Lets talk about it!
We have a series of talk backs after selected Wednesday night performances of Final Analysis. Within each discussion, we can explore hate and love - look at connections between these two strong emotions then and now – discuss the rise of intolerance and the clear demarcation between rich and poor – the erosion of the middle class and strong divisions in government…..are all of these warning signs alerting us to change course? so what stops us from taking the actions needed to avoid calamity??
Talk backs will take place after Wednesday night performances on:
Talk backs will take place after Wednesday night performances on:
- August 28, 2013
- September 11, 2013
- September 25th, 2013
September 25th - A Focus on Freud

On September 23rd, 1939, the father of modern psychoanalysis was euthanized at his own request by his physician while living in England. But what was life like for those intellectuals, like Freud, who found themselves at odds in a hot bed of intolerance? Where are the voices of reason – the great minds and great thinkers to help us diffuse the current climate of intolerance that we see in action in our very own government?
Moderated by John Munder Ross, Ph.D, Clinical Professor, Training and Supervising Analyst and Senior Associate Director for Clinical, Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research.
(25 minute moderated panel, 5 minutes of Q&A)
John Munder Ross is a graduate. Phi Beta Kappa, Harvard University, where he was honored for his contributions to The Harvard Theater in over thirty productions as an actor and director and as an executive director of The Harvard Drama Club. He received his Ph.D. from New York University and completed his analytic training as the first psychologist at The Psychoanalytic Institute at New York University Medical Center in 1984 before transferring to Columbia in 1991. While in graduate school in clinical psychology, he moonlighted as a mostly classical actor (playing Romeo at NYU, Angelo in Measure for Measure at La Mama, starring in the Cannes selected film Cowards and appearing in the inaugural production of Playwrights Horizon). More recently, John played Lear for The Shakespeare Society opposite Roger Rees as Poor Tom and, in 2012, Professor Freud in David Pilot’s play Hans. John has also written and staged readings of two full-length plays.
John has been practicing, teaching and writing about psychoanalysis for thirty-five years, having analyzed fifty analytic patients to date along with his work conducting individual and couples therapy, consultation and supervision. He has served on the editorial boards of major psychoanalytic journals and for many years has been on the board of Margaret S. Mahler Psychiatric Research Foundation. Along with well over four hundred oral presentations and several dozen journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, commentaries, television and radio appearances, John has published eight books. He is currently Secretary-Treasurer of the Sigmund Freud Archives of the Library of Congress.
Photo: Sigmund Freud - Max Halberstadt (1922)
Moderated by John Munder Ross, Ph.D, Clinical Professor, Training and Supervising Analyst and Senior Associate Director for Clinical, Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research.
(25 minute moderated panel, 5 minutes of Q&A)
John Munder Ross is a graduate. Phi Beta Kappa, Harvard University, where he was honored for his contributions to The Harvard Theater in over thirty productions as an actor and director and as an executive director of The Harvard Drama Club. He received his Ph.D. from New York University and completed his analytic training as the first psychologist at The Psychoanalytic Institute at New York University Medical Center in 1984 before transferring to Columbia in 1991. While in graduate school in clinical psychology, he moonlighted as a mostly classical actor (playing Romeo at NYU, Angelo in Measure for Measure at La Mama, starring in the Cannes selected film Cowards and appearing in the inaugural production of Playwrights Horizon). More recently, John played Lear for The Shakespeare Society opposite Roger Rees as Poor Tom and, in 2012, Professor Freud in David Pilot’s play Hans. John has also written and staged readings of two full-length plays.
John has been practicing, teaching and writing about psychoanalysis for thirty-five years, having analyzed fifty analytic patients to date along with his work conducting individual and couples therapy, consultation and supervision. He has served on the editorial boards of major psychoanalytic journals and for many years has been on the board of Margaret S. Mahler Psychiatric Research Foundation. Along with well over four hundred oral presentations and several dozen journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, commentaries, television and radio appearances, John has published eight books. He is currently Secretary-Treasurer of the Sigmund Freud Archives of the Library of Congress.
Photo: Sigmund Freud - Max Halberstadt (1922)
September 11th - Explore the hatefulness of man

On the 12th Anniversary of one of the darkest moments in our recent history, this discussion will focus on acts of madness. In the play we see madness it in the young man whose hate is fueling his actions. In the hate displayed through anti-Semitic hate speech. On 9/11 we saw the outcome of hateful actions. Is the madness and hate of the young misfit fueled by his feeling of being an outsider and was that the driving force that darkened our city on that fateful day?
Moderated by the newly appointed director of the Austrian Cultural Forum, Ambassador Christine Moser. (25 minute moderated panel, 5 minutes of Q&A)
Freya's Tears - Gustav Klimt
Moderated by the newly appointed director of the Austrian Cultural Forum, Ambassador Christine Moser. (25 minute moderated panel, 5 minutes of Q&A)
Freya's Tears - Gustav Klimt
August 28th - A Focus on Mahler

At a time of rising anti-Semitism Mahler conducted the first uncut version of Wagner’s “The Ring”, performed on August 24-27 to rave reviews. A celebration of the genius and the man.
Moderated by WQXR's Graham Parker. (25 minute moderated panel, 5 minutes of Q&A)
Mahler Conducting Beethoven’s 9th Symphony . 1905
Moderated by WQXR's Graham Parker. (25 minute moderated panel, 5 minutes of Q&A)
Mahler Conducting Beethoven’s 9th Symphony . 1905