this region the creative support they need to achieve national and international stature. REDCAT is the newest partner in an international network of adventurous art and performance centers, which together are playing a vital role in the evolution of contemporary culture. REDCAT is a center for experimentation, discovery and lively civic discourse. For more information, visit www.redcat.org.