UPDATE:  THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CANCELLED

Olympia Dukakis, an actress whose work on stage and screen has earned her numerous accolades—including the coveted Academy Award—will offer an industry insider’s view on the recent actors’ and stagehands’ labor disputes at a lunchtime seminar sponsored by the DePaul College of Law’s Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology CIPLIT®). The one-hour panel discussion, will begin at 11:50 a.m. on Jan. 18 in the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd., Room 8005. The cost for the program is $25.

“As labor unrest, fueled by strikes and contract disputes, continues to impact the theater, film and television industries, CIPLIT will examine some of the key concerns raised from legal and artistic perspectives,” said Barbara Bressler, a DePaul law professor and director of CIPLIT.

“Olympia Dukakis has earned a reputation as an actor with strong views on social issues. During this program she will share her observations on such matters as the recent stagehands’ strike that shut down dozens of Broadway productions, as well as the possibility of additional labor disputes as the Actors Equity Association prepares to renegotiate its contract with producers.”

Dukakis has enjoyed a celebrated acting career that has spanned more than 40 years and has included film, television and theater. Her work in the movie “Moonstruck” earned her the 1987 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as the New York and Los Angeles Film Critics Awards and a Golden Globe. She also appeared in such films as “Steel Magnolias,” Woody Allen’s “Mighty Aphrodite,” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus.”

Her television credits have included performances in such notable works as Armistead Maupin’s “Tales of the City,” “Young at Heart,” and “A Match Made in Heaven.” On stage, Dukakis has acted in numerous on- and off- Broadway productions. She earned OBIE Awards for her work in Bertolt Brecht’s “A Man’s A Man” and Christopher Durang’s “The Marriage of Bette and Boo.”

When not performing, Dukakis, who is the first cousin of former Massachusetts governor and former presidential contender Michael Dukakis, is active in social causes—especially those that empower women and actors. She is a founding member of the National Museum of Women in the Arts and is a member of a variety of other organizations that include Broadway Cares, the National Organization of Women, Women in Film, Congress on Racial Equality and Amnesty International.

Dukakis will be joined in the discussion by Alan Salzenstein, professor and program head of DePaul University’s Performing Arts Management Program and MFA/Arts Leadership Program. College of Law professor Margit Livingston will moderate.

Consistently ranked among the best IP programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report, CIPLIT was established by the College of Law in 1997. It offers more than 30 courses and four certifications in IP law. Each year, CIPLIT explores critical intellectual property issues raised in the fine arts arena as part of its Visiting Artist program. Dukakis’ discussion marks the third offering in the series.

For more information about the program, contact Vadim Shifrin, assistant director of CIPLIT, at 312/362-8415 or by e-mail at vshifrin@depaul.edu. To reserve a seat visit: http://www.law.depaul.edu/ciplit/registration.

Note to editors—Reporters wishing to cover this event should contact Valerie Phillips at 312/362-5039 or by e-mail at vphillip@depaul.edu.