Eugene Lee Discusses Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration With Big Ideas TXST

Eugene Lee, Artist in Residence in the Department of Theatre and Dance and director of the Black and Latino Playwrights Celebration at Texas State University, discusses why the annual workshop remains an important outlet for marginalized voices in its 18th year in episode 8 of the Big Ideas TXST podcast.

Lee touches on his career, his evolution as a performer and mentor, and how the BLPC can contribute to healing the unrest and strife afflicting U.S. society today.

"I'm convinced that what's ailing America's soul right now is not going to be fixed in a public moment. It's not. It's going to be 350 million private moments, where people sit alone with their hearts and decide they're going to take the hate out of their hearts," Lee said. "And that's for 350 million Americans. All of them, privately, at some point doing that.

"Now it may be that a play is a catalyst for them sitting down, and giving the fodder with which to change their souls, so to speak," he said. "It's not going to happen in a public discussion. It's not going to happen at a play. It's going to happen when they go home after they see that play, and they're sitting with just themselves and say, 'OK, I gotta change.'"

Big Ideas TXST is a monthly podcast from Texas State's Division of University Advancement that goes inside the fascinating minds forging innovation, research and creativity at the university. Hosted by Daniel Seed, a lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, each episode features thoughtful interviews and discussion with the thought leaders developing innovative ideas to make the world a better place.

Big Ideas TXST can be found at news.txstate.edu/inside-txst/big-ideas-podcast. The podcast may also be listened to or subscribed to at:

• Anchor https://anchor.fm/big-ideas-txst
• Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/big-ideas-txst/id1497910115
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