The Open VISIONS Forum at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut has announced an exciting roster of eight speakers for the 2011-2012 season, with experts on the economy, international affairs, the direction of government, the environment, and the contributing role of the arts and culture all taking the stage at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts.

"It seems evident in observing our community, our nation, and the world, that we are at a crossroads," said Philip Eliasoph, Ph.D., founder and director of the Open VISIONS Forum. "The speakers coming this season will help provide us with a framework to address these critical issues in a timely, relevant, and global context."

Opening the fall season: A conversation with political analyst Chuck Todd, familiar to many as Chief White House correspondent for NBC News and a contributing editor to Meet the Press , who will offer his considerable insights in his talk, "State of the Nation: Polling the Mood" on Monday, September 19, 2011, at 8 p.m. "Chuck Todd should be a lively guest. He has a keen ability to comment on the issues of the day, often upsetting both sides of any issue, which is a good sign," noted Dr. Robbin Crabtree, professor of communication and dean of Fairfield University's College of Arts and Sciences, who will join the conversation after his lecture. "Importantly, he also has great insight into traditional news media as well as newer media like Facebook and Twitter, which are increasingly influential in our political process."

Just two weeks later, on Monday, October 3, 2011, at 8 p.m., CBS chief foreign correspondent and 60 Minutes contributor Lara Logan takes the audience on her personal journey into the thick of war, rioting, and political upheaval with her talk, "Apartheid to Afghanistan: Reporting from the Front Lines." Says Eliasoph: "Her personal, eyewitness testimony to the events that most of us just read about in the news, and her willingness to put herself in harm's way in order to fulfill her obligations as a journalist, make this a must-attend event for anyone interested in what's happening in the streets on the other side of the world." Logan's appearance is sponsored by the Fairfield University Students Association and students will lead the post-lecture panel discussion.

New York Times chief theatre critic Ben Brantley takes to the stage himself on Wednesday, October 19, 2011, at 8 p.m., when he joins with Westport Country Playhouse Artistic Director Mark Lamos to present, "On the Aisle: Critically Speaking."

"It is so rare to be able to bring together the most important theatre critic in the U.S. and one of our most revered, successful, and talented theatre directors on the same stage," says Dr. Martha LoMonaco, professor of theatre, who will be part of the post-lecture discussion. "I am, of course, dying to talk to Brantley about the responsibility of a theatre critic, particularly one who can literally close a show overnight with a bad review or, conversely, keep a show running."

Forever famous for his role as O.J. Simpson's defense attorney, Barry Scheck will deliver the final lecture of the fall season when he speaks on "Capital Crimes Challenged by DNA Evidence," the annual Jacoby-Lunin Humanitarian Lecture, on Monday, November 7, 2011, at 8 p.m. His work as co-founder and director of the Innocence Project, a litigation and public policy organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing, is considered his more influential legal work.

Upcoming Open VISION Forum speakers in 2012 include: Rex Reed, Meadowlark Lemon, Sarah Vowell, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Single tickets for each lecture are $45. Subscriptions for all eight lectures are $306, a 15% discount. Tickets and subscriptions are available through the Quick Center Box Office: (203) 254-4010, or toll-free 1-877-ARTS-396. (1-877-278-7386). Tickets can also be purchased online at fairfield.edu/quick .

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Fairfield University at 1073 North Benson Road in Fairfield, Connecticut. Entrance to the Quick Center is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road. Free, secure parking is available. Access for people with disabilities is available throughout the Quick Center for audience members and performers. Hearing amplification devices are available upon request at the Box Office. Fairfield University is located off exit 22 of Interstate-95. For further information and directions, call ( 203) 254-4010 or 1-877-278-7386, or visit fairfield.edu/quick

The Open VISIONS Forum is generously sponsored by the following partners: Moffly Media; Venü magazine; Delamar Hotel - Southport; Pequot Library; Fairfield Museum and History Center; Harry's Wine and Liquor Market; Office of Film, Television and Digital Media of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development; and the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.

The annual Arts & Minds season of events at Fairfield provides an outstanding array of cultural and intellectual events that include the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts season, the popular Open VISIONS Forum lecture series, professional and student performances, art exhibits, special lectures, and a myriad of other lifelong learning opportunities.

The complete season line-up is as follows:

Monday, September 19, 2011, at 8 p.m.
Chuck Todd: "State of the Nation: Polling the Mood"

Monday, October 3, 2011, at 8 p.m.
Lara Logan: "Apartheid to Afghanistan, Reporting from the Front Lines"

Wednesday, October 19, 2011, at 8 p.m.
Ben Brantley and Mark Lamos: "On the Aisle: Critically Speaking"

Monday, November 7, 2011, at 8 p.m.
Barry Scheck: "Capital Crimes Challenged by DNA Evidence"

Sunday, January 29, 2012, at 3 p.m.
Rex Reed: "Hollywood Notebook: Glory or Gory?"

Monday, February 13, 2012, at 8 p.m.
Meadowlark Lemon: "Globetrotting into Civil Rights"

Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at 8 p.m.
Sarah Vowell: "Author's Liberty as a Voice of Patriotic Radicalism"

Monday, April 23, 2012, at 8 p.m.
Neil deGrasse Tyson: "Prospects for Survival of our Green Planet"

Posted On: 08-11-2011 11:08 AM

Volume: 44 Number: 18