This hour on Disrupted, we talk to three members of the theater community in Connecticut about how the industry moves forward, and what lessons they’ve learned over the last year.

This hour on Disrupted, we talk to three members of the theater community in Connecticut about how the industry moves forward, and what lessons they&rsquo;ve learned over the last year.

Disrupted is about the changes we all encounter and the forces driving those changes. Some disruptions spark joy and possibility. Others move us to take action and re-evaluate our world. But the show isn't just about those disruptions; it’s about embracing them, exploring new perspectives, and feeling more connected to ourselves and our communities. Host and political scientist Khalilah Brown-Dean creates a place where changemakers come together to help us see the world differently and challenge us to grow together.

Visit ctpublic.org/disrupted for more! 

Disrupted is about the changes we all encounter and the forces driving those changes. Some disruptions spark joy and possibility. Others move us to take action and re-evaluate our world. But the show isn't just about those disruptions; it’s about embracing them, exploring new perspectives, and feeling more connected to ourselves and our communities. Host and political scientist Khalilah Brown-Dean creates a place where changemakers come together to help us see the world differently and challenge us to grow together.
Visit <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupted">ctpublic.org/disrupted</a> for more!

Disrupted

Rethinking Theater In A Post-Pandemic World

The U.S. feels divided. That division is backed up by data. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2025 Stress in America Survey, 62 percent of adults said societal division was a significant source of stress in their lives.

So how can we move forward with inclusion rather than division?

This hour, we’re talking about building an inclusive future. We'll learn about an effort to bring people together through civic engagement in New Haven. And we’ll from hear legal scholars who explain how to advance DEI in the current political moment.

GUESTS:


Caroline Tanbee Smith: Executive Director of Civic Works, a new organization that brings people together through civic participation.


Kenji Yoshino: Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at New York University School of Law and the Faculty Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.


David Glasgow:Executive Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at New York University School of Law.

Book cover image courtesy of Simon & Schuster

The U.S. feels divided. That division is backed up by data. According to the American Psychological Association&rsquo;s 2025 Stress in America Survey, <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/stress-in-america/2025">62 percent of adults</a> said societal division was a significant source of stress in their lives.
So how can we move forward with inclusion rather than division?
This hour, we&rsquo;re talking about building an inclusive future.&nbsp;We'll learn about an effort to bring people together through civic engagement in New Haven.&nbsp;And we&rsquo;ll from hear legal scholars who explain how to advance DEI in the current political moment.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Caroline Tanbee Smith: Executive Director of Civic Works, a new organization that brings people together through civic participation.
</li>
<li>
Kenji Yoshino: Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at New York University School of Law and the Faculty Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.
</li>
<li>
David Glasgow:Executive Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at New York University School of Law.
</li>
</ul>
Book cover image courtesy of Simon &amp; Schuster

In divided times, how do we build an inclusive future?

In 2012, Connecticut voters chose Chris Murphy as a replacement for retiring senator Joe Lieberman. He was the youngest U.S. senator serving at the time. And in the years since, his national profile has grown. He's been a vocal advocate for gun reform and become a high-profile critic of the Trump administration. But most recently he’s been talking about a different kind of crisis. It's the subject of his new book Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America.

GUEST:


Chris Murphy: Junior U.S. Senator from Connecticut. His new book is Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America.

This episode originally aired on July 10, 2026.

In 2012, Connecticut voters chose <a href="https://www.murphy.senate.gov/">Chris Murphy</a> as a replacement for retiring senator Joe Lieberman. He was the youngest U.S. senator serving at the time. And in the years since, his national profile has grown. He's been a vocal advocate for gun reform and become a high-profile critic of the Trump administration. But most recently he&rsquo;s been talking about a different kind of crisis. It's the subject of his new book <a href="https://crisisofthecommongood.com/">Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America</a>.
GUEST:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.murphy.senate.gov/">Chris Murphy</a>: Junior U.S. Senator from Connecticut. His new book is <a href="https://crisisofthecommongood.com/">Crisis of the Common Good: The Fight for Meaning and Connection in a Broken America</a>.
</li>
</ul>
This episode originally aired on July 10, 2026.

Senator Chris Murphy on the ‘Crisis of the Common Good’

Princess Joy L. Perry’s novel This Here is Love tells the interlocking stories of an array of characters in Tidewater Virginia. It’s a complex narrative that takes place in the 1690s as the hierarchies of slavery are still developing. Those hierarchies are complicated by further hierarchies— indentured servitude and gender also shape the way characters are perceived. This Here is Love is a book that isn’t afraid to delve into the messiest questions around how discrimination developed in the U.S. It’s a book about human nature and the moral questions we continue to face today. And above all it’s a gripping debut from an author whose assured voice guides us through a world where cruelty and love seem to coexist.

This hour, we’re talking to Princess Joy L. Perry about This Here is Love.

We’ll also speak with Casey Grambo from the Stowe Center for Literary Activism. They've awarded the novel with their annual Stowe Prize for Literary Activism.

GUESTS:


Princess Joy L. Perry: Master Lecturer at Old Dominion University. Her debut novel, This Here is Love is the 2026 winner of the Stowe Prize for Literary Activism.


Casey Grambo: Director of Development at the Stowe Center for Literary Activism.

You can find more information about the celebration of the Stowe Prize for Literary Activism in Hartford at the Stowe Center for Literary Activism's website.

Princess Joy L. Perry&rsquo;s novel <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324105978">This Here is Love</a> tells the interlocking stories of an array of characters in Tidewater Virginia. It&rsquo;s a complex narrative that takes place in the 1690s as the hierarchies of slavery are still developing. Those hierarchies are complicated by further hierarchies&mdash; indentured servitude and gender also shape the way characters are perceived. This Here is Love is a book that isn&rsquo;t afraid to delve into the messiest questions around how discrimination developed in the U.S. It&rsquo;s a book about human nature and the moral questions we continue to face today. And above all it&rsquo;s a gripping debut from an author whose assured voice guides us through a world where cruelty and love seem to coexist.
This hour, we&rsquo;re talking to Princess Joy L. Perry about This Here is Love.
We&rsquo;ll also speak with Casey Grambo from the <a href="https://stowecenter.org/">Stowe Center for Literary Activism</a>. They've awarded the novel with their annual <a href="https://stowecenter.org/programs/stowe-prize-for-literary-activism/">Stowe Prize for Literary Activism</a>.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Princess Joy L. Perry: Master Lecturer at Old Dominion University. Her debut novel, <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324105978">This Here is Love</a> is the 2026 winner of the <a href="https://stowecenter.org/programs/stowe-prize-for-literary-activism/">Stowe Prize for Literary Activism</a>.
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://stowecenter.org/about/our-team/casey-grambo/">Casey Grambo</a>: Director of Development at the <a href="https://stowecenter.org/">Stowe Center for Literary Activism</a>.
</li>
</ul>
You can find more information about the celebration of the Stowe Prize for Literary Activism in Hartford at the Stowe Center for Literary Activism's <a href="https://stowecenter.org/programs/stowe-prize-for-literary-activism/registration/">website</a>.

Rethinking Theater In A Post-Pandemic World

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