George Mason University's School of Theater and College of Visual and Performing Arts' Office of Diversity and Inclusion Host Networking Event

George Mason University’s School of Theater and College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion will present Cultivating 21st-Century Audiences, a networking event and panel discussion on October 2, 2023 from 4 to 6 p.m. The panelists include Adrienne Bryant Godwin, director of programming for Mason Arts’ Center for the Arts and Hylton Performing Arts Center; Maria Mañuela Goyanes, artistic director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company; Naysan Mojgani, associate artistic director at Round House Theatre; and Serge Seiden, managing director of Mosaic Theater Company. The discussion will be moderated by Djola Branner, professor of theater and director of Mason’s School of Theater, and is co-organized by Shá T. Norman, CVPA’s director of diversity and inclusion.

The event is designed specifically to engage artists and enthusiasts of the performing arts industry, foster relationships within our arts community, and invite robust conversations to strategize and question efforts in place to build the next generation of arts supporters. The evening begins with light refreshments and networking from 4 to 4:30 p.m. followed by the panel discussion, which will include an open question-and-answer session.

“Shá and I are excited to welcome these talented artists and strategists into conversation about the development of diverse audiences with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and donors from across the George Mason community,” shares Branner.

The event is free and open to members of the public but registration is required.

About the Participants:

Adrienne Bryant Godwin (she/her/hers) is the director of programming for Mason’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, including the college’s Mason Arts venues the Center for the Arts in Fairfax, VA, the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, VA, and the digital venue Mason Arts Amplified. Prior to coming to Mason in 2018, Adrienne was the executive director of dance Heginbotham, whose artistic highlights include presentations and commissions from prestigious institutions such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts as well as a tour to Southeast Asia with DanceMotion USA, a program of the U.S. State Department; and diverse collaborations with artists such as Alarm Will Sound, Brooklyn Rider, Joshua Bell, and Maira Kalman, among others.

Maria Mañuela Goyanes (she/her/hers) is the artistic director of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Prior to joining Woolly, she served as the director of producing and artistic planning at The Public Theater, where she oversaw the day-to-day execution of a full slate of plays and musicals at The Public’s five-theatre venue at Astor Place and the Delacorte Theater for Shakespeare in the Park. Earlier in her career at The Public, she managed some of the theater’s most celebrated productions, including Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Naysan Mojgani (he/him/his) is a freelance dramaturg and associate artistic director at Round House Theatre, where he leads the new play program and serves as in-house production dramaturg. As a scholar, director, and dramaturg, Naysan has worked on new and classic work with theatres around the country, including Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Theatre Squared, Signature Theatre, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, and Arena Stage, and has taught at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and George Mason University. Naysan holds a PhD in Theatre & Drama from UCSD and a BA from Carleton College. He currently lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and two children.

Serge Seiden (he/him/his) has held leadership roles at Mosaic Theater since co-founding the company in 2015 and is currently managing director. He has also directed numerous shows at Mosaic including Birds of North America, Eureka Day, Ulysses on Bottles, and Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies, which received the Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding Original New Play. Serge received the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Director/Resident Musical for Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris... at MetroStage in 2013, and his production of Bad Jews at Studio Theatre was nominated for four Helen Hayes Awards including Outstanding Director in 2015.

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