Office for the Arts Presents Robert Carlock ’95 and Tina Fey in Conversation
Creative Mischief and the Art of Being Funny Together
The January 30 Event Kicks Off the 50th Anniversary of the Learning from Performers Series
CAMBRIDGE, MA—The Office for the Arts (OFA) at Harvard celebrates the 50th anniversary of Learning from Performers, the flagship visiting artist series that has enriched and inspired students and the community since 1975. Festivities open with Creative Mischief and the Art of Being Funny Together, a conversation between writer, producer, and showrunner Robert Carlock ’95 and actor, writer, producer, and comedian Tina Fey on January 30, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge. During the event, Carlock and Fey will share insights about their artistic process and creative collaboration with an audience of students and community members.
“For half a century, Learning from Performers has championed artists whose creative mischief sparks both brilliance and artistry,” says Fiona Coffey, Director of the Office for the Arts. “We are especially delighted to celebrate our 50th by welcoming esteemed alumnus Robert Carlock and the inimitable Tina Fey. Their enduring creative partnership exemplifies not only the craft of comedy but also the joyful, collaborative alchemy that has defined our series for five decades.”
Free tickets for the January 30 event are available to Harvard ID holders January 23 and to the public (limited availability) January 26 at the Smith Campus Center box office or online at the Harvard Box Office. Limit two tickets per person. Tickets are valid until 6:45 p.m. on the day of the event. More information at Harvard Box Office or by phone at (617) 496-2222. Handling fees apply for online and phone sales.
A limited number of tickets will be made available to the public. This event is closed to non-Harvard affiliated media.
Learning from Performers is supported by The Bernard H. and Mildred Kayden Artist in Residence Fund, and the Peter Ivers Artist Fund.
Media Contact: Alicia Anstead, anstead@fas.harvard.edu.
About Robert Carlock ’95 and Tina Fey
Robert Carlock ’95 is the co-creator of the upcoming NBC comedy The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, starring Tracy Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe, and Erika Alexander. He was an executive producer of the Emmy-nominated shows Girls5eva and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He was also the co-creator of NBC's Mr. Mayor as well as the Netflix animated series Mulligan. Carlock was an executive producer and co-showrunner of NBC’s 30 Rock, earning three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series and four nominations in the writing category (losing each time to one of his co-workers, usually Tina Fey).
Carlock started his career at The Dana Carvey Show before joining Saturday Night Live for five seasons, including a two-year stint as producer and head writer of Weekend Update. Following SNL, he joined the writing staff at Friends, when the show won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series and ended its 10-year run.
His work has earned him nine Writers Guild Awards, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award. In 2018, Carlock was presented with the WGA Herb Sargent Award for Excellence in Comedy. He has twice been nominated for a Humanitas Award and, in 2019, was runner-up for the Harvard Lampoon Clem Wood Award, which is always given to Clement B. Wood '49.
Carlock lives in Manhattan with his family and still looks like the above headshot, which was taken in 2013.
Tina Fey is an award-winning writer, actress, producer and author celebrated for creating and inhabiting the iconic Liz Lemon from 30 Rock, which Fey also wrote and co-executive produced. The series earned 16 Emmys and received a total of 103 Emmy nominations over seven seasons on NBC. Prior to creating 30 Rock, Fey completed nine seasons as a head writer and cast member on Saturday Night Live.
In 2018, Mean Girls: The Musical, the Broadway adaptation of Fey’s cult classic 2004 film, Mean Girls, opened at the August Wilson Theater. The book was written by Fey, with music by her husband Jeff Richmond. It received 12 Tony Award nominations.
Fey has continued to co-create and executive produce critically acclaimed series such as Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Great News, Mr. Mayor, Mulligan, and Girls5eva. Film credits include A Haunting in Venice, Mean Girls, Baby Mama, Date Night, Sisters, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Wine Country, Admission, Date Night as well as the Oscar-winning animated film Soul. Most recently, Fey reprised her role as Ms. Norbury in Paramount’s Mean Girls musical film adaptation of the Broadway musical. Fey also served as screenwriter and producer.
In 2011, Fey published her first book, Bossypants, which topped The New York Times best-seller list. Bossypants also received a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album. Fey recently toured the US with Amy Poehler for their sold-out Restless Leg comedy show, including four nights at New York’s iconic Beacon Theatre.
Recently, Fey starred in Netflix’s comedy series The Four Seasons, based on the 1981 feature film of the same name. Fey serves as writer and executive producer under her production company, Little Stranger. The second season of The Four Seasons is in production. Fey also serves as executive producer on the upcoming NBC comedy series The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, starring Tracy Morgan and Daniel Radcliffe that premieres in February 2026.
About Learning from Performers
Under the OFA directorship of Myra Mayman, Learning from Performers (LFP) was the brainchild of Jerold Kayden ’75, now the Frank Backus Williams Professor of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and Founding Director of its Masters in Real Estate Program. Kayden curated the program during its inaugural year, creating the template for what would become a thriving enterprise that continues to this day. Following Mayman’s retirement, LFP was fostered by former OFA Director of Programming Tom Lee and is now produced by Associate Director for Creative Productions Alicia Anstead.
Featured artists have included: theatrical director Harold Prince, violinist Itzhak Perlman, trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, actor Robert Redford, vocalist Sarah Vaughn, artist Robert Motherwell, choreographer Merce Cunningham, composer Aaron Copland, photographer Alice Neel, playwright Arthur Miller, composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, choreographer Meredith Monk, cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, composer Quincy Jones, dancer Suzanne Farrell, and operatic soprano Beverly Sills.
More recent artists have included: Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, actor Josh Groban, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, conductor Marin Alsop, vocalist Ana Gasteyer, poet John Ashbury, TV/stage actor Kristen Chenoweth, architect Frank Gehry, composer/banjo player Alison Brown, operatic tenor Placido Domingo, actor Matt Damon, music industry leader Randall “Sickamore” Medford, singer Ali Sethi, rapper Terrace Martin, novelist Min Jin Lee, gospel singer Richard Smallwood, YA novelist Angeline Boulley, actor BD Wong, operatic bass Morris Robinson, filmmaker Mira Nair and playwright Michael R. Jackson.
About the Office for the Arts (OFA)
The Office for the Arts at Harvard cultivates a vibrant ecosystem for artmaking across campus, empowering students to live creative and meaningful lives, regardless of experience level or chosen career path. Through its wide-ranging programs and services, the OFA mentors and teaches, supports student-led art, connects students with renowned artists, commissions new works, and forges partnerships across local, national, and global communities. By nurturing students as artists and cultural leaders, the OFA affirms the arts as essential to a Harvard education and champions creativity as a force that enriches society and strengthens the communities we share.