SOPAC and SouthNEXT Co-Present Virtual Conversation on Controversial Arts
WHERE: online
Audience are requested to register for the free event at https://www.sopacnow.org/events/evolution-vs-revolution-10-15/ to receive a ticket link
The South Orange Performing Arts
Center in partnership with SouthNEXT is proud to announce a Five-Part series of
virtual conversations called Evolution vs. Revolution centered on challenges
our society is facing that are causing unrest throughout the country.
Come see and hear an expert panel
engage in conversation as we look at societal change through the lens of Arts
and Performers. Representatives from arts and entertainment fields will come together
to discuss their views on controversial art designed to effect change. Theater,
Sports, Visual Art, Music, Spoken Word, Video and more will be discussed in the
upcoming October 15 event.
Barbara
Heisler (CEO, Glass Roots), Anthony Smith (Music and Event Producer), Bobby
Brown (Attorney and former Professional Football player), and Angela Kariotis
(Seton Hall Professor and performance artist and leader) will be on hand for
what promises to be a lively conversation. Stephen Schnall, the founder and producer
of SouthNEXT for
the past 6 years, will moderate.
The Evolution vs. Revolution conversations have an
overarching theme of societal change and how quickly, or slowly, it is ushered
in by the needs and desires of groups of people with a specific affinity.
When we look at the history of societal change it seems to evolve at a slow
pace, until it doesn’t. Does it take a revolution to spark the birth of the new
consensus or should we expect change to evolve over an extended period? What is
possible? What is probable? What are the repercussions?
Join us for a
series of dynamic panel discussions that investigate evolution vs. revolution
in diverse areas of our modern life, including global climate change, identity
politics, racial concerns in our schools, and equitable wealth distribution and
the job market.
Perspectives from various
viewpoints is the hallmark of the series, and panelists will grapple with
provocative questions about the multi-faceted issues we face as Americans and
how change will impact us all in some way. Subsequent conversations will be
held monthly November-February and will be announced in upcoming weeks.
Angela Kariotis has brought her unique performance style across America and beyond to venues such as The University of California- Los Angeles, Contact Theater in Manchester, UK, Legion Arts in Iowa, the Off-Center in Austin, TX, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and the Hip Hop Theater Festival in New York City. Angela couples her masterful performances with cutting-edge residency work. Kariotis is committed to anti-racist pedagogy, literacy through the arts, theater for social justice, and art-making as a liberating practice. Currently, she teaches in the communication program at Seton Hall University.
Braynard “Bobby” Brown is a former NFL player with relationships across several professional sports organizations and Wall Street firms. After playing in the NFL, Bobby returned to Notre Dame to obtain his law degree. While there, he became the president of the Black Law Students Association. Bobby obtained his MBA from Yale in 2011. At the Yale School of Management, he served as the Co-Chair of the Black Business Alliance and Co-Captain of the Debate Team. Since 2012, Bobby has taught sports and entertainment related college courses in his spare time as an adjunct professor at both Montclair State University and Mercy College. In 2017, he was awarded the highly coveted Adjunct Professor of the Year award at Montclair State University.
Steve Schnall is the founder and producer of SouthNEXT. This annual event brings innovative Arts, Ideas and Music programming to the Village of South Orange. Its focus on “Creative Collisions” offers artistic activities showcasing multiple productive perspectives to the diverse Community. Schnall is a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional and is the winner of several prestigious business awards. His current interest is the interaction of humanity with Technology and Artificial Intelligence that will potentially allow a more productive and meaningful life.
About
SOPAC
Since 2006, SOPAC has been serving as a premier performing
arts center in the region. SOPAC offers innovative artistic and cultural
experiences for diverse audiences in an intimate, inviting environment. The
arts center hosts a variety of live performances, community events and
education programs for all ages. SOPAC is home for Seton Hall University
Arts Council’s performances, including Classical Concert Series, Jazz ‘N the
Hall performances and Seton Hall University Theatre productions. SOPAC programs
are made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New
Jersey State Council on the Arts. The South Orange Performing Arts Center
(SOPAC) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information, visit SOPACnow.org.