Following one of their frequent, unprompted Twitter debates, Howard Sherman (@hesherman), the former executive director of the American Theatre Wing and noted arts management consultant, proposed to The Washington Post theatre critic Peter Marks (@petermarksdrama) that they should expand their 140-word count exchanges to a live, in-person discussion.

At Theater Beyond Twitter, scheduled to begin at 5 PM, Sherman and Marks will discuss topics including the significance of a resident theatre staying on mission; the value of audience enrichment events in tandem with productions; the pros and cons of celebrity casting; the nature of theatrical awards; the impact of social media on arts journalism; and the role of the press in a theatre's marketing and public outreach.

The conclusion of the discussion will feature a question and answer session with the audience. Online viewers are encouraged to participate via Twitter using #newplay in their tweet.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater, under the leadership of artistic director Molly Smith and managing director Edgar Dobie, is a national center dedicated to the production, presentation, development and study of American theatre.

Arena Stage is located at 1101 6th Street Southwest, Washington, DC. For more information and tickets, call (202) 488-3300 or visit www.arenastage.org. To watch via livestream, visit Livestream.com/newplay.