LECTURES:

ABBEY CURRAN Former Miss Iowa and founder of the Miss You Can Do It Pageant, part

of HBOs award winning documentary series

JOSHUA DAVID

Author and Co-Founder of New York Citys The High Line

OSKAR EUSTIS Award-winning director, dramaturge and Artistic Director of New York

Citys acclaimed Public Theater, Professor of Dramatic Writing and Arts and Public Policy at New York University

DEBORAH FELDMAN

New York Times Bestselling author of UNORTHODOX, and the upcoming EXODUS

PATRICIA HEATON

Emmy Award winning actress (EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, THE MIDDLE), bestselling author, producer

SHAMA KABANI

Internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, author of the bestselling ZEN OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING, CEO of the award-winning Marketing

Zen Group

NEIL LABUTE Award-winning playwright, film director, screenwriter

JUDITH LIGHT

Award-winning Actress, gay rights activist

SARAH MAIZES Author, Parenting & Lifestyle expert, Humorist

DEBRA MESSING

Emmy Award winning actress (WILL & GRACE, SMASH, THE STARTER WIFE), Global Ambassador for PSI/Youth AIDS

RITA MORENO

Legendary film, television, stage actress

LEONARD NIMOY Legendary actor (STAR TREK), director and photographer

KAL PENN

Actor, producer, and political activist, star of the HAROLD AND KUMAR films

DESTIN PFAFF & RACHEL FEDEROFF

Star matchmakers from BRAVOs THE MILLIONAIRE MATCHMAKER; entrepreneurs, performers, filmmakers

JOSH RADNOR

Actor, writer, director, filmmaker, star of CBSs HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

FRANCHESCA RAMSEY

Actress, comedian, vlogger, social media analyst, and creator/star of Sh*t White Girls Say YouTube viral video

JOHN SLATTERY

Award-winning actor, director, star of AMCs MAD MEN

ANNA DEAVERE SMITH Award-winning actress, playwright, social commentator

YEARDLEY SMITH

Emmy Award winning actress, novelist, and shoe designer, best known for her twenty-five year portrayal of Lisa Simpson on FOXs THE

SIMPSONS

SHARON STONE Award-winning international film star, amfAR activist and humanitarian

HOLLAND TAYLOR

Award-winning film, television, stage actress

FABIO VIVIANI Celebrity chef, BRAVOs TOP CHEF, host of Yahoos CHOW CIAO!

JAY WILLIAMS

Retired NBA star, ESPN analyst

MONTEL WILLIAMS Television personality, radio talk show host, actor, spokesman for the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, and multiple sclerosis activist

MUSIC:

LAURA BENANTI Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards winner (GYPSY,

WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, INTO THE WOODS), co-star on NBCs THE SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE

EMILY BERGL

Film, television, and theatre actress (Showtimes SHAMELESS, ABCs DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES), FANY Award Winner

STEPHANIE J. BLOCK

Helen Hayes Award winner, Tony and Drama Desk Award nominee (THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL, THE BOY FROM

OZ, WICKED, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE)

WILL CHASE Broadway leading man, Tony Award nominee (THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN

DROOD), NBCs SMASH, ABCS NASHVILLE

EDEN ESPINOSA Drama League Award nominee and star of WICKED, RENT and

BROOKLYN

KATIE FINNERAN Drama Desk and multiple Tony Award winning Broadway star of

PROMISES, PROMISES and NOISES OFF

PETER GALLAGHER Multi-award winning film, television and theatre actor, currently starring on

USAs COVERT AFFAIRS and Broadways upcoming ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

JUSTIN GUARINI

Broadway leading man, runner up on season one of FOXs AMERICAN IDOL

MEGAN HILTY

Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Awards nominee (costar of NBCs SEAN SAVES THE WORLD and SMASH, GENTLEMEN

PREFER BLONDES, 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL, WICKED)

BRIAN DARCY JAMES Broadway leading man and multi-award winner (SHREK, NEXT TO

NORMAL, TIME STANDS STILL, GIANT, NBCs SMASH)

NIKKI M. JAMES Tony Award winning actress (THE BOOK OF MORMON); starring in the

current Broadway revival of LES MISRABLES

RAMIN KARIMLOO Internationally acclaimed musical theatre actor and musician, Tony Award

nominee (Jean Valjean, 2014 Revival of LES MISRABLES)

STEVE KAZEE Tony and Grammy Award winning actor (ONCE)

AARON LAZAR

Broadway leading man, film and television actor (A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, A LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA)

CARRIE MANOLAKOS

Broadway actress, Radio Heads viral cover of CREEP

CRISTIN MILIOTI Tony nominated and Grammy Award winning actress (ONCE); titular star

of CBS HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

JULIA MURNEY Drama Desk Award nominee, star of WICKED, THE WILD PARTY,

LENNON

DONNA MURPHY Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards winner (GYPSY,

WONDERFUL TOWN, PASSION)

KELLI OHARA Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle Awards

nominee (THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, SOUTH PACIFIC, THE PAJAMA GAME)

SHERIE RENE SCOTT

Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League and Outer Critics Circle Awards nominated writer and actress (EVERYDAY RAPTURE, AIDA, THE LAST

FIVE YEARS)

JOHN LLOYD YOUNG Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Theatre World Award winning actor (JERSEY BOYS); star of the JERSEY BOYS film; appointed member

of the Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities