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Award-Winning Phoenix Theatre Ensemble Presents:
First Annual Phoenix Live Arts Festival in Nyack, NY
September 16 – October 16, 2022
Festival features live theater, music, interactive cultural
programs
Five weekends of performances Fridays through Sundays
All performances live – all outdoors -- in repertory
BOX OFFICE NOW OPEN: Early Bird Discounts
NyackArtsFestival.com
World Class Live Arts in Celebration
From Wilde to Wilder to Shakespeare to Symphony: Live arts for our time
Classic plays presented by Phoenix Theatre Ensemble
Also featuring Children’s Shakespeare Theatre, Rockland Symphony Orchestra
Nyack is the Stage
Picturesque Hudson River town provides the backdrop
Unique shops, restaurants welcome visitors in stroll-friendly village
Augmented reality tour explores local history, contemporary culture
Rockland County community contributes -- and benefits
Festival opportunities support the county’s small businesses and workers
Special programs engage community organizations, non-profits and young people
CONTACTS:
Craig Smith, Executive Director
Phoenix Live Arts Festival
917-717-1617
212-465-3446
Thomas Schneck, Director
Visit Nyack, Inc.
914-213-2618
Nancy Phillips
Publicist
845-405-3751
_________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nyack NY, March 16, 2022 -- Nyack joins the roster
of world class arts events with the launch of The Phoenix Festival: Live
Arts in Nyack -- a performing arts celebration set for this fall 2022. The
program kicks off on September 16 and runs for five weekends through October
16.
All performances will be held outdoors in Nyack against a backdrop of majestic
Hudson River vistas. Programs will include live performances by the Phoenix
Theatre Ensemble and Children’s Shakespeare Theater company, as well as
Rockland Symphony Orchestra concerts and a series of related special events
– all in a setting a world apart from traditional performing arts venues.
The box office is now open at NyackArtsFestival.com or 212-352-3101. Early
bird ticket purchasers get special discounts. Ticket buyers should use the code
BIRD when ordering. More details about the Festival are available on the
website.
About the Festival.
The Festival is hosted and produced by the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, an internationally
recognized leader in the world of creative contemporary theater and winner of
multiple prestigious awards for excellence in theater arts. Founded in New York
City in 2004, the Ensemble makes Rockland County its second home.
As the Festival’s cornerstone, the Ensemble will present three iconic
plays in repertory: Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, Thornton
Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth and Anton Chekov’s The Harmfulness
of Tobacco – classics revisited by Phoenix in the context of our
current world.
The Festival program will also include performances by the Children's Shakespeare
Theatre -- a Rockland County-based troupe of kids aged 8 to 18 who have
since 1999 bravely and masterfully delivered the Bard's plays for 23 consecutive
seasons. (Marydell Center, Oct 8 &9 at 11:30 AM)
Also featured and providing a live soundtrack for the Festival is the Rockland
Symphony Orchestra -- a classical music institution that has provided
a haven for amateur musicians, professionals and rising young soloists to the
delight of local audiences for over 65 years.
All live performances will be presented in the afternoon to allow patrons to
enjoy the riverside, plus Nyack’s great shopping, dining, recreation and
night life. Outdoor settings include pastoral Marydell at the foot of iconic
Hook Mountain and the garden at the Edward Hopper House Museum & Study Center
in the heart of Nyack village.
“Our vision is to create an annual outdoor festival on the Hudson at the
height of the beautiful fall season that will engage local talent and attract
arts enthusiasts locally and globally,” said Craig Smith, Phoenix Festival
Executive Director.
Nyack is the stage. The ‘near-city’ village of Nyack -- with its
first-class restaurants, shops, hotels, lively night life, and easy proximity
to downtown New York -- is ideally positioned to support the annual Phoenix
arts event, especially during the fall season when leaves are turning and the
beauty of the river is at its height.
Celebrating the ‘power of place,’ Festival goers will have access
to an exciting multimedia, family-friendly chronicle about Nyack, incorporating
augmented reality, documentary video, and walking narratives. The program, entitled Nyack
Digital Dreaming-AR Adventures, guides a journey through local history, lore
and legends -- from early seaport days to the Industrial Revolution, Underground
Railroad, World Wars, 1960’s urban renewal, and beyond -- arriving in
the vibrant local community of today.
The Adventures program is created and directed by Clara Francesca, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble member and founder of XRE Extended Reality.
"Nyack is a treasure -- the perfect anchor for this unique festival that blends classic theater and music with breathtaking natural beauty in a jazzy, upbeat river town setting," said Smith.
About the plays. The Phoenix theater productions are family-friendly,
high-spirited -- and just plain funny.
