Where does an audience fit into an artwork or performance? How much weight does the theater, gallery or museum patron’s response carry with artists? At last month’s installment of State of the Arts we talked with Dallas Theater Center Artistic Director Kevin Moriarty and Creative Time President and Artistic Director Anne Pasternak about their organizations, careers and how they consider the audience role and perspective in the creation and production of riveting theatrical works and provocative public interventions by artists.

In this season’s State of the Arts series, we’re exploring the role of the audience in shaping the output of performers, visual artists and arts organizations. This Thursday, November 11^th we’ll continue our ongoing conversation with leaders in the arts.

Graeme Jenkins is Music Director for The Dallas Opera which has just opened its second season at the (still) new Margot and Bill Winspear Opera House. We’ll discuss the current season, his incredible workload, what it’s like to move into a completely modern interpretation of the classic “horseshoe” opera house and more.

John Coyne is Principal and US Director of Design for Theatre Projects an international consulting firm that’s helped guide the development of opera houses, performing arts centers and major theaters all over the world. They also played a crucial role in the design of both the Winspear Opera House and the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre. We’ll talk with him about the rare chance to work on these kinds of projects and what they mean for the performing arts in North Texas now and in the future.

It’s happening this Thursday, November 11^th at the Dallas Museum of Art’s Horchow Auditorium. Details and a link for reservations are here. I hope you can make it. This one’s going to be great.