92Y Presents THE WAY FORWARD, Featuring Oskar Eustis, Patrick Gaspard and More

A year of social isolation and political upheaval has changed the way we think about theater. How did we get here? And how will the theater evolve in the wake of Covid-19?

Join 92Y for a free three-part digital series of conversations exploring the past, present, and future of theater during moments of social inflection, curated by The Public Theater. Moderated by Stellene Volandes, editor in chief of Town and Country and editorial director of Elle Decor, these conversations pose fundamental questions about the art form. What are the historical forces that created the modern theater, and how in turn has theater's role in our society helped shape our culture at large? How has the last year upended the way artists work? Who will carry theater into the future?

Mar 17, Part I: PAST- WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE - Oskar Eustis and Patrick

Gaspard with moderator Stellene Volandes
We Have Been Here Before will feature Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director of The Public Theater, and Patrick Gaspard, Cultural Ambassador and Former President of the Open Society Foundations, in an intimate conversation, discussing how theater has uniquely responded to - and been shaped by - periods of social change and challenge. From Athenian drama, to protest performance, to the role of storytelling in the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and beyond, Oskar and Patrick will explore how theater is both changeable and constant.

Apr 26, Part II: PRESENT - CULTURE AND CRISIS (panelists tbd, Stellene Volandes moderates)

Featuring an esteemed panel of artists, administrators, and cultural funders, Culture and Crisis will shed light on the current state of the theater. What is the field grappling with? How has it grown in this time? And what are the stories we'll be proud to tell to the next generation when they learn about this period in American theater?

May 20, Part III: FUTURE: WHERE DO WE GO NOW? (panelists tbd, Stellene Volandes moderates)

The future belongs to artists. Where Do We Go Now? presents a free forum for the most innovative and incisive artists of this moment to speak about what has shifted in their practice during the 2020 pandemic and what remains the same. With restrictions lifting and the return to live performance, what do the artists - the drivers, doers, and dreamers of the form - want it to become? Join us to discuss theater's next act.

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