“I dream of the intellectual
destroyer of evidence and universalities,
the one who, in the inertias and constraints of the present,
locates and marks the weak points,
the openings, the lines of force,
who incessantly displaces himself,
doesn’t know exactly where he’s heading
nor what he’ll think tomorrow
because he’s too attentive to the present…”
Michel Foucault
In a room full of people, roles are easily spotted: the provocateur, the influential, the cultured, the politically compromised and the one savvy on foreign affairs. In society at large however, -because we can’t all fit inside the same hall- we rely on highly focused speaker series, to give us an intellectual sampler of the ideas espoused by these types.
Acting as a worthy barometer for relevant ideas currently circulating in our highly politicized communities –therefore, part of our collective inquiries, - the Music Center Speaker Series for 2006 brings world renown speakers and thinkers to liven the conversations and societal issues such as Media and American Influence, Culture, Consensus and Consequence, Foreign Policy and Compromise, Dissent and Judgment, Power and National Conduct.
As we all know, these topics in a hall full of people would generate the most controversial of arguments, for in this day and age, this country is involved in world affairs central to these very same topics.
How does America behave today under the scrutiny of international media? What are the consequences of dissent in a highly conservative environment? What are the motives behind this nation’s Foreign Policies? All these are relevant questions, today more than ever.
Like last year, for 2006 SR Productions (the enterprise behind the series) secured a roster of critically-acclaimed thinkers in fields like literature, journalism, politics, media and foreign affairs. Consider: On January 26th and 27th, CBS’s Dan Rather will open the series, followed by such renowned speakers such as Bill Moyers, Salman Rushdie and Carlos Fuentes.
The public can purchase tickets for the entire series (divided in series A & B) or only for individual events. Series A includes: Dan Rather (Jan 26th), Bill Moyers (Feb 6th), Salman Rushdie (Mar 1), President Bill Clinton (Apr 5th), Colin L. Powell (Apr 11th) and closing off the series, Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes (Apr. 27th).
The Speaker Series B includes: Dan Rather (Jan 27th), Nina Totenberg (Feb 17), Paul Rusesabagina (Apr 4th), President Bill Clinton (Apr 6th), Colin L. Powell (Apr 11th) and Thomas L. Friedman (May 16th).
All shows are scheduled at 8pm. Check the Music Center website for theatre details since some speakers will be featured at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and some at Disney’s Music Hall. (http://www.musiccenter.org/)
