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SECOND ANNUAL PHOENIX LIVE ARTS FESTIVAL OF NYACK, NY
SEPTEMBER 28 TO OCTOBER 21
Classical plays, dance, music, prizes from local merchants and an augmented
reality adventure walking tour for discovering the town.
WHERE AND WHEN
September 28 to October 21, 2023
Live performances in various locations in and around Nyack, NY
Festival website and ticketing: https://www.liveartsinnyack.com
Single shows for general audiences: Adults $55, Seniors $45, Students $35, VIP
(includes reserved seat, post show meet & greet with actors, gift bag) $75.
Single shows for young audiences: Adults $25, Students $15, kids under twelve
$12
Flexible pass: four shows for $152.00 https://tinyurl.com/2un5fc3m
Contact festival staff: info@PhoenixTheatreEnsemble.org or 212-465-3446.
Press Photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/xSS7bBH19s7w4syx8
Press contacts:
Jonathan Slaff, Press Rep, 212-924-0496, js@jsnyc.com
Nancy Phillips, Publicist, 845-405-3751, nancysailorphillips@yahoo.com
NEW YORK, August 28 -- Building on the success of its critically-acclaimed inaugural festival in 2022, Phoenix Theatre Ensemble, led by Artistic Director Elise Stone and Executive Director Craig Smith, will present its Second Annual Phoenix Live Arts Festival (www.nyackartsfestival.com) from September 28 to October 21, 2023 in and around Nyack, NY. The festival features world-class theater, music, dance, family shows and one-of-a-kind performances. There will be four indoor and outdoor productions, partnerships with Children’s Shakespeare Company and Emotions Physical Theatre, and special events all over downtown Nyack. Phoenix Theatre Ensemble is a prominent producer of classical theater which was founded in NYC in 2004 and now makes Rockland County its second artistic home.
The presenters aspire to create an arts festival to rival the national arts festivals, celebrating classical theater, classical music and the community of Nyack. Presented during the Hudson Valley Fall Foliage season, the festival features immersive theater and live performance programs, all in nontraditional spaces. These include a stage version of "Crime and Punishment" by Dostoevsky, four solo plays, one dance work, an improvised Regency Era production, two plays by and for kids, a staged reading, a musical concert, a poetry slam and a community theater "Dracula." Dates and details of all events of the festival are listed below.
Over 25 local businesses are participating as festival sponsors. Beside individual promotions, they are providing over $5,000 in prizes for a drawing (no purchase necessary) to be held at the end of the festival. Prizes will include dinners, merchandise and a night in a Nyack hotel.
Festival goers will be urged to try out at Nyack’s many first rate restaurants and shopping boutiques, visit local businesses and enjoy the town’s vibrant night-life. Covering just a little over one walkable square mile, Nyack packs in an array of first-class restaurants, one-of-a-kind shops, lively night spots, and hiking, biking and river recreation opportunities. The town is accessible to the Governor Mario Cuomo bridge pathway, with its majestic vistas of the Hudson River.
For all tickets and further info, go to the Festival's website, https://liveartsinnyack.com. Flexible pass: https://tinyurl.com/2un5fc3m.
Festival Executive Director and Founder is Craig Smith; Artistic Director is Elyse Stone.
REVIEWS OF THE INAUGURAL FESTIVAL (2022)
“Phoenix Theatre Ensemble is doing something wonderful up there!”
(BroadwayRadio.com) “Phoenix Festival is nothing short of SPECTACULAR!”
(Nyack Business owner) “World Class Performances” (Hi Drama) “An
EZ pass to outdoor theatre Heaven!”(InsidePress) “The Festival is
a substantial tour de force!” (W Cataldi, HiDrama)
PERFORMANCES AND EVENTS OF THE
FIRST ANNUAL PHOENIX LIVE ARTS FESTIVAL
Info as of August 24, 2023. Subject to change.
T H E A T E R
"Crime and Punishment," based on the novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky,
adapted by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus, directed by Karen Case Cook
Nyack Center, 58 Depew Ave.
