Jessica Hecht, Marsha Mason and More to Join HB Studio's THE LIGHT WE CARRY Festival
The new annual festival spotlights the HB community with screenings, conversations, and workshops in New York City.
Over the course of a full week running from May 30-June 5, HB Studio will host performances, workshops, masterclasses, and other events to invite its community to appreciate and engage with the talent that HB produces today. It will also act as a hub for the collection of oral histories, familiar ground for prior eras of performers to reunite with alumni, a gallery to peruse exhibitions of HB ephemera, and an opportunity to look back on all the work that brought it to now. Lastly, The Light We Carry will offer a glimpse of HB's future with special events at major theaters around the city, conversations around trends in contemporary performance and a closing night party on Bank Street. Whether a past student, a current practitioner, curious about becoming a new student or simply wanting to know more about the tradition of American theater, all are invited to join for The Light We Carry.
Festival highlights include:
A conversation with Jessica Hecht, Mercedes Ruehl, Marsha Mason, and Peter Francis James with Victor Slezak at the venerable Lucille Lortel Theatre on June 1; Light & Memory, a multi-day exhibition of the HB archives; A screening of Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1963 movie Cleopatra (featuring Herbert Berghof) at IFC Center on June 3; Over a dozen more events at HB's Bank Street campus including a community-wide street party.
Festival Ambassadors of the Day
Each day of The Light We Carry Festival will be guided by Festival Ambassadors of the Day: artists, alums or members of the extended HB community invited to embody the spirit of that festival day's theme. These Ambassadors will serve as a connective presence throughout these events, offering a brief introduction, framing the day's theme or helping to carry the conversation along between artists and audiences. They are welcomed as valued representatives of HB's living history.
Day 1 – Carrying the Flame
Ambassadors of the Day: Carol Rosenfeld (HB Teaching Artist, Founder of the The Hagen Institute) and Jim Boerlin (Program Administrator of The Hagen Institute)
Saturday, May 30 at 6:00 pm
Where We Began: A Ritual Walk
Beginning at 108 West 16th Street, ending at 124 Bank Street
Free and Open to the Public
The weeklong The Light We Carry Festival begins in the place where HB Studio originated. Attendees are invited to gather at the physical location of the original home on West 16th Street in Manhattan to commune with the energy of its foundation. Then, hand in hand with present Co-Executive Directors Francesca Ferrara and Christopher Hibma with key figures from HB's past, the group will intentionally move toward the current location on Bank Street, carrying memory, lineage, and passion for the future. Those who are capable are asked to join the route for an act of procession and practice, a living acknowledgment that the work of acting, like the work of community, is transmitted body to body, step by step. Participants will depart promptly at 6:15pm from 16th street; the route can be followed on the provided map. For those who find street travel complicated, they are encouraged to meet at 124 Bank Street for a toast leading into a live performance at HB Playwrights Theatre.
Saturday, May 30 at 7:00 pm
All in the Timing by David Ives - A Staged Performance
at HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank Street
$25
For this signature performance at HB's historic Playwrights Theatre, HB Studio's own Hagen Core Ensemble will bring Uta Hagen's teachings into the present moment with a live performance of author David Ives' classic 1993 one-act anthology All in the Timing. Through deft character study and sharp writing, Ives' classic hit provides a spectacular platform for highly trained students to show their skill in what is sure to be an exciting and entertaining night of theater. This culminating presentation will also offer insight into the activated practice of one of HB's legendary founders. Through rigor, restraint and lived presence, the ensemble will demonstrate how focused craft endures when it is practiced daily and re-earned in every generation. These performances are dedicated to the late Obie Award-winning actor, educator and former director of HB Studio's Hagen Core Training Program, Mark Blum. Please join after this show for the Festival Opening Party at the Helen Gallagher Studio.
Saturday, May 30 at 8:45 pm
The Light We Carry Festival Opening Night Party
at HB Studio at 120 Bank Street in the Helen Gallagher Studio
Free and Open to the Public - Sponsored by Dalla Terra Wine and Spirits
Guests are invited to an opening-night gathering for artists, alumni, students, and friends of HB at a celebration of return and arrival. This event marks the formal beginning of The Light We Carry Festival with friendship, community, light snacks and wine provided by sponsor Dalla Terra Italian Wine and Spirits. Attendees are encouraged to contribute to the next chapter in the storied history of HB Studio.
Day 2 – Living the Craft
Ambassadors of the Day: Letty Ferrer (HB Hagen Legacy Chair and Daughter of Uta Hagen) and Teresa Teuscher (Granddaughter of Uta Hagen)
Sunday, May 31 at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm
All in the Timing by David Ives - A Staged Performance
at HB Playwrights Theatre, 124 Bank Street
$25
For this signature performance at HB's historic Playwrights Theatre, HB Studio's own Hagen Core Ensemble will bring Uta Hagen's teachings into the present moment with a live performance of the entirety of author David Ives' classic 1993 one-act anthology All in the Timing. Through deft character study and sharp writing, Ives' classic hit provides a spectacular platform for highly trained students to show their significant skill in what is sure to be an exciting and entertaining night of theater. This culminating presentation will also offer insight into the activated practice of one of HB's legendary founders. Through rigor, restraint and lived presence, the ensemble will demonstrate how focused craft endures when it is practiced daily and re-earned in every generation. These performances are dedicated to the late Obie Award-winning actor and former director of HB Studio's Hagen Core Training Program, Mark Blum.
