Lumberyard Center Announces Columbia Memorial Health As “Audience Engagement” Sponsor For Summer 2019

LUMBERYARD's Newly Opened Hudson Valley Facility's Technical Residency Program Fills an Urgent Void in the NYC Cultural Landscape, Establishing a Place Where Leading Performing Artists Can Re-Create the Production Design of Their NYC Premiere Location, and Alleviating the Burden of Presenters to Provide Technical Development Time and Space

COLUMBIA MEMORIAL HEALTH underwrites Audience Engagement Receptions July 13-September 1, including for Work-in-Progress Showings by Ephrat Asherie Dance, 600 HIGHWAYMEN, Machine Dazzle, Elevator Repair Service, The TEAM, and Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Company

LUMBERYARD Center for Film and Performing Arts' summer 2019 season will bring some of New York City's most exciting artists to the organization's state-of-the-art Hudson Valley facility. Located just 101 miles from Manhattan, LUMBERYARD provides a crucial lifeline for New York City's performing arts ecosystem. New American work and the institutions built to present it in NYC are more technologically advanced than ever before; however, there is a critical gap in the system, as artists can no longer transition from studio to theater with only a few days of technical rehearsal, while NYC presenters can't afford to close their doors for extended technical rehearsals. The City, long a cultural hotbed, is rapidly becoming too expensive as a place for art-making. LUMBERYARD, which opened with the mission of filling this need, is the only facility in the U.S. that can recreate any NYC stage's technical design, and its residency program is designed to advance the final stages of production. This summer, luminaries including Ephrat Asherie Dance; 600 HIGHWAYMEN; Machine Dazzle; Elevator Repair Service, directed by John Collins; The TEAM, directed by 2019 Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown); and Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Company will come to LUMBERYARD for the organization's signature "Tech Week" residency program. All residencies culminate in work-in-progress showings, which allow Hudson Valley audiences to experience the projects before their premieres and engage with America's leading artists in an intimate setting.

Another key factor in LUMBERYARD's decision to choose the village of Catskill was the opportunity to partner with a town on the brink of revitalization, and the summer season represents a significant boost to Catskill's tourist economy. Last year's Grand Opening weekend brought an audience of more than 1,000 to Catskill - visitors who shop at local stores, eat at local restaurants, and stay at local hotels and rented homes. LUMBERYARD also features a brand-new sound stage that it rents out film and television production studios. Last month, LUMBERYARD hosted its first-ever production company, who used the sound stage to shoot scenes for an upcoming, full-length feature film. With this facility, LUMBERYARD hopes to bring new industry to Catskill and further increase its stock as a premier destination for film and television. Following the organization's mission to work hand in hand with communities and support under-resourced artists, producers, and local residents, 100 percent of the net proceeds from sound stage rentals are invested back into the local Catskill community through educational and employment programs designed for low-income students, incarcerated teens, and local high school students.

Columbia Memorial Health, an affiliate of Albany Med, has provided medical care for the Hudson Valley since 1889. The CMH network has grown to serve more than 100,000 residents in Columbia, Greene and Dutchess Counties, offering a modern hospital and more than 35 community-based primary care and specialty care centers.

"We are thrilled to welcome this truly stellar lineup of New York artists and companies to LUMBERYARD, and to provide them with the space, staff, and time to incorporate all design elements before their premieres," said Adrienne Willis, Executive and Artistic Director of LUMBERYARD. "We can't wait to have them in the Hudson Valley, where the region will be the first to experience their newest work. Audience engagement is core to our mission, and we're thrilled to work with Columbia Memorial Health on this important element of our summer artistic programming."

Columbia Memorial Health President and CEO Jay P. Cahalan said: "As the primary provider of health care services and one of the largest private sector employers, CMH is fully invested in a bright future for Greene County. Over the last several years CMH has invested more than $12 million in improvements to the Greene Medical Arts campus in Catskill, which, combined with our clinics in Coxsackie, Windham and Cairo, offer convenient, local access to expert primary and specialty care services. We're very excited to welcome LUMBERYARD to our community and to help support their tremendous investment in Greene County. "

Tickets for the work-in-progress showings start at $30 and can be purchased at www.lumberyard.org.

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