Thursday Sept 28 @ 7:30 PM Friday Sept 29 @ 7:30 PM, Saturday Sept 30 @ 7:30
PM, Sunday October 1 @ 2:00 PM.
A taut, thrilling adaptation that compresses all the tension and pathos of the
novel into a powerful 90 minutes of theater that is at once fresh and faithful
to the original. Often spoken of as the greatest crime story ever written, it
is a tale of murder, motive and redemption that plumbs the depths of the human
soul. For modern audiences, imagine a 19th-century Tony Soprano named Raskolnikov
who fancies himself above the law – entitled to such an extent that he
may decide who is worthy of life and of death. But that all ends when he meets
his match in Inspector Porfiry, a master of mind games who is determined to
elicit a confession from the ever-more-demented Raskolnikov.
REVIEWS: "'Crime and Punishment,' in a feat that rivals the construction
of the Hoover Dam, has been distilled into a taut 90-minute play by Marilyn
Campbell and Curt Columbus. Just three actors tell the tale and may have
you confessing to some murders yourself by the play’s end." --
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times (2007)
Running time :90. Adults $55, Seniors $45, Students $35, VIP (includes reserved
seat, post show meet & greet with actors, gift bag) $75. Box Office: https://liveartsinnyack.com/performance-calendar
"Drinks With Dead Poets" by Glyn Maxwell, directed by Attilio Rigotti
Wednesday, October 11 @ 7:00 PM, Thursday, October 12, @ 7:00 PM, Friday, October
13, @ 7:00 PM, Saturday, October 14 @ 7:00 PM.
The Hudson House of Nyack, 134 Main St.
Olivier Award-nominated author, playwright, and poet Glyn Maxwell adapts his
celebrated novel into a site-specific theater production. On a strange day in
Nyack, NY, America’s last library is being demolished and the last votes
are being counted in the last election ever, with Rockland County the last to
declare. Meanwhile Glyn Maxwell, an English Professor – well, a professor
who is English – wanders into a pub and thinks he recognizes certain dead
poets at the bar. Will he get served Will America get saved At this point
in history, he’ll settle for either one. Pass a pleasant evening with
poets, ghosts, and the end of the world.
Running time :90. Adults $55, Seniors $45, Students $35, VIP (includes reserved
seat, post show meet & greet with actors, gift bag) $75. Box Office: https://liveartsinnyack.com/performance-calendar
"Honduras" by Sara Farrington, performed by Valeria A. Avina
Saturday, October 7 @ 4:30 PM
Marydell Faith & Life Center, 640 N. Midland Ave., Nyack
In the summer of 2018,
one mom hid in the mountains,
while one mom was extorted,
while one mom was killed,
while one mom made it,
while one mom lost her kids,
while one mom heard about it on the radio,
while one mom drove across country,
while one mom waited at the bus station…
A solo piece based on true events, accounts from the Honduran mothers in the
NY/NJ area, by Drama-Desk nominated playwright Sara Farrington, developed while
she was volunteering with the group that she helped found, Immigrant Families
Together. Each mother and child in this story crossed the border seeking asylum
in the summer of 2018. All names are changed. Some characters in this play are
composites or interpreted versions of people interviewed, some scenarios are
condensed, consolidated and dramatized, but nothing has been exaggerated.
Running time 55. Adults $55, Seniors $45, Students $35, VIP (includes reserved
seat, post show meet & greet with actor, gift bag) $75. Box Office: https://liveartsinnyack.com/performance-calendar
"Now I Am Alone" by William Shakespeare, performed by Geoffrey Owens
Sunday, October 15 @ 2:00 PM
Nyack Library, 59 S. Broadway, Community Room
Shakespeare’s complex creations -- men and women, kings and beggars, villains
and heroes -- stand alone and speak aloud their inmost thoughts. Join us for
this limited run engagement featuring acclaimed actor Geoffrey Owens performing
the works of the Bard of Avon. Fondly known for playing Elvin Tibideaux on NBC’s
“The Cosby Show,” Owens has played several Shakespearean roles on
Broadway, Off-Broadway and at regional theaters around the country, including
"Romeo and Juiet" starring Orlando Bloom, and as the understudy for
the late, great Raul Julia as “Othello” in The Public Theater’s
Shakespeare in the Park. On film, Mr. Owens has appeared in "Stonebrook"
(with Seth Green), "The Paper" (directed by Ron Howard), and others.
