WILLIAMSBURG — Jamestown Settlement’s Director’s Series returns for the 2023 season on Jan. 18, featuring renowned interpreter Bill Barker and insight into his research and portrayal of Thomas Jefferson.
The Director’s Series sees guests to join Christy S. Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, sitting down with prominent scholars and public figures for lively and enlightening conversations surrounding our shared legacies of American history.
The series, now in its second year, is sponsored by TowneBank.
Conversations will take place at 7 p.m. Jan. 18, March 15, May 17, Sept. 20, Oct. 18 and Nov. 15 at Jamestown Settlement’s Robins Foundation Theater.
The 2023 Director’s Series will feature six programs, including:
January 18: Bill Barker
Veteran historical actor-interpreter Bill Barker is widely recognized as the nation’s foremost interpreter of Thomas Jefferson and has performed around the world, portraying Thomas Jefferson at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation for 26 years and Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello as of June 2019. Combining the tools of theater with rigorous historical scholarship, his approach explores Jefferson’s life and times, and how it relates to our world today. Join us for a discussion on the changes seen in the scholarship and how the public responds to this iconic figure.
March 15: Dr. Kimberly Gilmore
As The History Channel/A&E Networks chief historian and senior vice president for Corporate Social Responsibility, Dr. Kimberly Gilmore has been responsible for bringing some of the most compelling documentaries, mini-series and dramatic films to the small screen for more than 20 years. Join us for a discussion on how she assesses the creative and historical to hook viewers on history.
May 17: Alexis Coe
An American presidential historian, podcast host and bestselling author, Alexis Coe is the first woman historian to write a biography of Washington in over a hundred years. She was a consulting producer on and appeared in Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Washington series on The History Channel, frequently appearing on live television and in documentaries. Join us for a discussion on her unique voice bridging scholarship and wit to create captivating historical works.
Sept. 20: Dr. James Horn
Dr. James Horn, president of the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation (Preservation Virginia) at Historic Jamestowne, is a leading expert on early Virginia and the author of numerous articles and books on the subject. He has held fellowships at Johns Hopkins University, William & Mary and Harvard University and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. Join us for a discussion on how the story of Jamestown has evolved over time with new scholarship.
Guests for the Director’s Series final programs on Oct. 18 and Nov. 15 will be announced at a later date.
The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, an educational agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, aims to raise awareness and understanding of the shared legacies of American history through its two history museums, Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown, and a myriad of education programs.
Jamestown Settlement, open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, is located at 2110 Jamestown Road near Williamsburg, Va., adjacent to the Colonial Parkway and Historic Jamestowne.
For more information, call (757) 253-4838 or visit jyfmuseums.org. Follow the museums on social media @jyfmuseums.org.
Guests can reserve seats in person with a live audience for $10 per program or $50 for the entire six-part series. Admission is limited and tickets must be purchased online in advance at jyfmuseums.org/events/directors-series.