Day 3 – Roots and Stories
Ambassadors of the Day: Matthew Conlon (HB Alum) and Katharine Cullison (HB Alum)
Monday, June 1 from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm
Light & Memory: An Exhibition
at HB Studio's Lobby at 120 Bank Street
Free and Open to the Public
Sourced from the HB archives, the effects of founder Herbert Berghof, the estate of iconic educator Uta Hagen and the personal collections of HB Teaching Artists and alumni, this HB-centered exhibition will include photographs, letters, programs, and ephemera that trace decades of practice and artistic devotion. Much of the material on display has not been seen in decades; some items will be instantly familiar as beloved installations within the building. Long time regulars and first-time visitors alike will find unique relics that reveal the past of this storied institution. Alongside the exhibition, visitors will be invited to contribute their own memories through an on-site recording station, charting a pathway forward to a living oral history in the HB digital archive.
Monday, June 1 at 2:00 pm
Film Screening - While We Are Here: When Theater Becomes Refuge
at HB Playwrights Theatre at 124 Bank Street
Free and Open to the Public
The one hour documentary film While We Are Here is a love letter to the HB Studio community and to the path of the actor. Filmed by Sara Velasco, an actor and filmmaker from Spain who studied at HB Studio in 2025 as a Fulbright grantee, this insightful portrait brings together voices from across the HB community, each carrying their own story, their own path, and their own reasons for committing to the work. This film observes a community built around training, questioning, and collaboration. Through interviews, classroom moments, and culminating moments of performance, While We Are Here offers a collective portrait of HB Studio that honors its legacy while simultaneously reflecting on its modern relevancy. This marks the first public screening of While We Are Here in its finished form.
Monday, June 1 at 4:00 pm
In Memoriam: Remembering Friends Who Have Passed
at HB Playwrights Theatre at 124 Bank Street
Free and Open to the Public
This participatory communal remembrance will honor recently departed members of the HB family, with particular attention to those who have left since 2020. Participants are invited to join and share their memories and physical remembrances of the spirits who still resonate in the Studio. Attendees are invited to speak on their experience with the departed in a space where the lives of those loved and lost can be celebrated in words and song.
Monday, June 1 at 7:00 pm
HB Studio and Lucille Lortel Theatre present
In Conversation: Respect for Acting with Jessica Hecht, Mercedes Ruehl, Marsha Mason and Peter Francis James
at The Lucille Lortel Theatre at 121 Christopher Street
$25 – 90 Minutes - Tickets on Sale Soon
HB Studio, in partnership with Greenwich Village's venerable Lucille Lortel Theatre, presents a public conversation exploring the enduring relevance of Uta Hagen's legendary Respect for Acting, a book that has influenced and inspired generations of actors. The panel, moderated by HB Board Member and alumni Victor Slezak, is scheduled to include Jessica Hecht, Marsha Mason, Mercedes Ruehl and Peter Francis James. This impressive and gifted assembly will examine their craft as a lifelong practice and as a way of life, with particular attention to how Respect for Acting has impacted them personally. Participating panelists are subject to change.
Day 4 – Inside the Practice
Ambassadors of the Day: Craig MacAurthur Dolezel and Marlene Mancini
Tuesday, June 2 from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm
Light & Memory: An Exhibition
at HB Studio's Lobby at 120 Bank Street
Free and Open to the Public
Sourced from the HB archives, the effects of founder Herbert Berghof, the estate of iconic educator Uta Hagen and the personal collections of HB Teaching Artists and alumni, this HB-centered exhibition will include photographs, letters, programs, and ephemera that trace decades of practice and artistic devotion.
Tuesday, June 2 at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm
A Taste of HB: Participatory Masterclasses
at HB Studio at 120 Bank Street and 124 Bank Street
Free and Open to the Public
Tuesday, June 2 at 3:00 pm
Behind the Studio Doors: An Introduction to HB Studio
at HB Playwrights Theatre at 124 Bank Street
Free and Open to the Public
Tuesday, June 2 at 7:00 pm
In Performance: An Evening of Scenes by Donna deMatteo and her Long-Time Students
at HB Playwrights Theatre at 124 Bank Street
$10
Day 5 – Investing in What Endures
Ambassadors of the Day: Christopher Abbott and Kim Allen-Mills
Wednesday, June 3 from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm
Light & Memory: An Exhibition
at HB Studio's Lobby at 120 Bank Street
Free and Open to the Public
Wednesday, June 3 at 1:00 pm
Cleopatra (1963): An HB Legacy Screening
at IFC Center at 323 Sixth Avenue
$15 - Tickets on Sale Soon
The educator and actor Herbert Berghof is the namesake of HB Studio, NYC's longest continuously-running acting school. In addition to his role as HB's founder, Berghof was a busy actor on and off Broadway with a regular schedule of television and movie appearances that helped fund the school. For this special collaboration with the neighboring West Village theater, the IFC Center, HB will co-host a screening of Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1963 epic Cleopatra, featuring Berghof in one of his many Hollywood roles.
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