A.R.T. Has Announced Act II Guests, 40+ Not-For-Profit Partnerships, and Additional Programs

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University has announced additional programming associated with its upcoming production of Gloria: A Life. Upcoming activities embody Gloria Steinem's lifelong efforts to achieve equity, inspire empathy, and build community. Activities include Act II talking circles with special guests, partnerships more than forty not-for-profit organizations, a donation drive, and a companion historical exhibition.

"A.R.T. engages with our audiences as citizens of the world-raising and amplifying the most pressing issues of our time through the theater we produce," says Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus.

Gloria: A Life, presented in association with the McCarter Theatre Center and by special arrangement with Daryl Roth, is written by Tony Award nominee Emily Mann (Having Our Say, Still Life) and directed by Tony Award winner and A.R.T. Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus (Jagged Little Pill, The White Card). Performances begin Friday, January 24 at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, MA. The production opens officially on Thursday, January 30, 2020 and closes on Sunday, March 1, 2020.

• Act II Talking Circles With Special Guests

The first act of Gloria: A Life is Steinem's story; the second is our own. Each performance of the show will culminate in a talking circle launched by a local leader, scholar, or activist. In these conversations, the audience is invited to reflect on the play, the women's movement, and the ongoing struggle for equality in our world today.

"Throughout Gloria's work as an activist, she has created talking circles-in her own words, 'spaces for people to tell their own stories and respond to one another,'" says Paulus. "For me, this is the essence of theater. I have always believed in the transformative potential of an audience coming together in a shared space to listen. My work at the A.R.T. has been guided by the vision of making the audience a central partner in the theatrical event and investigating all the ways in which we can increase engagement in the issues that our shows address."

Under Paulus' leadership, A.R.T.'s Act II initiative has provided audiences an opportunity to move into dialogue with one another and the work on our stages. Numerous A.R.T. productions have incorporated audience conversation around the work as an integral part of the artistic experience; recent examples include The White Card (2018), Notes From the Field: Doing Time in Education (2016), and In the Body of the World (2016).

Gloria: A Life Act II talking circle guests will include:

Bethany M. Allen, Boston Program Director at Peer Health Exchange

Adele Fleet Bacow, President of Community Partners Consultants

Jayms Battaglia, Campus and Community Coordinator, University Lutheran Church

Ann Brackett, President of the Board of Women Thriving, Inc.

Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Dean, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study; Daniel P.S. Paul Professor of Constitutional Law, Harvard Law School; Professor of History, Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University

Linda Chavers, Allston Burr Resident Dean of Winthrop House, Assistant Dean of Harvard College, Lecturer in the Department of African and African American Studies at Harvard University

Susan Chinsen, Associate Producer at ArtsEmerson, Founding Director of the Boston Asian American Film Festival

CJ Crowder, Area Manager for Catapult Learning

Ophelia Dahl, Co-founder and Chair of the Board of Partners In Health

Drew Faust, President Emeritus of Harvard University and Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor

Raul Fernandez, Brookline Select Board Member, Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at BU's Wheelock College of Education

Pascale Florestal, Director, Dramaturge, Educator and Collaborator

Deb Fowler, Executive Director of History UnErased

Claudine Gay, Edgerley Family Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences; Wilbur A. Cowett Professor of Government and of African and African American Studies at Harvard University

Michaela Gaziano, Head of the Women's Organization at the Harvard Kennedy School

Nancy Gibbs, First Female Editor-in-Chief of TIME; Lombard Director of the Shorenstein Center at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Jessica Halem, LGBTQ Outreach and Engagement Director for the Harvard Medical School Sexual and Gender Minorities Health Equity Initiative

Ashley Herring, Community Organizer for blackyard

Paula A. Johnson, President of Wellesley College

Ashley Judd, Leader in Practice at the Women and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School

Ann Marie Lipinski, Curator, Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University

Shelly Lowe, Executive Director, Harvard University Native American Program

Timothy Patrick McCarthy, Harvard Faculty Member and A.R.T. Advisor

Destiny Polk, Founder of Radical Black Girl

Kiana Rawji, Harvard College Student Class of 2022; A.B. Candidate in Art, Film, and Visual Studies and History & Literature

Natalie Ann Sánchez, Manager of Partnerships & Membership at Amplify Latinx & Board President of March Forward Massachusetts

Rudina Seseri, Founder and Managing Partner of Glasswing Ventures

Caitríona Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts

Meredith Vasta, Collections Steward, Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology at Harvard University; Member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Tribe

Susan Ware, Honorary Women's Suffrage Centennial Historian at the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University;

General Editor of the American National Biography

Additional guests will be announced at a later date; guests are subject to change.

• Partner Not-For-Profit Initiative

Inspired by Steinem's decades-long battle for equity, A.R.T. is partnering with more than forty Greater Boston not-for-profit organizations throughout the run of Gloria: A Life, deepening existing relationships and catalyzing new partnerships. A.R.T. will give thirty free tickets, subsidized by generous supporters of the theater, to individuals served by these organizations for each performance of Gloria: A Life, offering more than 1,200 tickets over the course of the production's run. Information about partner not-for-profit organizations will be featured at the theater.

