Pulitzer Prize- and Tony-winning playwright and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Tony Kushner is coming to The University of Toledo next month in a free moderated conversation about his life and career followed by an audience Q&A.

Best known for “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,” his two-part epic about the HIV-AIDS epidemic in the late 1980s which received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Awards for Best Play in 1993 and 1994, Kushner will share his story at the annual Edward Shapiro Distinguished Lecture 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20, at Doermann Theatre in University Hall.

Admission to the event is free. Doors open at 6 p.m. with first-come, first-served seating. Parking will be free in Area 1N off of University Hills Boulevard.

“Tony Kushner is one of America’s greatest living playwrights. He is, in many ways, our American Shakespeare — and I say this as a Shakespeare scholar,” said Dr. Joseph Gamble, assistant professor of English at UToledo, who teaches modern drama and LGBTQA+ literature.

“His work is monumental in its scope and profound in its empathy. It is also very, very funny. A Tony Kushner play has a special way of making you cry, and then laugh until you cry and then cry again. His plays are deeply grounded in history, but they are also enduringly relevant.”

“The College of Arts and Letters is so pleased to be able to bring such an important figure to the campus community and the city of Toledo,” said Dr. Melissa Gregory, interim dean of the College of Arts and Letters. “Kushner is not only the most well-recognized playwright in the United States but also a brilliant storyteller who brings a wealth of fascinating experiences to the table. This will be a highly engaging event.”

The annual lecture is made possible by the Shapiro endowment left by Dr. Edward Shapiro, professor emeritus of economics who retired in 1989, to provide opportunities for the University to bring world-renowned speakers to Toledo.

Past Shapiro Distinguished Lecture speakers include Elie Wiesel, Toni Morrison, Audra McDonald and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“This is an incredible opportunity for students at The University of Toledo to get to hear from one of our country’s most enduringly important artists,” Gamble said. “And this event isn’t just for theatre and English students. You could be studying nursing or engineering or business or astronomy, but if you care about what it means to be in the world with other people, about how to live a good life, and about the future of democracy both in America and abroad, then Tony Kushner has something to teach you. This event really underscores the vital importance of the arts and humanities to what we all do.”

“This also is a particularly meaningful event for LGBTQA+ students and community members,” he added. “Kushner is not only one of our greatest living playwrights, he is also one of our greatest living gay artists. ‘Angels in America,’ in particular, is the single most canonical piece of LGBTQA+ literature, as it chronicles the resiliency of the gay spirit in the face of unimaginable death during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this country.”

Born in New York City in 1956 and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Kushner is a celebrated and acclaimed playwright whose works include “A Bright Room Called Day,” “Slavs!”, “Hydrotaphia” and “Homebody/Kabul,” as well as the musical “Caroline, or Change” and the opera “A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck.”

Kushner received an Emmy Award for his adaptation of “Angels in America” to an HBO miniseries directed by Mike Nichols and received a pair of screenwriting Oscar nominations for the Steven Spielberg films “Munich” and “Lincoln.” In 2021, he wrote the screenplay to Spielberg’s critically acclaimed remake of “West Side Story.”

Kushner also received a Spirit of Justice Award from the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, and a Cultural Achievement Award from the National Foundation for Jewish Culture.

The University of Toledo Department of Political Science and Public Administration is hosting a series of community events featuring UToledo experts about American foreign policy during the next two months at the main branch of the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, 325 Michigan St.

Topics range from political science and climate change to trade policy and space exploration.

“We’re thrilled to bring our UToledo experts out of the classroom and into the community to discuss important foreign policy topics and interact with people who live and work in our region,” Dr. Joel Voss, associate professor of political science, said. “As faculty, we engage with students every day about critical issues in our world, and we look forward to answering questions and leading discussions in our community.”

The Great Decisions 2022 speaker series, which is free and open to the public, begins 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 29, with Voss discussing changing demographics.

“The world experienced remarkable demographic changes in the 20th century that continue today and have resulted in far-reaching social, economic, political and environmental consequences all over the globe,” Voss said. “These consequences are creating mounting challenges to development efforts, security, the environment, as well as the sustainability of human populations.”

Weekly events also include:

• Thursday, Sept. 8 — From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Dr. Jeffrey Broxmeyer, associate professor of political science, will discuss President Joe Biden’s foreign policy and the administration’s treatment of issues such as the climate, the pandemic and alliances.
• Monday, Sept. 12 — From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Dr. Paul Hong, Distinguished University Professor of operations management, will talk about industrial policy, trade issues, China and whether a more involved U.S. government will help revive the economy.
• Monday, Sept. 19 — From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Dr. Tom Megeath, Distinguished University Professor of astronomy, will discuss how the U.S. will fare in an outer space crowded with countries such as India and China and commercial companies such as SpaceX.
• Monday, Sept. 26 — From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Dr. Barry Jackisch, visiting associate professor of history, and Owen Lee, a graduate student, will address U.S. foreign policy toward Russia on issues such as arms control, cyberattacks, election interference and Ukraine.
• Monday, Oct. 3 — From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Dr. Jetsabe Caceres, associate professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, will discuss drug control policies in Latin America, including the roots and bureaucratic logic behind them and whether it’s time to reconsider ones that disrupt supply chains and punish drug possession.
• Thursday, Oct. 13 — From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Dr. Andy Jorgensen, associate professor emeritus of chemistry, will talk about the international dimensions of climate change and the role the U.S. will play in future negotiations in curbing greenhouse gas emissions.

The University of Toledo is welcoming students back to campus for the 2022-23 academic year.

As students move into on-campus residence halls, UToledo President Gregory Postel and Dr. Sammy Spann, vice president of student affairs and dean of students, will roll up their sleeves at 10 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, to personally help students and their families unpack their vehicles and get their belongings into their Parks Tower rooms.

The following day Dr. Postel and other campus leaders will welcome new students into the Rocket family and share UToledo traditions at the New Student Convocation ceremony 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26, in Savage Arena.

A variety of events are scheduled to celebrate the launch of fall semester, including the Student Involvement Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, on Centennial Mall. UToledo student organizations, campus departments and local campus partners will be on hand to connect with students and share information about opportunities for involvement outside of the classroom.

During the Student Involvement Fair, a pep rally will take place in front of the Thompson Student Union at noon.Classes begin at UToledo on Monday, Aug. 29.

For a complete list of events and activities to kick off the school year and that are planned throughout fall semester, visit the Welcome Weeks website.