Playhouse On Park Will Host A Virtual Panel About The Life And Work Of Robert F. Kennedy

Playhouse on Park's 12th Main Stage Season opened with the film of the play KENNEDY: BOBBY'S LAST CRUSADE by David Arrow. This panel discussion is a continued conversation about the life and work of Robert F. Kennedy, precipitated by the filmed play.

Advanced registration is required, and the panel will take place via Zoom Webinar on Sunday, October 11 from 3-4pm. Moderated by West Hartford's own Chuck Coursey, the panel will feature David Arrow (Playwright/Actor), Michael Devorkin, Burke Doar, and Judge Barry Stevens.

This solo play portrays Kennedy during his short, electrifying campaign for President of the United States. Told from Kennedy's perspective, the play follows Bobby from his announcement to enter the race on March 16, 1968, to his last speech on June 4 at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. You will see Kennedy's most famous and impactful speeches, his private apprehensions, and well as the more personal events during those four exhilarating months of his ill-fated campaign. International Theatre Reviews calls it "a play of hope and encouragement in a time where we need it most."

Chuck Coursey (Panel Moderator) is a founding Board Member and Board Member Emeritus of West Hartford's Playhouse on Park, Chairperson of the West Hartford Arts Commission and Chairperson of the West Hartford Public Library Foundation. He served three terms on the West Hartford Town Council from 2003 - 2009, serving as the town's Deputy Mayor from 2007 - 2009. He was a leading advocate for Blue Back Square and chaired the Town Council's construction oversight committee for the development. Chuck is President of Coursey & Company, one of the region's leading public affairs firms, helping guide clients in managing the intricacies of today's multi-faceted communications landscape. Chuck has lived in West Hartford since the age of three and is a graduate of Kingswood Oxford School and the College of the Holy Cross. He and his wife and business partner, Mary Brennan Coursey, are the proud parents of five adult children.

David Arrow (Star and Playwright of KENNEDY) has appeared in many Off-Broadway productions, among them; Kennedy: Bobby's Last Crusade. Other Off-Broadway credits: Anonymous with Chip Zien and Vacuum at the Cherry Lane. Regional: Charles in Blithe Spirit, Alan Turing in Breaking the Code, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, Hannay in The 39 Steps, Torvald in Nora (Ingmar Bergman's adaptation of A Doll's House), and in A Moon for the Misbegotten at The American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. He won a Drama-Logue Award for the title role in Albert Camus' Caligula, and a Dean Goodman award for his performance in Benefactors. Writing credits include: At the Cabaret Chat Noir, a play with music about the life of Toulouse Lautrec and the cabarets of late 19th-century Paris. He also adapted the screenplay for the award wining short film, Rules of Love. David has appeared in several feature films, including; Joseph's Gift, IgbyGoes Down, Hostage, Moon Creek Cemetery, and the starring roles in The Dot Man directed by Bruno Coppola, and Rules of Love opposite Judy Greer. Television credits include Jon Benjamin has a Van, Days of Our Lives, Growing Pains, Passions, the HBO series, 12 Miles of Bad Road, Comedy Central's Jon Benjamin Has a Van, and Broad City and, as Captain Andrew Sutherland on TURN. David is married to actress Amber Paul.

Michael Devorkin (Panelist) is an attorney at Golenbock Eiseman Assor Bell & Peskoe LLP and helps clients address Business Litigation legal issues. He also assists clients regarding Securities Litigation and Criminal Defense: White Collar issues. Super Lawyers is a designation of top-rated practicing attorneys selected through extensive evaluation. He was awarded this distinction for 2007, 2013 - 2020. Michael Devorkin graduated in 1972 from Yale Law School.Michael Devorkin was admitted to practice law in 1973. He represents clients in the New York area. Michael worked on Robert F Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1968.

Burke Doar (Panelist) grew up in Brooklyn, NY. He holds a B.A. degree from Princeton University and a law degree from Albany Law School. Burke has devoted his career to the manufacturing industry and currently serves as the Senior Vice President at TRUMPF Inc., a global manufacturer in Farmington, CT. He lives in West Hartford with his wife Carole and their three children. They are members of St. Thomas Church. Burke's father is John Doar, a 2012 recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama.

Judge Barry Stevens (Panelist) has been a Superior Court Judge for the State of Connecticut since 1994. Judge Stevens graduated from Harvard College in 1975 with a Magna Cum Laude degree in Psychology and Social Relations. He received his law degree from the New York University School of Law in 1978. Judge Stevens has been a faculty member of Trinity College since 1980. Judge Stevens has lectured in the First Year Program and the Public Policy and Law Program in seminars focusing on the treatment of race relations in the American social and legal systems. Judge Stevens has also been an Adjunct Professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law in Hamden, Connecticut. Before being appointed to the bench by Governor Lowell Weicker, Judge Stevens practiced law for sixteen years, working in private practice for eight years and as an Assistant United States Attorney for eight years where he served as Chief of the Financial Litigation Unit. During his legal career, Judge Stevens has been involved in thousands of federal and state court cases involving personal injury, civil rights, medical malpractice, bankruptcy and commercial disputes. Judge Stevens is currently presiding judge of the Bridgeport Judicial district. He has also previously served as presiding judge on the Waterbury Complex Litigation Docket and presiding judge on the Bridgeport Juvenile Docket.

You must register in advance in order to watch the live Zoom Webinar. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rXJp2Mr2Sp-SmRLdWOf8Bg After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. This conversation will be recorded and uploaded to the WHCi YouTube channel for future viewings. Can't join us live? Visit the WHCi YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzpHKCsl6ag

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