The Necessity of Fiction | Thomas Laub | TEDxUofM

University of Michigan Musical Theater Alumnus, Thomas Laub shares how his interactions with storytelling motivated him to work as the producer he is today. Tying in the great role that pieces of fiction played in helping society through the COVID-19 pandemic, Laub reminds his audience of the importance of fiction in life. Thomas Laub is an Tony Award-winning entertainment producer represented on Broadway this season by David Byrne’s AMERICAN UTOPIA and Jeremy O. Harris’s SLAVE PLAY. He graduated from UMich in 2019 with a BFA in Musical Theater. Thomas is the co-founder of live event revenue agency, Standing Room Theatrical, and manages over $25M in annual ticket revenue from shows across North America. Beyond the stage, Thomas serves as the Production Planning Lead for Apple TV+ and is an avid visitor of planetariums. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at