Castleton University and the Paramount Theater announced details of Project 240 on Wednesday evening as more than one hundred guests were treated to a multimedia presentation of the unprecedented collaboration celebrating the 240th year of our republic.
The culmination of nine months of planning is the latest step in the ongoing collaboration between The Paramount and Castleton. The collaborative effort is designed to elevate public discourse around the 2016 general election, while bringing the community together for a series of impactful events.
The series of events at the Paramount will span 14 months and exist at the intersection of civic engagement, education, and entertainment. All except three of the events will be free, and those who attend can expect a range of programming featuring nationally prominent participants, public discourse, patriotic music, satirical theatre, and more.
The series will kick off September 16 with the Republican Primary Debate hosted by WCAX political analysts Steve Terry and Mike Smith, followed by the Democratic Primary Debate hosted by former Vermont Press Bureau Chief Chris Graff on November 14. In addition to these and other primary debates, the Paramount will also play host to viewings of the national conventions in July and the general election debates next fall. The Project 240 schedule reaches its apex on November 8, 2016 with a celebration gala and live election night coverage.
Other highlights of the series include an appearance by legendary filmmaker Ken Burns and a screening of his film The American Experience on November 21, a mock Vermont primary on February 9 hosted by the Castleton Polling Institute, a February 28 performance by the U.S. Army Brass Quintet alongside Robert McDonald and the Castleton Chamber Singers and Wind Ensemble, and a performance of The Complete History of America(abridged) by the renowned Reduced Shakespeare Company on November 3, 2016.
Corporate Sponsors for the full project (September of 2015 through early November 2016) are: Omya, Comcast, Vermont Country Store, Rutland Regional Medical Center, The Addison Independent/Mountain Times, and The Vermont Community Foundation.
For more information about how you or your company can get involved in the project please contact Bruce Bouchard at bruce@paramountvt.org or Rich Cowden at rich.cowden@castleton.edu.