Partner not-for-profits include:

Anonymous (3)

Attendance of one anonymous organization is generously supported by Marcia Head

826 Boston

Transforming students into published authors, building their arsenal of literacy skills, and boosting their confidence with hands-on projects

Tuesday, February 18 at 7:30pm

Amplify Latinx

Advancing the next generation of Latinx civically engaged and empowered leaders

Sunday, February 23 at 2PM

Apprentice Learning

Providing career education for middle school students

Friday, February 28 at 7:30PM

Artists for Humanity

Enriching urban communities by introducing young people's creativity to the business community

Wednesday, February 19 at 7:30PM

BAGLY

Creating, sustaining, and advocating for programs, policies, and services for the LGBTQ+ youth community

Saturday, February 29 at 2PM

Big Sister Association of Greater Boston

100% invested in girls

Saturday, January 25 at 7:30PM

Boston Women's Fund

Supporting community-based organizations and grassroots initiatives run by women and girls in order to create a society based on racial, economic and social justice

Saturday, February 15 at 2PM

Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston

Providing a safe, affordable place with caring adults and enriching programs for children and teens to go when they are not in school

Attendance generously supported by D. Randy Peeler

Wednesday, February 19 at 2PM

Cambridge Women's Center

Providing a supportive community space for all women by offering opportunities for empowerment, learning, healing, trauma support, and understanding

Sunday, January 26 at 7:30PM

Combined Jewish Philanthropies

Caring for people in need, advocating for Israel, and ensuring a vibrant Jewish future

Sunday, March 1 at 2PM

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts

Building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place

Attendance generously supported by Patricia Romeo-Gilbert and Paul Gilbert

Saturday, February 8 at 2PM

Girls Rock Campaign of Boston

Empowers girls, transgender youth and gender non-conforming youth to believe in themselves by providing a supportive community that fosters self-expression, confidence and collaboration through music education and performance

TBA

Hack.Diversity

Working to increase the number of Black and Latinx technical talent in Boston's innovation economy by 100%

Attendance generously supported by Michael Feinstein and Denise Waldron

Friday, February 21 at 7:30PM

Haley House

Using food with purpose and the power of community to break down barriers between people, empower individuals, and strengthen neighborhoods

Friday, January 24 at 7:30PM

Improbable Players

Using theater performances and workshops to address addiction, alcoholism, and the opioid epidemic, based on true stories and performed by people in recovery

Thursday, February 20 at 7:30PM

Invest in Girls

Working to develop the first generation of financially literate girls and increasing the number of women working in finance

Attendance generously supported by Dune Thorne

Tuesday, January 28 at 7:30PM

Jewish Women's Archive

Documenting Jewish women's stories, elevating their voices, and inspiring them to be agents of change

Saturday, February 1 at 7:30PM

JRI: SMART Team

Providing confidential mental health services, advocacy, and case management to young people and their families who are impacted by the criminal and/or juvenile justice systems

Wednesday, February 12 at 11AM

League of Women Voters of Massachusetts

A nonpartisan political organization, encouraging informed and active participation in government, working to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influencing public policy through education and advocacy

Saturday, February 8 at 7:30PM

More Than Words

Empowering young adults who are in the foster care system, court-involved, homeless, or out of school to take charge of their lives by taking charge of a business

Attendance generously supported by Lucy and Ward Mooney

Wednesday, February 5 at 7:30PM

Mothers Out Front

Making climate change an issue that our leaders can no longer ignore to create a healthy climate today and a livable future for all children

Saturday, February 29 at 7:30PM

Pathway to Possible

Providing housing, support, and advocacy for people with cognitive and developmental disabilities and their families while erasing barriers, building confidence, empowering independence, and expanding opportunities

Tuesday, February 25 at 7:30PM

Pine Street Inn

Providing comprehensive programs and services to end homelessness by making permanent housing a reality for all

Wednesday, February 26 at 7:30PM

Rehearsal for Life

Using theater as a vehicle for social change, empowering young people through creativity, dialogue and performance

Thursday, February 27 at 7:30PM

Respond, Inc.

