The College of Fellows of the American Theatre

12/24/2025

A Statement by the Board of Directors of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre Regarding the Renaming of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was created by Congress in the wake of President Kennedy’s assassination as a living memorial to his belief in the vital role of the arts in a democratic society. It was intended to stand above partisan politics, honoring a legacy rooted in cultural excellence, civic responsibility, and national unity. The recent action by members of the Kennedy Center Board—installed after the removal of a bipartisan board and acting under the influence of President Trump, who appointed himself Chair earlier this year— to rename this historic institution represents a profound violation of that purpose. Beyond the fact that the Center’s name is established by federal law and cannot be altered without congressional action, this decision betrays the spirit in which the institution was founded.

When government allows cultural institutions to be reshaped by overt political self-interest, it diminishes the values of empathy, imagination, and shared humanity that the theatre exists to cultivate. As President Kennedy observed, the arts reflect the moral and cultural health of a nation. This morally reprehensible action by the Kennedy Center Board undermines that ideal, disrespects the artists and workers who give the institution life, and erodes the civic trust the Center was meant to embody. The Board of Directors of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre condemns this act as both unethical and deeply damaging to the integrity of our nation’s cultural legacy. Therefore, we call upon the Senate and House of Representatives to override this unilateral action by the Kennedy Center Board of Directors.

12/19/2025

Congratulations to Fellow Ed Gero, who will appear in The Lehman Trilogy - January 13 – February 8, 2026 at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre!

12/14/2025

Congratulations to Fellow David Crespy on the publication of his new play in Plinth magazine, a new online journal dedicated to publishing full-length plays. David will also be arranging a reading of the play in concert with the Missouri Playwrights Workshop and the Edward Albee Society. Plinth's first play publication was The Brown Bull Of Cuailnge by Neil Wechsler, one of the last playwrights to work directly with Edward Albee (Albee was directing Neil's play, when he became ill and couldn't continue with it). Check out the script at

Plinth Magazine

11/29/2025

Congratulations to Fellow Stuart J. Hecht on the publication of his new book "Transposing Broadway"

11/11/2025

Applications for the 2026 August Wilson Fellowship at the O’Neil Center are now available through February 15, 2026 online. Please share the embedded link below with your colleagues, with students who may be interested, and with your full range of networks.

The 2026 August Wilson Fellowship in Theatrical Production for Students of Color in Design and Theatre Technology - John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The College of Fellows of the American Theatre, in partnership with the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, and the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, is proud to honor the legacy of August Wilson, and his impact on theatre in higher education and theatrical production around the world.

11/11/2025

Congratulations to Fellow Ed Simpson on the November 7th presentation of the screen adaptation of his play “Tenderness” at the Ojai Film Festival in Ojai, CA. The presentation was directed by Theo Taplitz, and featured film stars Susan Ruttan and David Wells!

11/04/2025

Congratulations to Fellows Dr. Gail Humphries and Dr. Karen Berman on the launch of their two new books: Stories of the Holocaust Volumes I & II. Information on the books can be found on the website: https://www.storiesoftheholocaust.com/

11/03/2025

Congratulations to Fellow Michael Bobbitt on his new position at OPERA America!

Michael J. Bobbitt succeeds Marc A. Scorca, who will conclude his 35-year tenure at the end of 2025, as president/CEO of OPERA America.

10/31/2025

In early October, I had a lively conversation with The Boston Sisters (Michon and Taquiena) about August Wilson's embrace of African American history and culture for their podcast 'Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters." You can find Episode 78 ("You Get History" - August Wilson's American Century Cycle) and Historical Drama with The Boston Sisters® on Apple, Audible, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart and YouTube! Or go to the podcast webpage at https://www.michonbostongroup.com/bostonsisters

10/24/2025

Bonnie Nelson Schwartz, Fellows class of 2003, is producing the Vital Signs of the Planet concert for the COP30 Climate summit in Brazil.

Take a leading role in defining the future of climate change in our world by joining an international collaboration of environmental organizations, educational and cultural institutions, artists and activists who have come together to bring the urgent message of climate change in a concert of film, music, and storytelling in an exciting concert experience of media, art, and technology.

10/22/2025

Jon Whitmore, Fellows class of 2004, is directing Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap for the Riverside Theatre in Iowa City, Iowa. He directed this play once before at Highline College in Seattle in 1970–55 years ago.