His television credits include “The Cosby Show,” “Boston Legal,”
“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Law and Order”
and others. He has recently been seen as Gerald on HBO’s “Divorce”
and on episodes of “Blue Bloods” and “Lucifer."
Running time :90 without intermission. Adults $55, Seniors $45, Students $35,
VIP (includes reserved seat, post show meet & greet with actor, gift bag)
$75. Box Office: https://liveartsinnyack.com/performance-calendar
"Scandalton," conceived and directed by Leo Lion
Wednesday, October 4 @ 7:00 PM
Maureen's Jazz Cellar, 21 N. Broadway
Ever wanted courtside seats to a courtship Welcome to "Scandalton,"
a regency role playing show, where five all-star storytellers improvise an original
period piece before your very eyes. No gentle romance or raucous farce is complete
without the judgment of genteel society, which is why at Scandalton, the audience
will supply the rumors which threaten our heart’s desires. You bring the
tea and we spill it.
Running time :70. Adults $55, Seniors $45, Students $35, VIP (includes reserved
seat, post show meet & greet with actors, gift bag) $75. Box Office: https://liveartsinnyack.com/performance-calendar
"Reflections from the Shallow End of the Dating Pool," written and
performed by Debbi Hobson, directed by Karen Case Cook
Thursday, October 19 @ 7:00 pm, Friday, October 20 @ 7:00 pm, Saturday, October
21 @ 7:00 pm.
The Little Theatre, Rockland Community College Hospitality & Culinary Arts
Center, 70 Main St., Nyack (corner of Broadway & Main St.)
What happens when a woman turns fifty and decides to enter the murky waters
of online dating She finds herself turning to social media to keep her laughing
about the ridiculousness of it all, and discovers a sisterhood in shared experiences.
Born out of a desire to find solid ground through humor, "Reflections from
the Shallow End of the Dating Pool" shines a light on the farcical experience
of midlife dating.
Running time :80. Adults $55, Seniors $45, Students $35, VIP (includes reserved
seat, post show meet & greet with actor, gift bag) $75. Box Office: https://liveartsinnyack.com/performance-calendar
PLAYS BY & FOR KIDS
"The Wind in the Willows," adapted and directed by Leo Lion
Based on the beloved children’s novel by Kenneth Grahame
Friday, October 6 @ 4:00 PM, Saturday, October 7 @ 2:00 PM, Sunday, October
8 @ 2:00 PM, Monday, October 9 @ 2:00 PM (Indigenous Peoples Day, no school).
Marydell Faith & Life Center, 640 N. Midland Ave., Nyack
Performances Under the Canopy Tent - Sheltered Rain or Shine
Phoenix Theatre Ensemble’s new interactive adaptation of the beloved novel
by Kenneth Grahame that follows the adventures of Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger
in the English countryside, highlighting friendship, bravery, and the joys of
a simpler life.
Running time :60. Adults $25, Students $15, kids under twelve $12. Box Office:
https://liveartsinnyack.com/performance-calendar
Children’s Shakespeare Theatre in Anouilh's "Antigone"
Sunday, October 8 @ 11:00 AM, Monday, October 9 @ 11:00 AM.
Marydell Faith & Life Center, 640 N. Midland Ave., Nyack
Performances Under the Canopy Tent - Sheltered Rain or Shine
This children's theater company in Rockland County in Jean Anouilh's "Antigone,"
a modern adaptation of the Sophoclean tragedy. In wartime France, Antigone courageously
defies a tyrannical regime to honor her brother's burial rights, highlighting
the clash between individual morality and oppressive state power.
