Talkback Thursdays

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Talkback Thursdays is designed to enrich our audiences' experience of our plays. Following every Thursday night performance of our shows, we host a Talkback featuring an array of activists, advocates, experts, and scholars from our community to discuss the themes of each production and how they are relevant to Vermonters today. These events are included in the price of admission. Simply attend a Thursday night performance and stay afterwards to join the conversation.

Past Panelists

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Many wonderful community leaders have come to chat with our audience about their fields of expertise in relation to the work on our stage. We thank the following people for participating in our talkback series and for the work they do in our community.

Justin Marsh, Communications and Development Director for the Vermont Pride Center, "Emoji Nightmare" of the drag duo Nightpagne
Taylor Small, Director of Health and Wellness for the Vermont Pride Center, "Nikki Champagne" of the drag duo Nightpagne
Trey Goodlay,Burlington Drag King
Erin Nohl, Grower, Vermont Farmacy
Meg Burns, Sustainability consultant and owner of Green Hut, CBD products that are sustainably grown, local, and independently tested based in Waterbury
Lisa Nyhagen, Maker, Wake and Bakery VT, a cannabis food business based in Richmond
David Zuckerman, Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
Matt Leonetti, Grower, VT Home Grown Consultants
Stephanie Boucher – Medical/ Herbalist Canna Botanicals VT
Susan Snowden – Medical/Herbalist
Tim Ashe, Vermont State Senate from Chittenden County and President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate
Tim Fair, Lawyer, cannabis consultant, and the owner/founder , Vermont Cannabis Solutions, the state’s first cannabis law practice.
Laura Subin, Lawyer and Director of the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana 
​Jessica Nordhaus from Change The Story
​Margo Whitcomb,  Director of A Doll's House, Part 2
Danielle Sessler, Dramaturg and Assistant Director of A Doll's House, Part 2
Mariah Riggs, Board member, Vermont Family Network
Shaun Stephens, SLP, Stern Center
Katie Taylor, writer specializing in creating compelling content for entrepreneurs and lawyers
​Sarah Mell, Education & Outreach Coordinator, UVM Women’s Center 
Adam Hurwitz, Program Director, UVM TRIO Upward Bound
​Jennifer K. Jones, M.Ed., Director of Upward Bound, Castleton University
Stephen Spotswood, playwright, Doublewide
​Amanda Rohdenburg, Director of Advocacy & Director of Events and Marketing, Outright Vermont
Dana Kaplan, Executive Director, Outright Vermont
Erika Meierdiercks, Director of Programs, Outright Vermont
​Melissa Golden, Education Coordinator, Outright Vermont
Wanda Audette, Director of Adoption, Lund
Charlotte Blend, Communications and Foundations Coordinator, Lund. 
Simone Coté, MSW : Adoption Counselor, Lund
Kate Van Wagner, MSW, LICSW: Options Coordinator, Lund
Michael LaMantia, MD, MPH is the Section Head of Geriatric Medicine and Associate Professor at the Robert Larner, MD College of Medicine at the University of Vermont.
Jean Pieniadz, Ph.D. is a psychologist and psychoanalyst in private practice, who has taught, researched, published, and been involved in clinical work with individuals and families with brain disorders.
Mary Val Palumbo DNP, APRN, GNP-BC, Associate Professor, Department of Nursing; Director, AHEC Nursing Workforce Research, Planning and Development; Co-Chair Vermont Action Coalition, University of Vermont, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Carrie Rae Shamel is the Director of Community Relations at Spring Village at Essex.
Dr. Jane Molofsky, Professor, Department of Plant Biology, University of Vermont.
Hattie White, Perennials Sales and Marketing Coordinator, Arcana Gardens and Greenhouses.
Terry Cecchini, UVM Extension Master Gardener.
Jane Keir, Perennial Grower and Herb Coordinator, Arcana Gardens and Greenhouses.
Sarah Salatino, Head grower and owner of Full Circle Gardens in Essex.
Sam Tolstoi, Owner, Manhattan Pizza in Burlington.
Lili Gamache, Vermont Stage Artistic Associate and owner of two Subway restaurants in Saint Albans.
Megan O'Brien, Owner of small business Tangerine, a clothing, accessories, and home decor boutique.
Matt Bartle, Owner, Wally's Place Bagel and Deli in South Hero.
Shaina Kaye, Hospital and Community Services Specialist at The Center for Donation and Transplant.
Patricia Fontaine, Instructor of Healing Art and Writing courses.
Erika Lowe, Arts Education Programs Manager at the Vermont Arts Council.
Geoffrey Gevalt, Founder of Vermont Young Writers Project.
Patricia Prelock, Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Professor of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine at the University of Vermont.
Mark Prior, Senior Manager for the SUCCEED program offered by Howard Center Developmental Services.
Anne Vernon, Senior Manager with Howard Center.
Kyle Campbell, Graduate College Fellow at the University of Vermont.
Hope Morris, Associate Director of the Autism Assessment Clinic within the Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families.
Pascal Cheng, Educational and Communication Specialist at the Howard Center.
Jeremiah Dickerson, psychiatrist specializing in the assessment and care of youth with an autism spectrum disorder and their families.
Kim Fountain, Executive Director of Pride Center of Vermont.
Kathy Hennis, Prevention Specialist at Vermont CARES.
Heather Simmons, Associate Director of Adoption at Lund Family Center.
Sherry Corbin, Board President of the Gay and Lesbian Fund of Vermont.
Chuck Kletecka, Former board member of the Vermont People With AIDS Coalition.
Peter Jacobsen, Executive Director of Vermont CARES.
Susan Kimmerly, founder and director of Nine East Network.
Laurel Scannell, Nine East Network.
Jen Bostwick, Nine East Network.
Hope Moulton, Nine East Network.
Cecil G. Yeatts III, Au.D., Adirondack Audiology.
Keith P. Walsh, Au D., Adirondack Audiology.
Kevin Richmond, American Sign Language Lecturer, University of Vermont.
Laura Siegel, Deaf Vermonter Advocacy Services.
Alina Mills, a speech-language pathologist that specializes in working with children and adults that are deaf and hard of hearing.
Reuben Jackson, poet, educator, and host of Friday Night Jazz on Vermont Public Radio.
Dr. Sarah Turner, Senior lecturer on Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary American Literature at University of Vermont
Dr. Sarah Nilsen, Lecturer on the history of film and television on issues of race, class and gender at University of Vermont
Reverend Cyndi Simpson, M.Div., Unitarian Universalist Minister in Barre.
Dr. Sherwood Smith, Ph.D., Lecturer in Integrated Professional Studies and Director of the Center for Cultural Pluralism at the University of Vermont.
Paul Marcus is a white anti-racist activist, educator and consultant.
Rachel Siegel, Executive Director of the Peace & Justice Center.
Hal Colston, Director of Partnership for Change.
Gregory Ramos, Director of the ALANA U.S. Ethnic Studies Program at University of Vermont and Chair of The Department of Theatre.
Dr. Stephanie Seguino, Economics Lecturer at University of Vermont and an economist for the Burlington School District.
Julian Portilla, Assistant Professor in Mediation and Applied Conflict Studies at Champlain College.

An excerpt from one of our talkbacks for I and You

An excerpt from one of our talkbacks for Dancing Lessons