Long Wharf Theatre & New Haven Free Public Library to Hold Community Conversation Inspired by FENCES, 11/20

Long Wharf Theatre and the New Haven Free Public Library continues their partnership with a Community Conversation surrounding issues of race and opportunity, inspired by the theatre's upcoming production of August Wilson's Fences.

The conversation will take place on Wednesday, November 20 at 6 pm at the Stetson Branch of the New Haven Free Public Library, located at 200 Dixwell Avenue, New Haven. The phone number is 203-946-8119. It is free and open to the public.

The program will take place surrounding Long Wharf Theatre's production of August Wilson's Fences, which runs from November 27 through December 22, 2013 on the Claire Tow Stage in the C. Newton Schenck III Theatre. It will be a unique opportunity for interested individuals to learn more about August Wilson, his masterwork Fences, and to have an in-depth discussion about issues of race and opportunity, two core issues at the heart of the play. Professor and attorney Clifton Graves will lead the discussion.

"We are delighted to be able extend the impact of Long Wharf Theatre's on stage work into the New Haven community in such a tangible and interesting way. I am very excited to hear the conversations at the Stetson Branch around this classic play," said Long Wharf Theatre Managing Director Joshua Borenstein.

"The New Haven Free Public Library is always looking for ways to provide our customers with unique and entertaining educational opportunities related to all facets of literature. This community conversation with Long Wharf Theatre will surely be yet one more way for us to accomplish this goal," said Library Director Christopher Korenowsky.

The program is part of the theatre and library's "Stage. Page. Engage." initiative, facilitated by the 'Co-Creating Effective and Inclusive Organizations' Project, a two-year pilot created by Bill Graustein and Niyonu Spann. The partnership began in April 2012.

Library and theatre administrators, through a series of monthly meetings with project coordinators hired by CEIO, have been discussing issues of inclusivity, social justice, and conscious co-creation within their own organizations and the city at large, as well as how engagement in literature and theatre can help address these issues.

The partnership has already yielded several initiatives geared toward increasing inclusivity at both organizations, and encouraging conversation and reflection about the greater New Haven community.

Long Wharf Theatre patrons with a valid Connecticut library card will be able to check out books themed towards the evening's play in the theatre's lobby prior to performances. In addition, New Haven Free Public Library customers will be able to go to any New Haven Free Public Library branch to check out free passes to a Long Wharf Theatre production.

The library and the theatre also partnered on a successful series of community conversations about the intersection of race and real estate, inspired by last year's Long Wharf Theatre production of Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris.

CEIO is working closely with the respective staffs to come up with additional program offerings that will have a positive impact on life in the city, strengthen the partnership between the two organizations as well as increasing the effectiveness of the organizations themselves.

For more information about the New Haven Free Public Library, visit www.nhfpl.org. To learn more about Long Wharf Theatre's 2013-14 season, visit www.longwharf.org.

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