Mahaiwe Celebrates 40th Anniversary of 'Free to Be...You and Me'
GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Marlo Thomas, Alan Alda and Letty Cottin Pogrebin will be featured at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Free to Be ... You and Me."
The live panel discussion and audience Q&A on Sunday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m. will look back at their children's classic and the difference it has made, as well as discuss the societal problems that persist for children. Tickets are $35 to $200 with proceeds to benefit the Free To Be Foundation and Mahaiwe Education programs.
The concept that became a record, book, theater piece and television special was conceived by Marlo Thomas to challenge gender and racial stereotypes by emphasizing strong positive values such as personal aspiration, individuality, cooperation, self-esteem, tolerance and identity. It featured personalities, including actors Alda, Carol Channing and Cicely Tyson, football star Rosey Grier, and singers Michael Jackson and Diana Ross.
"When the 40th anniversary of 'Free to Be' arrived recently, reporters wrote stories about it, academics held panel discussions, and two historians even published a book, as the project was the centerpiece of a cultural movement that saw seismic changes in perception of gender and racial roles," said Thomas in a statement. "But what has surprised me most is the depth of its impact: I am frequently approached by grown-ups who tell me how 'Free to Be' helped them follow uncharted paths in their own lives."
The panel discussion will include stories of how the "Free to Be" project came together in the 1970s, including screening of clips from the television special. The participants will also engage in a conversation with the audience about the state of gender and racial roles today, and steps people can take to facilitate ongoing positive change.
Thomas is an actress, producer, and social activist known for her starring role on the TV series "That Girl" (1966-1971). She has won four Emmys, a Golden Globe and a Peabody, and is national outreach director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Alda, an actor, director, screenwriter and author, is a seven-time Emmy Award and six-time Golden Globe Award winner best known for his starring roles as Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series "M*A*S*H" and Arnold Vinick in "The West Wing."
Pogrebin is a writer, activist, national lecturer and a founding editor of Ms. magazine. She is the author of 10 books, including "How to Be a Friend to a Friend Who's Sick." She is also the editor of the anthology "Stories for Free Children," and was the consulting editor on Free to Be, You and Me.
For tickets and information, see www.mahaiwe.org or call 413-528-0100.
