Simulcast was a Blast!
What a great time at the Wallace Stevens Theater! An additional 480 people were able to participate in the evening's activities and watched the live simulcast on the big screen. MC's Ray Dunaway and Diane Smith kept us entertained until the Forum began. Ray even pulled out a piano from back stage and started playing some tunes! It was a party atmosphere as Al Franken and Ann Coulter made a special appearance before taking the stage at The Bushnell. What a treat! After Ray's playing piano and Al and Ann's surprise visit, we were definitely ready for the Forum!

-Cheryl Clifford, CT Forum Volunteer



YOU SHOULD KNOW...
The Forum makes it a priority to provide an environment for safe and civil discussion at each Forum event. We hire more than the required amount of private security staff in order to ensure your safety and comfort. All security, along with the Bushnell staff, are instructed to give disruptive audience members warning that heckling and otherwise unruly behavior will not be tolerated and they will be escorted from the theater if they do not adhere to the warning. While we encourage an active and engaged audience, we also value the rights of all who want to enjoy the Forum in an atmosphere of comfort and respect!



Al's Backstage Antics
After the Forum, Al Franken and a handful of Forum Friends congregated backstage to take pictures. Ed Reed, an enthusiastic fan of Al Franken, Connecticut YOUTH Forum member and Photographer's Assistant on May 14, was invited to have his picture taken. Al decided that facing the camera and smiling had gotten boring, so he and Ed decided to have some fun with their photo!



A "Warm" Gesture
When Franni and Al Franken arrived to The Goodwin Hotel on the afternoon of May 14, they walked into a room so cold that it felt like the North Pole. Franni shivered and pulled her overcoat and shawl tighter around her shoulders until she glanced into the next room and spotted Ann Coulter, who looked to be chilly herself. Franni hustled over to Ann and, removing her shawl, said "You must be freezing!" She covered Ann's legs with her shawl, tucking her into the chair. In a room so cold, it was a welcome warm gesture!



Franken's Mysterious Backpack
From the moment Al Franken arrived in Hartford for A Conversation Between Al Franken & Ann Coulter, he had a worn-looking backpack strapped over his shoulder. It stayed with him everywhere he went, from the Student Press Conference to the Sponsor Dinner to the Green Room at The Bushnell. When he was asked if he'd like us to stow the pack in a safe place during the program, he grinned, shook his head and said, "Oh no, this is mine and it's coming with me." The audience quickly learned the contents of the mysterious backpack when he unzipped it on stage! He had bookmarked both his own and Ann Coulter's current best selling books and was prepared to use them to support his points throughout the program. Talk about doing your homework!



A Conversation Snapshots
   
The third floor Belding Lobby was ROCKING, with both Ann Coulter and Al Franken greeting and autographing books for guests at the Forum's Wine & Sign post Forum reception on May 14. Thank you to all who participated in this special event fundraiser for The Forum.

   
Forum Sponsor, Lincoln Financial Group, Host of the Franken/Coulter Forum, enjoy the company of Al Franken at their dinner table before the Forum; Lincoln spokesperson, Bob Picarello, welcomes 2,800 audience members at The Bushnell and over 400 others at our simulcast at The Hartford.

Guests of Forum Lifetime Patron, PricewaterhouseCoopers, enjoy having Forum panelist, Ann Coulter, join them for the pre-Forum dinner at the Wadsworth Atheneum on May 14.

The lobbies were busy with subscriber renewals; Dot McAlister and Mary Ann Fowler, Forum volunteers, help audience members subscribe for the 2004-2005 Forum season.

The Conversation Forum was an evening of "Ultimates!" Individuals enjoyed our "Ultimate" experience packages at the May 14th Forum. After a fantastic cocktail reception and dinner with the panelists at the Wadsworth Atheneum, "Ultimate" Forum friend, Samuel Agesilias, from Chicago, Illinois, enjoyed the Forum from his VIP Orchestra seat and then went backstage for a meeting and photo with Al Franken. It was the ultimate experience for Samuel.