WORKING STAGETHEATER

Welcome to Meeting of Minds . . . . words not often heard since the 1970s when Steve Allen’s brilliant PBS
show aired nationally with teleplays featuring dynamic historical characters from different eras first aired
nationally. And, now, well-known actors are once again portraying these intriguing historical figures in live
stage performances and readings. So prepare to meet  President Teddy Roosevelt, Galileo, Cleopatra,
Attila the Hun, Charles Darwin, Emily Dickinson, Marie Antoinette, Empress Tz'U-His, Oliver Cromwell
and many more  portrayed by such acting luminaries as Ray Abruzzo, Ed Asner, Ian Buchanan, Gary Cole,
Steven Culp, Bruce Davison, Frances Fisher, Robert Forster, Richard Gilliland, Harold Gould, James Handy,
Meeghan Holaway, Ernie Hudson, Stana Katic, Dan Lauria, Sharon Lawrence, Joe Mantegna, Wendie
Malick, Jack Maxwell, Danica McKellar, France Nuyen, Ron Perlman, Penny Peyser, Charles Shaughnessy,
Jean Smart, Bill Smitrovich, Joe Spano,  and many other wonderful actors who believe in giving back to
our society by inspiring the curiosity and passion of whole new generations and by igniting a desire for
education and knowledge that comes from understanding the great men and women of history.

It is our particular mission to perform at colleges, high schools, universities and other educational or
cultural venues. Through the insight of Steve Allen, the dry and dusty history of textbooks becomes an
exciting, timeless exploration of humans and their quest for understanding -- of each other, their worlds and
the universe.

Host a Meeting of Minds production and make a difference in your community!
To  learn more or to schedule one or several performances of historical dimensions,
please email us  or call Diana at 310.210.1860, Bob at 323.333.4696 or our East Coast
Representatives -- Dr. J.R. (Doc) Ogden at  610.434.6252 (docogdenATptd.net) or Beth Laufer
(New York/Long Island) at 516.449-3388 (bethlaufeAToptonline.net)

Meeting of Minds makes you think by presenting ideas through the flesh and blood interaction and
dialogue of historical figures.

There are 24 episodes, with 12 sets of historical characters playing  in two parts. Each one hour
episode comes to life through a remarkable connection to contemporary themes and issues. They are
well-suited to be followed by a Q&A discussion with scholars, teachers from a number of disciplines,
writers, theater instructors and perhaps the cast.



Plays by episode:

EPISODES 1 & 2
Pres. Theodore Roosevelt – (1858-1919); U.S. President (1901-09)
Queen Cleopatra – (69-30 B.C.); Queen of Egypt
Father Thomas Aquinas – (c. 1225-74); theologian
Thomas Paine – (1737-1809); British political writer; wrote Common Sense in America

EPISODES 3 & 4
Pres. Ulysses S. Grant – (1822-85); Civil War general, U.S. President (1869-77)
Queen Marie Antoinette – (1755-93); Queen of France; beheaded
Sir Thomas More – (1477-1535); English lawyer & scholar; beheaded; A Man for all Seasons
Dr. Karl Marx – (1818-83); German philosopher & economist; Das Kapital

EPISODES 5 & 6
Charles Darwin – (1809-1882); English naturalist, father of evolution
Emily Dickinson – (1830-86); U.S. poet
Galileo Galilei – (1564-1642); Italian mathematician, physicist & astronomer
Attila the Hun – (c.406-53); King of the Huns; “Scourge of God”

EPISODES 7 & 8
Frederick Douglass – (c.1818-1895); black American abolitionist
Empress Tz ‘u-hsi – (1835-1908); Dowager Empress of China
Marchese di Bonesana Cesare Beccaria – (1738-94); Italian philosopher & politician
Marquis Donatien Alphonse Francois de Sade – (1740-1814); French revolutionary

EPISODES 9 & 10
Martin Luther – (1483-1546); German protestant reformer
Voltaire – (1694-1778); French writer, philosopher & moralist
Plato – (429-347 B.C.); Greek philosopher
Florence Nightingale – (1820-1910); British hospital reformer; founder of nursing

EPISODES 11 & 12
Sir Francis Bacon – (1561-1626); English lawyer & philosopher
Socrates – (469-399 B.C.); Athenian philosopher
Emiliano Zapata – (?1877-1919); Mexican revolutionary
Susan B. Anthony – (1820-1906); U.S. Civil and women’s rights leader

EPISODES 13 & 14
St. Augustine of Hippo – (354-430); North African theologian; wrote The City of God
The Empress Theodora of the Byzantine Empire - (c.500-48); Byzantine Empire empress
Thomas Jefferson – (1743-1826); statesman; U.S. President (1801-09)
Bertrand Russell – (1872-1970) ; British philosopher and writer

EPISODES 15 & 16
Aristotle – (384-322 B.C.); Greek philosopher and scientist
Niccolo Machiavelli – (1469-1527); Italian statesman & political philosopher; The Prince
Elizabeth Barrett Browning – (1806-1861); British poet
Sun Yat-Sen – (1866-1925); Chinese statesman, provisional president (1911-12)

EPISODES 17 & 18
William Shakespeare – (1564-1616); English poet and playwright
His characters: Woman, Hamlet, Romeo, Ghost of Hamlet’s Father, Othello, Iago

EPISODES 19 & 20
Margaret Sanger – (1879-1966); American birth control activist; founder of Planned Parenthood
Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi – (1869-1948); Indian nationalist and spiritual leader
Adam Smith – (1723-1790); Scottish moral philosopher, pioneer of political economy

EPISODES 21 & 22
Niccolo Paganini – (1782-1840); Italian musician and composer
William Blake – (1757-1827); Englsih poet, painter, & printmaker
Leonardo da Vinci – (1452-1519); Italian painter and scientist

EPISODES 23 & 24
Daniel O’Connell – (1775-1847); Irish political leader; campaigned for split with England
Oliver Cromwell – (1599-1658); English general and statesman; opposed Charles 1
Catherine the Great – (1729-96); German Empress of Russia; attempted reforms