Running time :90. Adults $25, Students $15, kids under twelve $12 Tickets: https://www.childrensshakespeare.org/
D A N C E
"Pan and the Lost Boys," presented by Emotions Physical Theatre,
choreographed by Shawn Rawls
Thursday, October 5 @ 7:30 PM, Friday, October 6 @ 7:30 PM, Saturday, October
7 @ 7:30 PM.
Nyack Center, 58 Depew Ave.
Emotions Physical Theatre combines theater and dance to tell thought-provoking
stories that expand imagination and empathy. "Pan and the Lost Boys"
is a new work which examines contemporary Black masculinity through Hip Hop
and more.
Choreographed by Artistic Director Shawn Rawls (Alvin Ailey, Roxey Ballet), it is a theatrical dance spiritual concert fable about a boy resisting the call to grow up too soon for reasons we all know but refuse to fix. Reflecting the all-too often real-life stories of young black boys dying before reaching adulthood, "Pan" will deliver an experience that highlights the question “What are the reasons a black boy might not want to grow up” through an interdisciplinary devised theatrical experience focused on movement, and dance.
Utilizing community mentorship "Pan" will utilize cross-generational
collaborative developed work that will reflect the disinvested communities it
is born in. Stemming from the killings of Tamir Rice, George Floyd, etc; "Pan"
will look at the normalized killing of black men in America and explore the
impact of these actions on the health, wellness, and growth of young black men
in America.
Running time :60. Adults $55, Seniors $45, Students $35, VIP (includes reserved
seat, post show meet & greet with actors, gift bag) $75. Box Office: https://liveartsinnyack.com/performance-calendar
M U S I C
Concert: Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra
Presented by ArtsRock
October 14 @ 2:00 PM
First Reformed Church of Nyack, 18 South Broadway
Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory Orchestra in a single 75 minute Jazz
set. NPR's All Things Considered described Steven Bernstein's Millennial Territory
Orchestra like this: "MTO slides between the old and the new, taking musical
cues from talented but little-known jazz bands from the 1920s and '30s that
worked the juke joints and ballrooms of the Cotton Belt and the Midwest."
The presenter, ArtsRock, provides increased access to professional arts and
multi-cultural programs for underserved, diverse audiences in and around Rockland
County.
Running time :75. Tickets $45-30. Box office: https://tinyurl.com/4us6j3px
S P E C I A L_E V E N T S
"Digital Dreaming: AR Adventures"
September 28 to October 21 every day, all day.
Download free app: https://www.nyackartsfestival.com/ar-adventures
"Digital Dreaming" is an augmented reality audio adventure walking
tour to discover Nyack. Explore the lore of this jazzy river-town community,
from its 19th Century Industrialists to its place on the Underground Railroad,
by following immersive recorded narratives by William Batson, an artist, activist
and community leader. Created and directed by Clara Francesca of Nyack, the
tour contains commissioned augmented reality images designed exclusively for
the Festival. Audiences interact with images of local stories and become
immersed in the journey. For example, one story is that of Toni Morrison and
Cynthia Hesdaras. Audience members arrive at the Toni Morrison bench at Memorial
Park in Nyack and open an AR filter on their phones. They then learn about Cynthia
Hesdras, who was born a slave in nearby Tappan NY and became one of the most
successful African-American women entrepeneurs of the 19th century. She
set up the Underground Railroad stop in Nyack and helped establish a strong,
vital Black community what is now a diverse village of 7,000.
Running time :45, FREE
Staged reading: "Remembering Good Harbor Beach" by Debra Wiess, directed
by Kevin Confoy
Saturday, September 30 @ 2:00 PM
Garden of the Hopper House at 82 North Broadway
A one-act play about husband and wife Edward and Jo Hopper, with Jessica Crandall
as Jo Hopper and Joris Stuyck as Edward Hopper. Followed by talkback.
Running time :60. Info: https://www.edwardhopperhouse.org/
Rockland Poets Monthly Poetry Slam
Saturday, October 7 @ 7:30 PM
X House, 48 South Franklin Street, Suite 100, Nyack
Rockland Poets holds a poetry slam on the first Saturday of each month at X
House on South Franklin in Nyack. Anyone can come and sign up to share their
own poetry -- or come and listen! Poetry shared at these events varies widely
in theme, writing style, and delivery. The event consists of a short open sharing
time, followed by the poetry slam itself. A poetry slam is a read/performed
poetry competition judged by the audience. If the audience likes a poem, the
poet's author advances to the next round and shares another poem. The top three
most favored poets that evening win some money (usually $75-$125 or so for first
place). Doors open and sign-up list goes up at 7:30 PM; event ends at 10:00
PM. If you want to complete in the slam, bring at least three original poems,
each of duration five minutes or less.
Admission: $10 general; $5 for students, seniors, and anyone who can't afford
$10 right now. Info: https://www.rocklandpoets.org
Elmwood Playhouse presents "Dracula"
written by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, directed by Michael Edan
September 8 - October 7: Fri & Sat @ 8:00 PM, Sun @ 2:00 PM
Elmwood Playhouse, 10 Park Street, Nyack
Experience the terrifyingly seductive power of evil in this supernatural tale
of the infamous Count Dracula. The quintessential stage adaptation of Bram Stoker’s
iconic novel, this Dracula is chilling, suspenseful, and satisfyingly scary.
It’s bloody good!
Info: https://www.elmwoodplayhouse.com Tickets: $30 gen. adm., Senior/Military/Youth:
$27 Buy tickets: https://tinyurl.com/bdet9ka2
Phoenix Festival Opening Gala
Friday, September 22 at 4:00 PM
Garden at Hopper House, 82 N Broadway, Nyack
Enjoy an afternoon of wine, soft drinks and the Phoenix Signature Cocktail created
by Nyack's Black Parakeetz.
There will be live music and performances, Hosted by Phoenix Theatre Enseble
Artistic Director Elise Stone and Managing Director Craig Smith, along with
PTE Festival artists, ambassadors, board members and sponsors.
Tickets: $50 tax-deductible contribution for Free Admission to the Gala Party;
$75 Admission and receive a Phoenix Festival Polo; $250 or more, all the above
and receive two tickets to a Festival performance of your choice. https://tinyurl.com/5n99w8vz
FESTIVAL PARKING:
Convenient parking downtown is available in downtown Nyack at Veterans Municipal
Parking Lot, 111 Main Street, Nyack at the rate of 75 cents/hour Max 9 hours.
Parking is free at Marydell Center, 640 North Midland Avenue, which is a three-minute
drive from downtown Nyack.
TOURS AND GROUPS:
For discounts on tours and groups of 10 or more, email info@PhoenixTheatreEnsemble.org.
or call 833-681-4800 (2:00 - 6:00 PM).
MORE INFO:
For other info, write the Festival staff at info@PhoenixTheatreEnsemble.org or
leave a message at 212-465-3446.
PHOTOS:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/xSS7bBH19s7w4syx8
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
The Phoenix Festival and the villages of Nyack and Upper Nyack gratefully acknowledge
the generous contributions of the public institutions, foundations, businesses
and individuals who have made this event possible.
PUBLIC SUPPORT
Humanities New York (affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities)
The National Endowment for the Arts
New York State Council on the Arts
Rockland County Office of Economic Development and Tourism
Market New York, I Love New York
Nyack Tourism
SUSTAINING SPONSORS
MR Bonner
Phoenix Theatre Ensemble Board of Trustees
The Sheree Stone Trust
SmithStone Family Trust
The Zisson Foundation
CORPORATE SPONSORS
GOLD
Hotel Nyack
Howard Hanna Rand Realty
Orange and Rockland Utilities
Palisades Center Mall
Windsor Hills Wine & Spirits
BRONZE
Audi Nyack | Don Thompson
DPNB Pasta & Provisions
Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty
Metal and Stone Jewelers
Montefiore Nyack Hospital
Munn and Associates, Ameriprise Financial Services
PATRONS
Pickwick Bookshop
Harrington Press
FRIENDS
Allstate Insurance | Don Dietrich
Arts Council of Rockland
Broadway Bistro
Patisserie Didier Dumas
Somos Designer Jewelry Gallery
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