Playwright John Guare to Receive Greenfield Prize at Annual Awards Weekend, 3/26 - 3/27

The Hermitage Artist Retreat is pleased to announce a variety of events surrounding the upcoming dinner celebration for the presentation of the 2011 Greenfield Prize, being awarded this year in Drama to renowned American playwright John Guare. The weekend celebration includes events taking place Saturday, March 26 and Sunday, March 27. All are open to the public.

"When we first began administering the prize, we had ultimately hoped to grow the awards dinner into a weekend filled with renowned arts leaders who would share their art and experiences with the public," recalled Hermitage Executive Director Bruce E. Rodgers. "In a short three years, we have begun to reach that goal."

The weekend begins on Saturday, March 26 with the world premiere of a chamber music composition by the first Greenfield Prize recipient in Music, Eve Beglarian. A renowned composer, Beglarian has been working with musicians from the Sarasota Orchestra to present her original musical piece inspired by a four-month journey she took by kayak down the entire length of the Mississippi River. The performance will be at Holley Hall in the Beatrice Friedman Symphony Center beginning at 8:00 pm. Tickets begin at $15 and can be obtained through the Sarasota Orchestra box office at 941-953-3434.

On Sunday, March 27, there will be two events in which the public is invited to participate. At 1:00 pm, there will be a "Conversation with Oskar Eustis," who holds the same position as the legendary Joseph Papp, artistic director of NY's Public Theater and the New York Shakespeare Festival held annually in Central Park. Bruce E. Rodgers, Hermitage executive director will interview Eustis about his award-winning career, including his work with some of America's most famous actors and playwrights. Snippets of "The Theater of War," a documentary about the Public's making of Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage with Meryl Streep and Kevin Kline, will also be viewed. Questions from the audience will follow. This is a FREE event, presented in a partnership that includes the Hermitage Artist Retreat, Asolo Rep, New College and the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. The interview will be held at the Sainer Center. Seating is limited however, and reservations are suggested. To be assured a seat, call 941-351-9010 x 4710. Eustis will be visiting Sarasota as the keynote speaker for the Greenfield Prize Celebration that evening.

The Greenfield Prize Celebration begins at 6:00 pm at Michaels on East. This very unique evening has become one of Sarasota's most talked about events due to the intimacy of the audience (only 250 tickets are available) and the high stature of the award winner and keynote address. This year's Greenfield Prize will be presented to renowned playwright John Guare. Tony-Award Winning Artistic Director Oskar Eustis will deliver the keynote address. Tickets to the dinner are available online at www.greenfieldprize.org or by calling the Hermitage at 941-475-2098.

"John Guare is a major American playwright. He will be coming here from rehearsals for the Broadway revival of "The House of Blue Leaves," a remake of one of his most famous plays and a star-studded cast that includes Jennifer Jason Leigh, Edie Falco and Ben Stiller," commented Rodgers. "Last summer he spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival. We couldn't be more proud to now count him as one of our Greenfield Prize winners and future Hermitage fellows. Add to that being able to share Oskar Eustis with the community is just extraordinary! It is a very exciting time for us and for the Sarasota arts community."

The Greenfield Prize was established in 2009 by longtime Sarasota residents Bob and Louise Greenfield through the Philadelphia-based Greenfield Foundation. The prize is a means by which a groundbreaking, enduring work of art will be created each year at the Hermitage Artist Retreat. The Prize consists of a $30,000 commission of an original work of art, a six-week residency at the Hermitage, and a partnership with a professional arts organization to develop the work and assistance in moving the work forward into the American arts world. A distinguished six-person panel consisting of some of the most highly respected authorities in American art select each Greenfield Prize recipient. Three voting members on each jury are joined by a producing partner representative, Joni Greenfield of the Greenfield Foundation and Hermitage Executive Director Bruce Rodgers who facilitates. Since its inception, past prize winners include playwright Craig Lucas, composer Eve Beglarian and visual artist Sanford Biggers.

For more information on the Greenfield Prize, visit the website at www.greenfieldprize.org. For more information on the Hermitage Artist Retreat, visit the website at www.hermitage-fl.org or contact Executive Director Bruce E. Rodgers

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