ITHACA, NY — Speaking at the Ithaca College graduation ceremony was playwright Tony Kushner, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for “Angels in America,” who was awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree. Kushner said getting an honorary degree is a little like being a fictional character. “It’s very, very nice, but let’s face it, it isn’t real… I’ve had nothing but fun in Ithaca on my way to this degree, while you guys had to work for your degrees, and work hard.” Kushner issued a challenge of his own to the graduates. After running off a litany of the world’s current ills, from economic inequality and genocide to nuclear proliferation and refugee crises, he urged them to use what they have learned to change the order of the world. “Parents, teachers, everything worked well enough to deliver you to our ailing and periled world’s doorstep. Now step over, enter and fix everything. That’s the real reason your parents and teachers and you worked so hard for your degrees. The world needs saving and you smart, educated Ithaca Collegians, you are the ones the world’s been waiting for. And time is running out. It really is actually running out.”
On Writing : The Stage: Playwright & Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner awarded an honorary doctorate by LindaAnn Loschiavo
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A down to earth inspiring speech, would expect nothing less than that kind of honesty from him. I publicized the script/book of Angels Part 2, and got it reviewed by LA Times as a play. In England plays as scripts, not just performances, as well as poetry is reviewed. Tried to have that category covered here. An uphill battle but got one outlet.
GRANT VUILLE: My thread is on Pulitzer winner Tony Kushner. Why hijack this thread to boast about your own play? Your post is neither appropriate nor courteous -- and says a lot about your sense of good etiquette. Jeez!
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I believe Kushner is among the least egocentric of playwrights. The Big Picture is his focus and reason for art. Great Commencement choice!
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SUSAN: How brilliant of you to have publicized the script/book of Angels Part 2, and get it reviewed by LA Times as a play. I attended the first reading --- "Angels" first public reading was about 8 hrs! Like most plays, "Angels" has had a long journey. Yes, you are right. Tony is among the least egocentric of dramatists -- so is John Patrick Shanley (both of whom live in NYC and are fun to run into).
Met Shanley, friend of a friend, but don't know. I worked with Theater Communications Group some years ago on a Plays Are Literature campaign. It is interesting that just by custom, American Book editors have been able to omit 2 categories of books- Plays and Poetry. My day job is book pr, so this was a natural. If like "angels" it's big enough in terms of media, may be possible but these days book pages are shrinking. I have a syndicated book blog but only prose submissions!
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That "Plays Are Literature" campaign needs to come back. I was a lit major in college; when I wanted to make "Speech & Theatre" my minor, the college put me thru hoops and loops. Why? Because DRAMA had not been considered as literature in the curriculum. Heartbreaking.
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And ignorant, imagine that happening at Oxford? TCG got a grant to hire me for that campaign, but I would like to pick it up in this era, when dramatic literature has more commercial respect. Sundance and Shakespeare still have not met..