A long-anticipated film adaptation of the musical Wicked will soon be hitting theaters nationwide! The Theology and Peace Quarterly Speaker Series is delighted to host Suzanne Ross, author of The Wicked Truth: When Good People Do Bad Things, which dissects the show’s remarkably enduring plot line from the perspective of the mimetic theory of Rene Girard.

Ross has worked in education for over fifteen years, first teaching Montessori preschool and kindergarten and then working as a corporate training consultant. Currently, Suzanne works as the education director for a United Church of Christ congregation. In 1997, she came across the work of René Girard and was astounded at how his theory illuminated so much of her life and work as an educator, a parent, a church member, and a lover of fiction and theater. She is a member of the Colloquium on Violence & Religion, the academic group dedicated to exploring the applications of Girard’s work, and she has attended and presented at the annual conferences. In January 2007, she and her husband Keith founded The Raven Foundation to increase awareness of Girardian theory and The Wicked Truth is an example of the Foundation’s work. Suzanne and Keith live in Glenview, Illinois, near their two married children and work together at The Raven Foundation.

The 2011 Raven Award for Excellence in Arts and Entertainment was presented by the Raven Foundation to Award winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for the blockbuster musical Wicked on March 1, 2011 at the Loyola University Museum of Art. The evening began with the presentation of the award to Stephen Schwartz by Raven Foundation Founder Keith Ross. The interview of the honoree by Raven Foundation Founder Suzanne Ross explored how Wicked provided a new insight into the familiar story of The Wizard of Oz. Mr. Schwartz shared the thought process, struggles and successes that were a part of creating this successful musical. A video of the event is available here.

There will be a Q&A afterward. We look forward to hearing both Suzanne and any questions you might have for her!