Hermitage Greenfield Prize Winners Return to Sarasota

February 2, 2022 – Sarasota

Three recent Hermitage Greenfield Prize (HGP) winners – Martyna Majok (2018), Helga Davis (2019), and Aleshea Harris (2021) return to Sarasota this spring to present their work and speak about their creative process.

First, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and 2018 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Winner Martyna Majok presents “Building a Play: Exploring the Playwright-Director Collaboration.” This will be a conversation on the Hermitage Beach, moderated by Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg, featuring Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Martyna Majok and her collaborator on the HGP commission, director Caitlin Sullivan – Friday, March 4^th at 5:30pm. Last year, Majok offered Hermitage audiences an early virtual preview of her commission, featuring Tony nominee Marin Ireland. Here, Majok shares the continuation of the play’s journey.

Next up, the Hermitage, in collaboration with EnsembleNewSRQ and New College of Florida, presents the live Sarasota premiere of “Ocean Body,” the commissioned work from 2019 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Winner and composer, vocalist, and performance artist Helga Davis, along with her collaborators Shara Nova and Mark DeChiazza on Saturday, March 19^th at 6pm. Davis and her creative colleagues shared a virtual sneak peek of her work last year; this is the further culmination of their work, presented live at the Hermitage. This will also be available virtually to allow greater accessibility to a wider audience.

Then in April, to kick off a weekend of events celebrating the Hermitage Greenfield Prize, award-winning playwright, author of What to Send Up When It Goes Down, and 2021 HGP recipient Aleshea Harris presents “A Theater Maker’s Year: What ‘Went Down’” on Friday, April 8^th at 6pm. Harris’ commission is expected in 2023. Meanwhile, she has had an extraordinary season of plays premiering in New York, London, and more.

 Further details and descriptions of these events can be found below. Additional events surrounding the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Weekend will be announced at a later date.

“We are thrilled to welcome back these three distinguished artists and recent Hermitage Greenfield Prize recipients,” said Andy Sandberg, Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO. “Martyna, Helga, and Aleshea are passionate and visionary creators who give us hope for the future, and their innovative works exemplify the mission of the Hermitage Greenfield Prize — to bring into the world works of art that have a significant impact on the broad as well as the artistic culture of our society.”

Each year, the Hermitage Artist Retreat, in collaboration with the Philadelphia-based Greenfield Foundation, grants a $30,000 commission and a six-week residency at the Hermitage’s historic beachfront property to a distinguished artist, rotating each year in the disciplines of music, theater, and visual art. The 2022 Hermitage Greenfield Prize winner, composer and multi-instrumentalist Angélica Negrón will be celebrated at the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner on Sunday, April 10^th at 6pm at Michael’s On East in Sarasota. The Hermitage Greenfield Prize Celebration is presented in partnership with the Greenfield Foundation, with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County serving as Lead Community Sponsor. Co-Chairs for this event will be Carole Crosby and Sondra Biller. Capacity will be limited to accommodate safe social-distancing practices, and additional health and safety measures are anticipated for this event. Tables and sponsorships now available; additional information can be found at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

In addition to the Hermitage Greenfield Prize, the Hermitage recently introduced the annual Hermitage Major Theater Award (HMTA), newly established to recognize a playwright or theater artist with a $35,000 commission to create a new, original, and impactful piece of theater. Playwright and director Radha Blank (The Forty-Year-Old Version on Netflix) was named the inaugural recipient of the Hermitage Major Theater Award in December of 2021.

For more information about the Hermitage, the Hermitage Greenfield Prize, and upcoming Hermitage programs, visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.