08/13/2024 - Tonight's event has been postponed due to a weather emergency

Join us for a night of insight and inspiration

The Cape Cod Speaker Series, Inc. (CCSS) sponsors thought-provoking and relevant programs that inform us about our world and contribute to the Cape’s vibrant, interconnected community.

To achieve our goals, CCSS attracts nationally known speakers with unique insights, diverse backgrounds, and wide-ranging areas of expertise. Potential future program topics include current affairs, international relations, history, science, engineering, artificial intelligence, climate change, transportation, healthcare, education, arts and culture.

Up Next: October 17

Steven Levitsky

David Rockefeller Professor of Latin American Studies and Professor of Government, Harvard University

   Topic

Breaking Point: Steven Levitsky on Democracy’s Struggle

    Date October 17, 2024
    Time7:30pm
Harvard professor Steven Levitsky, a leading expert on democracy and authoritarianism, tackles urgent questions of our time. As the United States navigates a transition toward multiracial democracy—a rare feat in history—this shift has triggered a backlash threatening the core of our political system. Why is democracy faltering here, but not in other wealthy, diverse nations? And how can we safeguard it?


In his October 17th talk, Levitsky will highlight important challenges facing the contemporary United States and call for bold political reform. The United States stands at a pivotal moment.

Jonathan L Zittrain portait

Stephen G. Breyer

Former Associate Justice
United States Supreme Court

   Topic TBD
    Date TBD
    Time7:30pm
A lawyer and jurist, Stephen G. Breyer served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1994 until his retirement in 2022. He was nominated by President Bill Clinton, and replaced retiring justice Harry Blackmun. Breyer is now the Byrne Professor of Administrative Law and Process at Harvard Law School. His most recent book is Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, not Textualism. Other works include The Authority of the Court and the Perils of Politics, Breaking the Promise of Brown: The Resegregation of America’s Schools, and We Dissent: Justices Breyer, Sotomayor and Kagan on Dobbs v. Jackson, the Supreme Court’s Decision that Banned Abortion.

Doris Kearns Goodwin

Presidential historian
Pulitzer Prize-winning author

   Topic TBD
    Date TBD
    Time7:30pm
An American presidential historian, former sports journalist, and political commentator, Doris Kearns Goodwin has written accounts of numerous U.S. presidents, including Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream and Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln. Her book No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II won the Pulitzer Prize for History in 1995. She was also executive producer of "Abraham Lincoln", a 2022 docudrama on the History Channel based on her book Leadership in Turbulent Times. Her most recent book, An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s, was published in 2024.

CCSS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Any surplus generated by CCSS will be used to fund financial aid to students at Cape Cod Community College. Please contact Gene Guill, President at info@capecodspeakers.org, to discuss sponsorship opportunities and other ways to partner with CCSS on individual programs.

Venue

Tilden Performing Arts Center

2240 Iyannough Road
West Barnstable, MA 02668
All programs will be held at the Tilden Performing Arts Center at Cape Cod Community College.


The Tilden Performing Arts Center (Building #1) is located on the West Barnstable campus of Cape Cod Community College at Exit 68 on the Mid-Cape Highway. Accessible parking is available at the Main Entrance to the campus as well as on the north side of the Tilden Performing Arts Center and behind the Grossman Commons (Building #7).


Cape Cod Community College Campus Map

Get directions to Cape Cod Community College

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Cod Speaker Series, Inc. events take place at the Tilden Performing Arts Center at the Cape Cod Community College located at 2240 Iyannough Road (Route 132) in West Barnstable, MA.
Each speaker event starts at 7:30pm and lasts for approximately 90 minutes. Speakers are generally scheduled to offer prepared remarks for the first 45 minutes, followed by up to 45 minutes of questions and answers.

No. The events are only available to in-person attendees.

Yes. Instructions for submitting questions to the presenter will be provided with your ticket purchase receipt. In addition, a question card will be inserted in your program and collected by ushers during the presentation. Although there may be more questions than the moderator has time to ask, many questions from the audience will be covered during the Q&A period.

Yes. We will send a survey after each event to all attendees for whom we have e-mail addresses.

No. Our contracts with speakers do not allow for the recording or dissemination of speaker comments.
All sales are final. If you can’t attend a presentation, we encourage you to offer your tickets to a friend, neighbor or colleague to allow them to enjoy the Speakers Series in your place.
You may recommend topics or specific speakers for future events by contacting us via our website. In addition, the surveys distributed to attendees following each event request recommendations for future events.

Programs will be cancelled if the speaker is unable to travel to Cape Cod or if the Town of Barnstable experiences a Weather Emergency. For possible cancellations due to weather, please consult our website at capecodspeakers.org


In the event of a program cancellation, we will contact ticket holders by e-mail and offer the opportunity to attend a future Cape Cod Speaker Series event.

After deducting for expenses, the proceeds generated by Cape Cod Speaker Series ticket sales are donated to Cape Cod Community College and used to provide financial aid to students.
 

About Us

Thank you for your interest in the Cape Cod Speaker Series!

Modelled on similar speaker series in Boston, San Francisco, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket, the Cape Cod Speaker Series seeks to bring nationally known experts and thought leaders to the Cape to share their diverse perspectives with interested residents and visitors.


The idea for the Speaker Series emerged from a dinner conversation among friends. With the encouragement of David and Anne Gergen, a group of interested Cape Codders joined together to form a 501(C)3 non-profit organization, Cape Cod Speaker Series, Inc.


Our mission is to bring internationally recognized thought-leaders to our community to stimulate awareness and conversation, add to local cultural and educational opportunities, and facilitate the development of our vibrant, interconnected community.


After setting aside funds for future operations, any surplus generated by the Speaker Series will be contributed to Cape Cod Community College for the purpose of providing financial aid to students.


We hope that you will join us!


Sincerely,
Gene D. Guill, President

Seeking Volunteers

Become a Cape Cod Speaker Series Volunteer to work on bringing fascinating speakers to our Community. We are looking for volunteers with experience or skills that will grow our organization as well as volunteers interested in staffing events. We welcome all!  


If you are interested in joining our team, we would love to hear from you.

 

Board of Trustees

  • Gene D. Guill, President
  • Paula M. King, Treasurer
  • John W. Littlefield, Jr., Clerk
  • Anne Bailey Berman
  • Mark S. Doherty
  • Susan H. Guill
  • Frederic B. Lowrie, Jr.
  • Cindy Muzyka
  • Beth E. O’Neal
  • Molly Richardson

Advisory Council

  • John L. Cox
  • William M. Daley
  • David and Anne Gergen
  • Tammy Glivinski-Saben
  • Paul Niedzwiecki
  • Elizabeth Oliver
  • Thomas P. O'Neill III
  • Dorothy Savarese
  • Rod Skinner

Contact Us

Please feel free to contact us with any queries you may have, or to apply for rewarding volunteer opportunities.

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