Forestburgh Playhouse Announces IN THE WORKS~IN THE WOODS Arts Festival

Forestburgh Playhouse announced today the creation of In the Works~In the Woods, a new annual arts festival to take place September 9-12, as part of its 75th Anniversary Season.

The announcement was made by Franklin Trapp, Producing Artistic Director for the Forestburgh Playhouse and Broadway veteran Matt Lenz, Festival Artistic Director and Director of Creative Development for the Forestburgh Playhouse.

"The Forestburgh Playhouse is thrilled to launch a brand-new annual theatre festival in the Sullivan Catskills," said Franklin Trapp. "Since 1947, Playhouse productions have provided exciting and developmental opportunities for artists. We are thrilled to add this all-important component of supporting and developing new works by emerging playwrights, composers and artists. In the Works~In the Woods is truly an opportunity to grow as a theatre and as a community."

Lenz says, "I'm thrilled and gratified to be a part of founding this exciting, new, annual theatrical event in the Sullivan Catskills. The artistic legacy in this neck of the woods is illustrious and diverse - and my hope is that the In the Works~In the Woods Festival will continue to celebrate and keep shining a light on that history for years to come. There is most definitely creativity in the DNA of these woods - so the bucolic Forestburgh Playhouse campus is the perfect home for this. It provides a gorgeous, inspiring environment for both established and emerging theatre-makers to explore and bring their new works to light."

Participants in this year's In the Works~In the Woods Festival:

BY ANY OTHER NAME

A new musical by Deborah Zoe Laufer (Book and Lyrics) and Daniel Green (Music and Additional Lyrics) directed by Noah Himmelstein.

In this new bluegrass romantic comedy, nine of Shakespeare's young lovers find themselves magically transported to the same forest, where together they grapple with love, loss, identity, and the constraints of gender roles.

THIS HAPPENED ONCE AT THE ROMANCE DEPOT OFF THE I-87 IN WESTCHESTER

A new play by Gina Femia

Directed by Taylor Reynolds

Kevin owns a Romance Depot. Beth needs a vibrator. The two of them form an unlikely relationship that straddles the line between friendship and romance. What happens when two lonely people find one another?

EL OTRO OZ: LA MARAVILLOSA ADVENTURE OF DORA GARZA

The Other Oz: The Marvelous Adventure of Dora Garza is a new bi-lingual musical for young audiences.

Book by Mando Alvarado and Tommy Newman, Music and Lyrics by Jaime Lozano and Tommy Newman. Directed by Rebecca Aparicio.

On the day of her quinceañera, Dora Inez Garza gets swept up by a gran tornado that drops her (and her little chihuahua, too) in a strange and magical world where she must slip on the ruby zapatillas and journey down the yellow brick road to find that true power comes from embracing who you truly are. Produced in association with Theatreworks USA.

CATSKILLS CAB LAB

Directed by Alan Muraoka. Featuring new, solo Cabaret artists, Belinda Allyn and Frank James Johnson. Steven Cuevas is Musical Director.

Renowned actor and director Alan Muraoka (Miss Saigon, Pacific Overtures, Sesame Street) will develop and direct unique, intimate, musical cabaret evenings with two emerging young talents.

SPECIAL EVENTS:

HOLDING MY OWN: Journey to the Ring, Part I

A new play written and performed by Didi Conn, with music by David Shire.

The beloved star of stage, film and television, Didi Conn, shares this inspiring, funny and intimate new work in progress.

"OFF THE CUFF" Creative Conversations with Artists

The Festival will feature prominent theatre professionals in impromptu discussions about their careers and the creative process.

Forestburgh Playhouse is offering three different passport memberships to the Festival: Friends of Forestburgh: $150 (Individual), Miracle of the Forest VIP: $500 (2 Passes) and Festival Founder VIP: $1000 (2 Passes). For more information: www.fbplayhouse.org or by calling 845-794-1194.

The In the Works~In the Woods Festival Advisory Committee includes Scott Evans (Actor/Director), Robin Levine (Director), Cori Thomas (Playwright), Banji Aborisade (Director/Choreographer), Trent Blanton (Director/Educator), Jillian Carucci (Director), Alan Muraoka (Actor/Director), Ana Flavia Zuim (Musical Director/Conductor), Anthony C. Daniel (Director/Associate Festival Director), Franklin Trapp (FBP Producing, Artistic Director) and Matt Lenz (ITW Festival Artistic Director).