“SNL: 50 Years of American Satire” is the next program in Guild Hall’s Hamptons Institute, a forum aimed at sparking dialogue on timely topics each Monday night in July.
Featuring best-selling author Susan Morrison, the discussion takes place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Guild Hall, 158 Main St. in East Hampton.
“Susan Morrison, the author of Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live, will discuss how SNL has tracked American politics from Jimmy Carter to Donald Trump with special guests,” Guild Hall Executive Director Andrea Grover told South Shore Press.
Grover noted that SNL is an example of “the role comedy has played in shaping and responding to our political culture throughout generations.”
Morrison, articles editor for The New Yorker, will be joined by SNL guests to talk about one of America’s longest-running television shows, now in its 50th season.
The series launched July 7 with “Guardrails of Democracy” and continues after Morrison’s event with “Post-Play Childhood,” which explores the impact of digital devices, on July 21, and “Order or Chaos: The Economy Under Trump” on July 28. Each session begins at 7 p.m.
According to Grover, “Post-Play Childhood” addresses concerns of parents, educators and mental health advocates about the effects of technology and social media on children. The program features Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness; Harold S. Koplewicz, M.D., president and medical director of the Child Mind Institute; and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker and journalist Perri Peltz.
The final session, “Order or Chaos: The Economy Under Trump,” features Fred P. Hochberg, Gillian Tett and Glenn H. Hutchins discussing the effects of tariff policies and evolving political strategies on global economies.
“The program will resonate with business owners and families feeling the ripple effects of inflation and global economic shifts,” Grover said.
Returning to Guild Hall after a six-year hiatus, the Hamptons Institute comes at a time of heightened interest in civic and cultural issues, according to Grover.
“The return of the Hamptons Institute this summer is core to Guild Hall’s mission to foster empathy, thoughtful dialogue and stronger connections among neighbors and visitors,” she said. These sessions are designed to stimulate questions among the audience and provide the opportunity for answers.
Asked how the Hamptons Institute selects its programming, Grover said, “The series is designed with our local audience in mind, but the topics are nationally relevant. From the future of democracy to the mental health of children, each program speaks to timely issues that impact both our local community and the broader public.”
To foster dynamic discussions, speakers are chosen based on their ability to engage with other experts, she said.
“Each Hamptons Institute panel brings together multiple voices and includes an open Q&A with the audience,” she said. “Guest curators Ellen Chesler and Patricia Duff carefully select authors, scholars, professionals, journalists and luminaries in their fields who bring expert knowledge and insight to these discussions.”
Whether the program will return annually is undecided.
“Guild Hall has always aimed to offer programming that reflects the concerns of the moment, and the Hamptons Institute is a natural extension of that mission. Whether it becomes an annual series will be evaluated next year, but it’s very much part of our ongoing effort to foster timely, thoughtful dialogue,” she said.
First introduced in 2010, the Hamptons Institute is linked to Guild Hall’s legacy as a “civic hub grounded in both visual and performing arts” since its founding in 1931, Grover said.
“This year’s program is co-presented with The Common Good, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to civic participation, civil dialogue and finding solutions through common ground,” she said. “Similarly, our founder, Mary Woodhouse, believed that participation in the arts would create ‘a finer type of citizenship.’ Through countless cultural shifts, Guild Hall has remained true to this vision.”
For more information, visit https://www.guildhall.org/events.