Getting to know the Lehman family with Stefano Massini

The Segal Theatre at the Graduate Center of CUNY located in the heart of Manhattan will be having an in depth conversation with the Italian playwright, Stefano Massini, as he speaks about his new work as well as comment on the role of the Piccolo Teatro di Milano and the current state of contemporary theater in Europe. This intriguing event will also include a reading from Massini’s latest book entitled Something About The Lehmans (Mondadori, 2016). 

Italian playwright, Stefano Massini, comes to NYC to talk about his new book

The famous "Piccolo Teatro di Milano"

The book is based on Massini’s plays called The Lehman Trilogy which aims to trace the legacy of the infamous Lehman family. They were an extremely wealthy banking family who originally came to America from Europe with practically nothing in the mid-1800’s and ended up creating a financial empire that lasted until just about 6 years ago. Massini took a huge interest in this investment house in addition to the rise and fall of their company. 

The Lehman Trilogy premiered at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano - Teatro d’Europa in 2015 and was the last theatrical play to be directed by the legendary Luca Ronconi. This particular setting is very significant because it is considered to be Italy’s first permanent theater. Having been founded in 1947, it serves as a symbol of excellence and holds great cultural value for both Italians and Europeans in general. Since it’s premiere in Milan, the play has been produced widely throughout the continent. The copyright of the play has been acquired by Oscar Award-winning director Sam Mendes which will be staging The Lehman Trilogy.

After the Artist Talk and book reading which fortunately is free and open to the public, the audience will also be invited to an after party following the event. Guests will have the opportunity to get to personally know all the artists and curators involved in the Italian Playwrights Project. The celebration will also serve as a fundraiser for those who enjoy the events that these Italian organizations set up for the public and want to help them continue to do so. Please join the fun and take part in this fantastic experience!