Stephen Adly Guirgis, Lucas Hnath and More Set for The Actors Studio's THE THEATRE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Series

What is the role of theater in the world today? The Actors Studio is presenting a series of plays and discussions, THE THEATRE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, which will be free and open to the public. The series will comprise four productions over the next few months touching on the themes of social justice. Each performance will be followed by a discussion with an expert in the topic.

The productions in the series include RHAPSODY IN BLACK written and performed by Leland Gantt, and developed at the Actors Studio, on October 23 at 4:00 & 7:30pm. The 7:30pm post-show discussion will feature Princeton University social psychologist Stacey Sinclair on the subject of transmission of racial bias.

MUD by Maria Irene Fornes, will play November 5, 6, 7 and 12, 13, 14 (all performances at 7:00pm). The discussion, with Ian Solomon (11/7), former United States Executive Director of the World Bank, (appointed by Obama) currently VP for global engagements at the University of Chicago, and Nick Kotz (11/6), author of LET THEM EAT PROMISES: The Politics of Hunger in America, and Judgment Days about Martin Luther King and Lyndon Johnson, will be on how the effects of poverty and illiteracy affect all of us.

THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT by Stephen Adly Guirgis, will play on January 7, 8, 9 and 14, 15, 16, followed by a discussion with the playwright of "The Christians", Lucas Hnath (now playing at Playwrights Horizon), and Stephen Adly Guirgis. The post-show discussion will be about the difficulties in writing, performing and getting produced plays about religion and why it is such a big, unwieldy subject and how it is involved in the other issues in the series: racism, poverty and illiteracy. The ultimate question is: What is the role of theater in the world today?

Wrapping up the series in May (5, 6, 7 and 12, 13, 14) 2016, will be COMMUNITY AND TRUST, four one-act plays reflecting how the idea of community has changed in the last two or three decades. These plays were specially written for the Series by Sarah Shaefer, Jessica Dickey, Marco Calvani and Saviana Stanescu directed by Dan Talbott and Kirsten Kelly. Former NY Times critic and author of Negroland, Margo Jefferson is expected to head the discussion.

THE THEATRE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE Series at The Actors Studio (432 W. 44th St), is free to the public with seat reservations on a first come-first served basis via email at: reservations@theactorsstudio.org.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski