The Metropolitan Opera's Innocence: Esther Perel, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and Simon Stone in conversation
Psychotherapist Esther Perel, ethicist Kwame Anthony Appiah, and director Simon Stone explore trauma, secrecy, and concealment through Kaija Saariaho's final opera.
Why we picked this
A psychotherapist, a philosopher, and an opera director walk into a conversation about concealment and trauma — the panel alone makes this worth the evening, and Saariaho's final opera provides the frame.
Psychotherapist Esther Perel, ethicist and writer Kwame Anthony Appiah, and opera director Simon Stone come together to discuss the themes at the heart of Kaija Saariaho’s final opera Innocence, which explores the aftermath of a school shooting and the ways trauma ripples through communities.
The panel examines questions of concealment — what provokes us to hide, what encourages us to share, and how secrecy shapes relationships. With Perel bringing her expertise in relational dynamics, Appiah his work in moral philosophy, and Stone his directorial vision, the conversation bridges psychology, philosophy, and the performing arts in ways that few panels manage.
The event is free at the Streicker Center, with audience Q&A following the discussion. Innocence runs at the Metropolitan Opera from April 6 through 29.