Press Release: Saratoga Performing Arts Center Announces “SPAC in Conversation: Dorothy Wickenden”
September 1, 2026
Saratoga Performing Arts Center Announces
“SPAC in Conversation: Dorothy Wickenden”
New Yorker Writer, Editor, and Bestselling Author of The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights
Featuring a compelling conversation with Wickenden on the extraordinary women who helped shape American history, alongside a seasonal luncheon and curated shopping
Saratoga Springs, NY (September 1, 2026) – Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) announces that its popular fundraising event, “SPAC in Conversation,” will return on Wednesday, October 7 in the historic Hall of Springs, featuring Dorothy Wickenden, New Yorker writer, editor, and bestselling author of The Agitators: Three Friends Who Fought for Abolition and Women’s Rights. Wickenden has spent a career bringing overlooked stories and consequential lives into sharp focus—from humanitarian aid workers in Gaza and the last lighthouse keeper in America, to India’s rewilding movement and the pre-Civil War battles against white supremacy. In The Agitators, she turns her attention to three extraordinary women whose friendship and activism placed them at the heart of America’s struggle over slavery, freedom, and women’s rights.
“Dorothy Wickenden has a remarkable gift for bringing history to vivid, immediate life—and for uncovering the extraordinary people whose courage and convictions changed the course of it,” said Elizabeth Sobol, Chief Executive Officer of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “We are thrilled to welcome her to SPAC for a conversation that will illuminate the lives of these trailblazing women, explore the power of friendship and ideas, and reveal why their stories continue to resonate today.”
The afternoon will feature a plated luncheon and boutique shopping, followed by a conversation moderated by former New York Times Style Photo Editor Tiina Loite. Together, Wickenden and Loite will explore the extraordinary lives at the heart of The Agitators, the forces that shaped their activism, and the enduring power of their stories. The event will take place in the Hall of Springs while the Spa Little Theater undergoes renovation.
Dorothy Wickenden served as executive editor of The New Yorker for 26 years, where she helped shape one of the world’s most influential magazines. Her extensive portfolio of writing spans subjects ranging from humanitarian aid workers in Gaza and the last lighthouse keeper in America to India’s rewilding movement and the pre-Civil War battles against white supremacy. Her books, The Agitators and Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West, are New York Times bestsellers. She previously served as executive editor of The New Republic and national affairs editor of Newsweek.
The Agitators is a riveting, provocative, and revelatory history of three extraordinary women—Harriet Tubman, Frances Seward, and Martha Wright—and the unlikely friendship connected their lives. Set against the tumultuous years before, during, and after the Civil War, Wickenden’s book brings to vivid life their roles in the abolitionist movement, the Underground Railroad, the early fight for women’s rights, and the struggle over the future of America.
“SPAC in Conversation: Dorothy Wickenden” is presented by the SPAC Action Council, which supports SPAC’s mission through membership, volunteering efforts, and fundraising events. Past speakers for the event have included New York Times writer and author Julie Scelfo; New York Times food and wine writer Florence Fabricant; acclaimed food and travel writer Sylvie Bigar; New York Times columnist Pamela Paul; celebrated author of The End of Your Life Book Club, Will Schwalbe; New York Times bestselling author Andrew Gross; award-winning NPR host and correspondent Jacki Lyden, and acclaimed novelist Elizabeth Brundage, among others.
The schedule of events is as follows:
10:00 a.m. Boutique Shopping
12:00 p.m. Luncheon
12:30 p.m. Conversation with Dorothy Wickenden
1:15 p.m. Raffle Drawing
1:30 p.m. Book Signing
2:00 p.m. Event concludes
Cost to attend the fundraiser is $100 and includes the discussion, luncheon and boutique shopping. SPAC is a 501c3 charitable organization. Donations and proceeds from fundraising events support its work to serve art, artists, and community.
Tickets may be purchased at spac.org or by calling at 518.584.9330, ext. 142.
SPAC in Conversation is presented by the SPAC Action Council, led by Action Council President Eileen Whelley and Event Co-Chairs Emily Reilly, Elissa Smith, and Karen Macielak.
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Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC), located in the historic resort town of Saratoga Springs in upstate New York, is one of America’s most prestigious outdoor amphitheaters. Its exquisite setting in a 2,400-acre park preserve surrounded by hiking trails, geysers, and natural mineral springs draws lovers of arts, culture and nature for performances by resident companies New York City Ballet, The Philadelphia Orchestra, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Saratoga Jazz Festival, and concerts by Live Nation. SPAC also hosts imaginative programming such as Caffè Lena @ SPAC and initiatives in culinary, literary, healing and visual arts.
SPAC is a 501c3 charitable organization. Donations and proceeds from fundraising events benefit the Center’s thriving education program, community outreach efforts, and the vibrancy of its programming. For more information visit spac.org.