Past Events

"The Power of Literature in a Time of Crisis" - Joseph Luzzi is an award-winning author and widely sought after speaker whose recent books include My Two Italies, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, and In a Dark Wood: What Dante Taught Me About Grief, History, and the Mysteries of Love, a Vanity Fair “Must-Read” selection. He received his PhD from Yale and is Professor of Comparative Literature at Bard College.  An active critic and cultural commentator, Luzzi’s…

"Revolutionary Mothers" - This former Presidential Professor of History brings the early days of our country to life as she examines the times, the issues and the personalities of our Founders.  She explodes myths of the American Revolution, examines the evolution of the US Constitution from concept to passage, and sheds light on some early crises that actually put our new republic in peril.  By gaining a better understanding of our country’s birth, audiences can extrapolate that knowledge to gain…

"Musicals That Changed Broadway" - Sean Hartley is the director of Theater@Kaufman, the musical theater division of the Kaufman Music Center. He curates, produces and often hosts the series Broadway Close Up and Broadway Playhouse. As a lyricist, composer and/or playwright his productions include Cupid and Psyche, Little Women (Syracuse Stage, Village Theater), Love and Real Estate  (written with composer Sam Davis) and Snow, which won the ASCAP Harold Arlen Award for Best New Musical. He is currently writing lyrics for…