Fairfield University's Theatre Fairfield Presents 'ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE?' Round Table, 10/15

Theatre Fairfield, Fairfield University's resident Production Company, will host a free roundtable discussion, "Enemies of the People? Politicians/Environmentalists/Taxpayers," on Monday, October 15 at 7 p.m. at the Fairfield University Bookstore, 1499 Post Road, Fairfield. The conversation will focus on the conflicting forces of political expediency, protecting our environment, and taxpayers' wallets. This discussion, which will include several Fairfield residents, is in conjunction with Theatre Fairfield's upcoming production of Henrik Ibsen's play "An Enemy of the People."

"We are gratified that these citizens are joining us for this discussion. This will help us come to a deeper understanding of these complicated issues," said Lynne Porter, director of the Theatre Program.

"An Enemy of the People" runs Wednesday, October 31 through Saturday, November 3 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, November 3 and Sunday, November 4 at 2 p.m. at the Wien Black Box Theatre in the Quick Center for the Arts. Post-show talkbacks will follow the Thursday and Friday evening performances.

Both the roundtable discussion and the play production are open to the public.

The circumstances of Ibsen's classic play echo local environmental concerns with the Mill River and the Metro Center train station property. Fairfield citizens who have been major players in the public outcry around the stewardship of those two sites will lead the conversation. Panelists include George Bisacca, Kathy Braun, Ed Bateson, Joy Shaw, and director Tom Schwans. Fairfield University's Theatre Program chose to produce this play in the current election season in order to give the campus and local community the opportunity to consider the complicated dynamics that drive political decision-making. Fairfield University is currently focusing on the theme of CITIES, in an effort to promote interdisciplinary learning through a campus-wide conversation. This play production and roundtable discussion are major CITIES events.

Following the Friday, November 2 performance of the play, there will be another roundtable discussion on the set of the play in the Wien Experimental Theatre in the Quick Center for the Arts. This talkback will feature the same local citizens, as well as the entire company of the production. "It is a fabulously engaging experience, to see a play and then stay in the theatre to discuss its ideas. The experience can be profoundly transformative," Porter said. "It is amazing what happens to us when we spend several hours watching a play. We go to the theatre to see other people's stories, and we end up seeing our own. Theatre is a powerful force for education and social change. We carefully choose plays with ideas that allow us to contribute to the local conversation."

Tickets to Theatre Fairfield's production of "An Enemy of the People" are $12 general admission, $6 seniors and University staff, and $5 students. For ticket information, call the Quick Center Box Office at: (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information about the Theatre Program, call 203-254-4000 x3406, lporter@fairfield.edu.

Fairfield University is a Jesuit University, rooted in one of the world's oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 36 states, 47 foreign countries, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are enrolled in the University's five schools. In the spirit of rigorous and sympathetic inquiry into all dimensions of human experience, Fairfield welcomes students from diverse backgrounds to share ideas and engage in open conversations. The University is located in the heart of a region where the future takes shape, on a stunning campus on the Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.