Performing arts advocate Howard Sherman to examine theatre’s connection to U.S. Charters of Freedom

Howard Sherman, a prominent arts administrator, advocate and writer, will examine the U.S. Constitution through the lens of musical theatre during a unique presentation at Hanover College in late October.

Sherman has become an influential advocate for American theatre throughout his career and has written extensively about intellectual and creative freedom in academic, community and professional theatre. He received the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund’s 2015 Defender Award for his work on artists’ rights and theatrical censorship and began serving on the organization’s board in 2025. Previously, he was named one of the “Top 40 Free Speech Defenders of 2014” by the National Coalition Against Censorship and was honored by the Education Theatre Association for his advocacy on behalf of high school theatre, being named their “Honorary Thespian of the Year.”

Sherman will speak at 7 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 29, at The Other Place, Hanover’s campus theatre. The event is open to the public, free of charge. The address provides a timely look at theatre productions with connections to the Constitution and other early American founding documents, including the musical “1776,” which the Hanover College Theatre Department will be presenting Oct. 23-Nov.1.

Sherman previously served as executive director of American Theatre Wing (ATW), the organization responsible for the Tony Awards. Under his leadership, the ATW added SpringboardNYC, Theatre Intern Group and The Jonathan Larson Grants to its programming, and he led the organization’s utilization of the internet and social media. He was also instrumental in developing ATW’s National Theatre Company Grants program and secured the organization’s first funding from The Shubert Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council on the Arts.

Sherman has moderated artist conversations for public audiences for more than 40 years. In addition to his television and audio work at the American Theatre Wing, including the popular radio program “Downstage Center” and television program “Working in the Theatre,” he has moderated talks for BroadwayCon 2016, 2017 and 2018, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Mark Twain House and Museum, Writers Guild of America East, 59 E 59 Theatres and The Broadway League, among others.

Before his tenure with the American Theatre Wing, Sherman served as an arts administrator of some of the country’s leading regional theatres, including the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, Geva Theatre, Hartford Stage and the Goodspeed Musicals, where he served as the company’s first general manager and produced more than two dozen new and classical musicals. Since March 2022, Sherman has served as managing director of the Baruch Performing Arts Center at Baruch College in Manhattan. For the past decade, he has also supported the Arts Integrity Initiative at the New School for Drama in New York City, which focuses on creative and academic freedom in the arts.

An equally well-respected educator, Sherman has taught and/or guest lectured at the Yale School of Drama, Columbia University, Princeton University, North Carolina School of the Arts, Emerson College, Brooklyn College, Hartt School of Music, SUNY Purchase, and the University of Connecticut. He was a corporate member of The Neighborhood Playhouse, served on the national board of advisors of The Actors Fund, and was a board member of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. He also served several years as an on-site evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts.

In addition to consulting for arts organizations on management and communications, Sherman is a prolific writer, having served as the U.S. columnist and feature writer for The Stage newspaper in London since 2012, as well as a contributing editor at Stage Directions magazine and a contributing writer at Encore Monthly. His writings have appeared in American Theatre Magazine, National Public Radio, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, and HowlRound, the journal of the Center for Theatre Commons at Emerson College.

Sherman’s first book, “Another Day’s Begun: Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in the 21st Century,” was published in January 2021. The work focuses on the importance of “Our Town” and its continued impact on artists and society.

A native of New Haven, Conn., Sherman is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in Manhattan.

This event is offered as part of Hanover College’s recognition of Constitution Day.