New England's first domestic violence prevention agency and the second in the nation, providing life-saving shelter, a crisis hotline, support services, training and education

TBA

Rosie's Place

Providing a safe and nurturing environment that helps poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives

Attendance generously supported by Sarah Hancock

Wednesday, February 5 at 11AM

Science Club for Girls

Fostering excitement, confidence, and literacy in STEM for girls and young women from underrepresented communities

Sunday, February 9 at 2PM

SpeakOUT Boston

Providing peer-led training programs to prepare LGBTQIA* community members to effectively tell their personal stories to create positive social change

TBA

The Steppingstone Foundation

Developing and implementing programs that prepare underserved students for educational opportunities that lead to college success

Saturday, February 22 at 2PM

Strong Women, Strong Girls

Empowering girls and women to realize their inner strengths to dream and do

Friday, February 14 at 7:30PM

Transition House

Providing housing resources, support services, and prevention tools to sustain family stability and emphasize a whole-community approach to violence prevention

Thursday, January 30 at 7:30PM

UNICEF

Working in more than 190 countries and territories to put children first

Thursday, February 13 at 7:30PM

West End House

Providing outcomes-driven programs to more than 1,700 youth residing in the most underserved communities in the City of Boston

TBA

Women Thriving, Inc.

Providing opportunities for learning, leadership development, and a community for women living on limited incomes

Sunday, February 2 at 2PM

Women's Bar Foundation

Providing free legal help to victims of domestic violence on family law issues.

Wednesday, January 29 at 7:30PM

Year Up

Bringing talented young adults and top companies together to launch careers, power business, and build community

Friday, February 7 at 7:30PM

YW Boston

Eliminating racism, empowering women

Wednesday, February 12 at 7:30PM

YWCA GOLD

Providing an intergenerational space in which girlx can explore their own identities, community and leadership purpose through mentorship and community partnerships

TBA

Additional participating partner not-for-profit organizations will be announced at a future date.

For more information about this initiative or to express interest in participating, please contact A.R.T.'s Community Outreach Apprentice Sharai Dottin at Sharai_Dottin@harvard.edu. For more information about supporting A.R.T.'s not-for-profit partnerships, please contact Director of Individual Giving Eric Bailey at Eric_Bailey@harvard.edu.

• Donation Drive for Transition House

In conjunction with Gloria: A Life, the A.R.T. is hosting a donation drive for Transition House in Central Square. The first domestic violence shelter on the East Coast, Transition House provides housing resources, support services, and prevention tools to sustain family stability and emphasize a whole-community approach to violence prevention.

Requested items include:

Full-sized body lotion

Deodorant

Diapers, sizes 4-6

Laundry detergent

Journals

Gift Cards to Target, Market Basket, CVS, and Walgreens

Pre-loaded MBTA CharlieCards

Items can be dropped off at the Loeb Drama Center (64 Brattle Street, Cambridge) between 9AM and 5PM on Monday and between 9AM and 7:30PM Tuesday through Sunday through March 1. Gift cards and CharlieCards should be left with the Loeb receptionist at the Information Desk. For questions regarding the donation drive, please contact Julia Schachnik at Julia_Schachnik@harvard.edu or call 617.496.2000 x8819.

• Schlesinger Library Exhibition

The A.R.T. community is invited to view a companion exhibition to Gloria: A Life at the Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study (3 James Street, Cambridge). This pop-up presentation will include historical documents and photographs related to Gloria Steinem's activism, including letters to Ms. magazine and items from the Florynce Kennedy Papers. It will be on display in the Library's Radcliffe Room on:

Thursday, February 6, 3PM-5PM

Tuesday, February 11, 3PM-5PM

Thursday, February 20, 3PM-4PM

Visitors may also be interested to view the exhibition, Angela Davis: Freed by the People, on display through March 9, 2020, in the Library's Lia and William Poorvu Gallery.

The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America documents the lives of women of the past and present for the future and furthers the Radcliffe Institute's commitment to women, gender, and society. Learn more at Radcliffe.Harvard.edu/schlesinger-library.

ABOUT GLORIA: A LIFE

History. Her story. Our story. This new play about Gloria Steinem and the women she has partnered with in a decades-long fight for equality is brought to life by a dynamic ensemble of performers. Fifty years after Gloria began raising her voice and championing those of others, her vision is as urgent as ever. Gloria's belief in talking circles as a catalyst for change offers us all a path forward. The first act is Gloria's story; the second is our own.

Community Engagement Support and Production Sponsorship of Gloria: A Life is provided by Allison Johnson. Community Engagement Sponsorship is provided by Linda Henry. Education and engagement support is provided by Bank of America.

The cast includes Patricia Kalember as Gloria Steinem with Gabrielle Beckford, Joanna Glushak, Patrena Murray, Erika Stone, Brenda Withers, and Eunice Wong. Rachel Cognata is the swing.

The creative team includes Amy Rubin (Scenic Design), Jessica Jahn (Costume Design), Jason Lyons (Lighting Design), Robert Kaplowitz & Andrea Allmond (Sound Design), and Elaine McCarthy (Projection Design). Casting is by Tara Rubin Casting.

TICKETING INFORMATION

Tickets starting at $25 are available now online at AmericanRepertoryTheater.org, by phone at 617.547.8300, and in person at the Loeb Drama Center Ticket Services Offices (64 Brattle Street, Cambridge). Discounts are available to A.R.T. Subscribers and Members, groups, students, seniors, Blue Star military families, EBT or SNAP card holders, and others.

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