The Public to Host Free Forum 'We Rise: A Celebration of Resistance'

The Public Theater in collaboration with the Resistance Revival Chorus announced today that a special free one-night-only Public Forum event, WE RISE: A CELEBRATION OF RESISTANCE, will take place on Monday, August 13 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park.

Join Public Forum and the Resistance Revival Chorus for a joyful look at the past, present, and future of resistance and civic engagement as the country starts to turn its attention to the midterm elections. WE RISE: A CELEBRATION OF RESISTANCE puts both the music and the movement onstage for a one-night-only event with performances, speeches, and more. Featuring appearances and performances by Shakina Nayfack, Valerie June, The Resistance Revival Chorus, Shaina Taub, Flor de Toloache, and more.

"It has been a joy collaborating with our friends at the Resistance Revival Chorus," said Public Theater Director of Special Artistic Projects Stephanie Ybarra. "Women have been at the center of resistance and social justice movements throughout history ? it's thrilling to honor and celebrate that legacy with an evening amplifying the voices female artists and activists."

Previous Public Forums at the Delacorte have included the 2016 Welcome Home: A Celebration of World Refugee Day, in partnership with the International Rescue Committee, which featured a naturalization ceremony for brand new American citizens led by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson on the stage of the Delacorte. In 2014, Public Theater Scholar in Residence James Shapiro curated Public Forum: Shakespeare in America to celebrate the bard's plethora of work with notable participants James Earl Jones, Alec Baldwin, and Jessica Chastain. In 2013, What Are We Worth? Shakespeare, Money, and Morals, a partnership with the Aspen Institute, featured readings from Shakespeare's greatest works by acclaimed actors Alan Alda, Vanessa Redgrave, Liev Schrieber, and Matt Damon, and a town hall discussion by Harvard professor Michael Sandel.

"Community, sisterhood, self-expression, and the power of the arts are just some of the ways in which we stay motivated to fight, to resist, to protest for our freedom," said Resistance Revival Chorus Co-Founder Ginny Suss. "They can take a lot, but they cannot take our joy; celebrating joy as a form of resistance has become our mission and has given us the strength to continue to stand up for what matters. We are thrilled that in partnership with The Public Theater we'll be able to share this with a wider audience at We Rise: A Celebration of Resistance on August 13."

FREE tickets to WE RISE: A CELEBRATION OF RESISTANCE will be distributed, two per person, at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, August 13. For more ticket information please visit www.publictheater.org. Public Forum: We Rise tickets will also be distributed by digital lottery on the TodayTix app and website on Monday, August 13. A limited number of vouchers for Public Forum: We Rise will also be distributed on Monday, August 13 via an in-person lottery at The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street at Astor Place. The Public's Delacorte Theater is accessible by entering at 81st Street and Central Park West, or 79th Street and Fifth Avenue.

PUBLIC FORUM, now in its ninth season, brings together surprising combinations of artists, audiences, and experts to explore the issues and ideas raised on our stages. Through one-of-a-kind events and our digital engagement platform Digiturgy, Public Forum engages both the world of our plays and the world at large with some of the most original thinkers of today.

Launched in Summer 2017 in response to the Trump presidency, the Resistance Revival Chorus (RRC) is a collective of more than 60 women who join together to breathe joy and song into the resistance, and to uplift and center women's voices. The women range from Broadway performers, touring musicians, film and television actresses, solo recording artists, gospel singers, political activists and are led by Broadway singer and educator Abena Koomson-Davis. Representing a multitude of identities, professions, creative backgrounds, and activist causes, the RRC prides itself on its diversity. The great artist and activist Harry Belafonte once said, "When the movement is strong, the music is strong." In that spirit, the RRC hosts a series of regular musical events, Resistance Revival Nights, where the community gathers to rejuvenate our spirits and honor the protest songs that have historically been central to civil rights movements. We believe that art and culture are essential to changing hearts, minds, and history; and we commit to the principle that joy is in itself an act of resistance.

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