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde – For over
125 years considered by many to be the best comedy of all time. A formidable
lady presides over her family, avoiding scandal while arranging courtships for
her renegade nephew. A frothy farce of famously witty dialogue fueled by
copious supplies of cucumber sandwiches. Directed by critically acclaimed
director, playwright and actor Jason O’Connell. (Marydell Center,
Sept 17, 23, 24, 25 at 2:00 PM)
The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder – A timeless,
uplifting and visionary masterpiece chronicling the triumph of one family against
thousands of years of natural disasters and other monumental challenges. As
relevant and humorous today as it was at its premier. Directed by Robert
Hupp, Artistic Director of New York’s Syracuse Stage. (Marydell Center,
Oct. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16 at 2:00 PM)
The Harmfulness of Tobacco by Anton Chekhov – A classic
and hilarious precursor to Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. A nervous middle-aged
man attempts to appease his demanding wife with a lecture on the deleterious
effects of tobacco, but in his speech wanders off into musings on the ridiculousness
of life. Directed by Phoenix Associate Artistic Director Leo Lion. (Marydell
Center, Sept 16, 30; Oct 7 at 5:30 PM)
Festival bonuses. Festival goers will have ready access and connections to pop-up events, such as rehearsal viewings and up-close meet-and-greets with actors, directors, and designers, plus Festival-related film screenings, jazz performances, guided nature hikes, river excursions, art exhibits and more.
Just one of many contributors, community leader ArtsRock will play a role in
supporting the Festival. “Our mission is to provide increased access to
professional performing arts and multi-cultural programs for diverse and underserved
audiences, in and around Rockland County,” said Elliott Forrest, ArtsRock
Executive Artistic Director. “This amazing festival is a great opportunity,
and we’re planning to participate.”
"A big bonus to Festival goers is Nyack village itself," added Smith.
"Covering just a little over one square mile, Nyack packs in an amazing
array of arts organizations, restaurants, pubs, one-of-kind shops, spas and
salons -- plus access to the Mario Cuomo bridge pathway offering majestic vistas
of the Hudson river. Combined with the Festival program, it's a great place
to spend a weekend -- or several."
Tours combining theater performances, special arts programs, hotel stays, dining
and shopping will be available through the Festival website. (Details to be
announced.)
Boon to the community. In addition to audience enjoyment, the Festival is expected
to deliver positive results to the local community in important ways -- including
jobs for local sound engineers, carpenters, caterers, backstage crews, graphic
artists, and a variety of tradespeople.
Local businesses are also expected to see significant increases in revenue over the five Festival weekends. According to market intelligence gathered by Brockport Research Institute, the Festival could produce a net cash infusion of well over a half-million dollars to local businesses collectively.
"The vast majority of Nyack's businesses are small, individual- or family-owned
operations," said Roger Cohen, President, Nyack Chamber of Commerce. "After
tough times during the pandemic, the Festival promises to bring a welcome wave
of relief. What's more, this exciting Festival puts Nyack on the map as a destination
where art enthusiasts, foodies and tourists can return again and again to enjoy
everything Nyack has to offer."
The future: Youth involvement. There is no better way to build the future
of the arts than by getting kids engaged – in the thinking, creativity,
hard work, and excitement of live performance. The Festival will offer exactly
that – learning through hands-on experiences working with professionals
and peers on key aspects of the Festival program.
"We're partnering with BOCES of Rockland County on a unique internship program," said Smith. "Under the direction of Festival set designer Chen-Wei Liao, a highly regarded designer and recent graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, students will help build sets for the Phoenix Ensemble productions at the BOCES state-of-the-art facilities in West Nyack."
In addition, BOCES students will be offered paid internships in Festival administration, audience services, hospitality, parking, and other activities.
Notably, the Festival will present a special performance of The Skin of
Our Teeth for over 100 students in the East Ramapo School District. The
program will comprise both a performance and a "talk-back" session
with the director and actors.
Looking ahead. “For the Phoenix Festival’s inaugural year,
we’re celebrating the arts as we rise up from 24 months of pandemic.
We’re offering a full menu of food for the soul -- great works of
theater and music, with a taste of local culture and history, and opportunities
for everyone to participate. And this is just the beginning,” said Smith.
"Nyack is privileged to host the Phoenix Festival in its first year,”
added Don Hammond, Mayor of Nyack. “The Phoenix Festival brings history,
location and creative energy together in a powerful way -- a celebration of
our special village and Rockland County as a home for the best in the performing
arts. We look forward to many years ahead.”
About the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble. Founded in 2004 in New York City, the
Phoenix Theatre Ensemble is dedicated to the performance of the classic theater
canon, and to the development and nurturing of classically trained, highly skilled
theater artists. The company makes its second home in Rockland County, where
its artists have created and performed both classics and original works since
2018.
Sponsors. The Festival organizers and the villages of Nyack and Upper Nyack gratefully acknowledge the generous contributions of the many individuals and sustaining sponsors who are making this event possible, including: The National Endowment for the Arts, Humanities New York, New York State Council on the Arts, the Rockland Office of Economic Development and Tourism, the Zisson Foundation, Weld Realty, and Orange and Rockland Utilities.
TICKETS: Go to NyackArtsFestival.com
PHOTOS, GRAPHICS: https://www.dropbox.com/home/Phoenix%20Festival%202022%20PR%20Folder
TOURS: Ticket discounts for tours and groups of 10 or more are available at https://www.nyackartsfestival.com/visit-nyack/#groupsales. Or email info@PhoenixTheatreEnsemble.org for information.
GENERAL INFORMATION: Go to NyackArtsFestival.com or leave a
message at 212-465-3446.