Tisch School Joins in Celebrating The Public Theatre’s 50th Anniversary

By Richard Pierce

Last month, the Tisch School of the Arts (TSOA) and its Rita and Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing joined in celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Public Theatre when it co-sponsored a panel discussion entitled “The Public Talks: The Dramatic Writers Journey” on April 4. The event was the fifth in a year-long series of talks designed as cross disciplinary dialogues and debates with Public Theatre actors, writers, and directors.

Leading off the New York University discussion were Mary Schimidt Campbell, dean of the Tisch School of the Arts and associate provost for the arts at NYU, and Oskar Eustis, artistic director of The Public Theatre. The two talked about the nature of playwright training in both academic and cultural settings as well as Eustis’s vision for the future of The Public Theatre.

Later, joining in the discussion to talk about their personal experiences as playwrights were TSOA alumni Anton Dudley and Neil LaBute, as well as Thulani Davis, playwright and adjunct faculty member in the Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing.