Schedule
Sunday, Sept. 15
From paper to stage: How “They Marched into Sunlight” became a dance
Twenty years ago, David Maraniss published “They Marched into Sunlight,” a fascinating snapshot of the Vietnam War era told through interlocking narratives of the 1967 Dow Chemical protests on the UW-Madison campus and a brutal battle in Vietnam happening at roughly the same time. Years later, choreographer Robin Becker turned the book into a dance (“Into Sunlight”) and then award-winning documentarian Ron Honsa created a documentary about the transformation of the book to the stage. We will present the documentary and hear a talk afterward from Becker, Honsa and Maraniss. Reception precedes the session at 5 p.m.
Moderator: David Maraniss
Location: Wisconsin Historical Society auditorium, 816 State St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
Monday, Sept. 16
How artificial intelligence is changing health care
Artificial intelligence is already reshaping the way we live our lives. In this discussion, a group of experts share how this new technology is changing the health care landscape, and look at the risks and opportunities for practitioners and patients.
Moderator: Joel Martin
Location: Virtual session
Ticket: Free online registration
Sponsor: Presented by HealthX Ventures
One-on-one with Brandon Johnson
In conversation with the Cap Times’ John Nichols, Johnson will discuss his historic victory as Chicago’s mayor. He was the candidate of a multiracial, multiethnic coalition that made the 47-year-old one of the youngest big-city mayors in the history of the United States.
Moderator: John Nichols
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
An evening with Nancy Pelosi
A discussion with the Speaker Emerita of the House of Representatives about her trailblazing career in politics and the tumultuous state of the nation just before this year’s pivotal presidential election.
Moderator: Karen Tumulty
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
Tuesday, Sept. 17
Innovation from Crisis: What COVID-19 taught us about medical research
During the COVID-19 pandemic, answering questions about the virus and how to treat it became the singular focus of the medical research community. Publishing findings quickly had the potential to save thousands of lives. To that end, Epic Research developed a novel two-team study approach, enabling them to publish research in a matter of weeks instead of months or years. Learn how they continue to apply that same process now to other pressing medical questions, accelerating the pace of medical research.
Location: Virtual session
Ticket: Free online registration
Sponsor: Presented by Epic
Unlocking Opportunity: How immigrants support education and the workforce
Immigration has not only been a catalyst in filling much needed jobs, it is also credited with strengthening the post-pandemic economy. Experts will discuss how immigrants can help fill needed roles in Dane County and bolster higher education enrollment, which is threatened by a looming demographic decline. Hosted buffet precedes the session starting at 5 p.m.
Moderator: Valerie Crespin-Trujillo
Location: Madison College, Goodman Campus, 2429 Perry St.
Ticket: VIP, General Admission or free in-person with online registration
Sponsor: Presented by Ascendium
Live theater in a digital age
At a time when most people experience entertainment via screens large and small, what is the value of live theater — and how can companies continue to grow their audiences? At this panel, theater artists from around the Madison area will discuss how theater companies’ relationships to streaming changed during and after the pandemic, how theaters are using digital tools to increase accessibility and expand audiences, and the challenges and rewards of gathering people together to experience stories live in real time.
Moderator: Lindsay Christians
Location: Overture Center Playhouse, 201 State St.
Ticket: VIP, General Admission or free in-person with online registration
“I need space … and money:” Tips from Madison entrepreneurs of color on starting a business
Wisconsin ranks last in the country for rate of business ownership among people of color. At this session, Madison-area entrepreneurs will share how they launched their businesses, and local experts will explain how their organizations can help new entrepreneurs find three important things: affordable property, low or no-interest capital and trustworthy advice. Invited resource groups that can provide funding, space and mentorship will be present before and after the session for a resource fair.
Moderator: Natalie Yahr
Location: Madison College, Goodman Campus, 2429 Perry St.
Ticket: VIP, General Admission or free in-person with online registration
Wednesday, Sept. 18
Unleashing atomic energy on cancer: Moving from Oppenheimer to theranostics
Learn how Wisconsin is becoming an international leader in theranostics (think therapy + diagnostics), which delivers highly targeted treatment to tumors, reducing the collateral damage such treatments can cause to the rest of the body. Wisconsin’s leadership in this area could prove to be an economic boon for the state.
Moderator: Howard Bailey
Location: Virtual session
Ticket: Free online registration
Sponsor: Presented by UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center
Has the craft beer bubble burst?
Recent financial troubles at high-profile Wisconsin craft breweries have clouded the future for what had been a growth industry. A group of experts takes a look ahead at the future for one of the state’s signature products.
Moderator: Chris Drosner
Location: Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood Ave.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission, $5 at the door or free with online registration
One-on-one with Tommy Thompson
Tommy Thompson was Wisconsin’s governor for 14 years at the end of the 20th century, the longest-serving governor in the state’s history. He went on to serve in President George W. Bush’s cabinet and has seen the party change over time with the rise of Donald Trump. Thompson will talk with Cap Times associate editor John Nichols about the trajectory of both the party and Wisconsin just before the 2024 election.
Moderator: John Nichols
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
How can we afford to live in Madison?
Rapidly rising rents and home prices in Madison are a source of great frustration for home-seekers and local leaders, who predict that the city’s population will continue to grow quickly, putting even more economic pressure on the existing housing supply. How will people be able to afford homes here? Experts discuss available solutions.
Moderator: Allison Garfield
Location: Barrymore Theatre, 2090 Atwood Ave.
Ticket: VIP, General Admission, $5 at the door or free with online registration
Sponsor: Madison Community Foundation
A conversation with Doris Kearns Goodwin
Doris Kearns Goodwin is one of America’s most influential historians, shaping our national understanding about everything from the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson to baseball. Fellow Pulitzer Prize-winner David Maraniss will talk with her about her work, including her latest book about the turbulent 1960s.
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
Thursday, Sept. 19
Cooking with the Cap Times featuring Thony Clarke
Join Cap Times food editor Lindsay Christians as she talks to Thony “Mangoman” Clarke the owner of Madison’s popular Café Costa Rica food cart in the latest edition of our popular three-year-old cooking series.
Moderator: Lindsay Christians
Location: Furniture & ApplianceMart, 2404 W. Beltline Highway
Ticket: Limited live seating for Cap Times members
Sponsor: Sponsored by Furniture & ApplianceMart, Leopold’s Books Bar Caffè and Hinckley Productions
A Celebration of Journalism with Susan Glasser and Peter Baker
The husband-and-wife duo (he works for the New York Times, she for The New Yorker magazine) are two of the country’s leading chroniclers of Donald Trump’s presidency. David Maraniss will talk with them about their book, “The Divider, Trump in the White House, 2017-2021,” and what might come should Trump win a second term. Reception precedes at 6 p.m., with an open bar, heavy appetizers and live music.
Moderator: David Maraniss
Location: Edgewater Hotel, 1001 Wisconsin Place
Ticket: Celebration of Journalism only
Sponsors: Exact Sciences and La Follette School of Public Affairs
Friday, Sept. 20
Midwestern politics and the future of American democracy
Wisconsin is seen as a pivotal state in this year’s election, but it and neighboring Minnesota have been political bellwethers for some time. In this session, Columbia University Professor Samuel Freedman, author of a new book about Hubert Humphrey and his leadership on civil rights in the 1940s, will be joined by Dan Kaufman, author of a history about the recent era of Republican domination in Wisconsin politics, to talk about the state of progressivism here and where it might be headed.
Moderator: Dan Balz
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
One-on-one with Liz Cheney
Liz Cheney was a top-tier leader in the Republican Party until the events of Jan. 6, 2021 led her to denounce former President Donald Trump and his role in the insurrection. She will talk with the New York Times’ Peter Baker about how she came to her decision and what a second Trump term might mean for the country.
Moderator: Peter Baker
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
Saturday, Sept. 21
Battleground Wisconsin: A strategic view
The heads of the Democratic and Republican parties in Wisconsin talk strategy six weeks out from Election Day and debate where things will land for national and state candidates in a pivotal year.
Moderator: Erin McGroarty
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
Why health equity matters in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has historically been recognized as a leader in healthcare, consistently ranked as one of the top states in the country for producing strong health outcomes. Yet, a parallel legacy of health inequities persists across the Badger State. Our expert panel will explore dimensions of the problem and solutions for how we achieve health equity for all.
Moderator: Michelle Robinson
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
What will happen on Election Day in Wisconsin and the Midwest?
Charles Franklin is the director of the Marquette Law School Poll, considered the gold standard for Wisconsin polling, will discuss his latest findings about the Wisconsin electorate with journalists from the Washington Post just weeks before the pivotal 2024 election.
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
One-on-one with Judy Collins
Collins is probably best known as a Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter, one of the most-recognized performing artists in recent American history. But she has always been deeply involved in politics, active in the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s and a pioneering advocate for abortion rights. In conversation with the Cap Times’ John Nichols, she will reflect on her lifetime in music and social activism.
Moderator: John Nichols
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
One-on-one with Heather Cox Richardson
Richardson is a Boston College history professor whose daily digital essays (“Letters from an American”) that place current political events into historical context have gained a massive national following. In this keynote Idea Fest session, she will talk with fellow historian David Maraniss about the precedents for what we are seeing now in America’s political landscape and where we might be headed.
Moderator: David Maraniss
Location: Shannon Hall, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
Ticket: VIP or General Admission
Have a question or a great idea?
Email Cap Times Idea Fest at:
captimesideafest@gmail.com