Hermitage Announces New January and February Programs

November 3, 2023 – Sarasota

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Sarasota County, Florida) today announced new programs throughout the months of January and February. Continuing its commitment to innovative year-round arts programming, these events will be presented throughout the Gulf Coast region, from the Hermitage’s beautiful beachfront campus on Manasota Key to the heart of Sarasota’s vibrant downtown arts scene in collaboration with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Nathan Benderson Park, and The Town of Longboat Key. Hermitage programs introduce world-renowned artists to Florida’s Gulf Coast community and invite audiences across the country to experience candid and engaging conversations, open rehearsals, play readings, film screenings, and more.

          Newly announced programs from Hermitage Fellows in January kick off on the Hermitage Beach with celebrated playwright, award-winning actor, and “American Horror Story” writer Halley Feiffer, who offers insight into her unique journey and her creative process. Feiffer’s program will be preceded by an open-studio experience from the imaginative mind of multidisciplinary visual artist Anthony Hawley. Join us on Friday, January 5^th starting at 5pm for this special program on the Hermitage campus, blurring the line between humor and heartbreak, fantasy and reality, past and present. This event is presented in partnership with Asolo Repertory Theatre.

          On Friday, January 12^th at 5pm, Hermitage alumni Stephen Cole and David Evans share musical theater selections from their Golden Age musical, Merman’s Apprentice, on the Hermitage Beach. Twelve-year-old Muriel Plakenstein doesn’t know that the ‘golden age’ of music is coming to an end, so she runs away from home to become a theater star and meets the Queen of Broadway, Ethel Merman. Hear selections from this musical fable and learn more about what inspired the musical’s journey from this collaborative team.

          On Thursday, January 18^th at 5pm on the Hermitage Beach, three gifted Hermitage Fellows share how their voice and vision inform their artistic practice across disciplines. Jacquelyn Reingold is an accomplished writer for stage and screen; Joan La Barbara’s groundbreaking vocal stylings have been heard across the country; Laura Kaminsky is one of the most-produced composer-librettists in contemporary opera. In a trifecta of innovative musical and theatrical creation, these artists represent a profound collective knowledge of the human experience and the multitude of ways it can be expressed in art.

          Next up on Friday, January 19^th at 5pm on Longboat Key, the Hermitage presents a cabaret of songs and stories from some of the most influential musical theater creators of our day. From Jeanine Tesori, Adam Gwon, Michael R. Jackson, and Gavin Creel to Kit Yan, Zoe Sarnak, Rona Siddiqui, and more, the Hermitage has provided space and time to some of the most exciting musical theater writers working today. Hear selections from some of these composers and lyricists, performed by Sarasota’s finest talents at one of the area’s newest and most beautiful outdoor stages, Town Center at Longboat Key. This event is presented in partnership with The Town of Longboat Key on their newly built Town Center stage.

          Hermitage Fellows James M. Stephenson and Emi Ferguson make music that speaks to something universal in us all. On Thursday, January 25^th at 5pm, this award-winning composer and celebrated flutist invite Sarasota audiences to hear selections and gain direct insight into their composition process. Each will share award-winning compositions that have been played across the county to great acclaim with audiences at Selby Gardens’ downtown Sarasota campus as the popular “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens” series continues its fourth collaborative season.

          On Friday, February 2^nd at 5pm, the Hermitage treats audiences to two gifted brass and jazz improvisors as they make music and ‘talk shop’ at Nathan Benderson Park. Hermitage Fellows Amir ElSaffar and Chris Ryan Williams will present an imaginative evening of sonic possibilities as the “Hermitage Sunsets @ Nathan Benderson Park” series continues.

            (Full program details for all events are provided below.)

All of these Hermitage programs are free and open to the public (with a $5/person registration fee), offering Gulf Coast audiences a rare chance to engage and interact with some of the world’s leading talent. Due to capacity limitations, registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

          As a special addition in February, Hermitage Fellow, Pulitzer Prize recipient, and Tony Award winner Doug Wright (Goodnight, Oscar; I Am My Own Wife) returns to Sarasota to shed light on the role of a librettist and the uniquely collaborative process of creating and adapting Broadway musicals like his Grey Gardens, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and Hands on a Hardbody. This Music Mondays event, “Hermitage Alum Doug Wright Writes Broadway,” will feature two opportunities to hear from Wright: Monday, February 19^th at 10:30am at the Church of the Palms in Sarasota, and again at 3pm at the Venice Presbyterian Church.  Presented in partnership with the Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning.

A leading national arts incubator, the Hermitage is the only major arts organization in Florida’s Gulf Coast exclusively committed to supporting the development and creation of new work across all artistic disciplines. The Hermitage hosts artists on its Gulf Coast Manasota Key campus for multi-week residencies, where diverse and accomplished artists from around the world and across multiple disciplines create and develop new works of theater, music, visual art, literature, dance, film, and more. As part of their residencies, Hermitage Fellows participate in free community programs, offering audiences in the region a unique opportunity to engage with some of the world’s leading artists and to get an authentic “sneak peek” into extraordinary projects and artistic minds before their works go on to major galleries, concert halls, theaters, and museums around the world. These free and innovative programs include performances, conversations, readings, interactive experiences, open studios, school programs, teacher workshops, and more, serving thousands in our regional community each year.

See below for complete program details and artist bios.

For more information about the Hermitage and upcoming programs, visit: HermitagArtistRetreat.org.

The Hermitage Artist Retreat

Sarasota County, Florida

Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO

The Hermitage is a leading national arts incubator and non-profit artist retreat located on Manasota Key, Florida. For more than two decades, the Hermitage has invited accomplished artists across multiple disciplines for residencies on its beachfront campus, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hermitage artists are invited to interact with the local community, reaching thousands of Gulf Coast residents and visitors each year with unique and inspiring programs. Hermitage Fellows have included 15 Pulitzer Prize winners, Poets Laureate, MacArthur ‘Genius’ Fellows, and multiple Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar winners and nominees. Works created at this beachside retreat by a diverse and accomplished group of Hermitage alumni have gone on to renowned theaters, concert halls, and galleries throughout the world. Each year, the Hermitage awards the Hermitage Greenfield Prize for a new work of art, the Hermitage Major Theater Award for an original theater commission, and the Aspen Music Festival’s Hermitage Prize in Composition.

For more information, visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.

The Hermitage is supported by:

Hermitage programs are supported, in part, by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues; the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts; as well as the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.

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FULL PROGRAM DETAILS

Newly Announced Program Descriptions (January and February):

• “The Blurred Line: A Visual and Theatrical Experience” with Hermitage Fellows Halley Feiffer and Anthony Hawley, Friday, January 5, 5pm: Hermitage Fellow Halley Feiffer is an acclaimed playwright, actor, and television writer based in Los Angeles, California. The brilliant mind behind the equally dark and thrilling American Horror Story: Delicate (FX, Hulu) offers insights into her process and talks about working on the hit series. Join us on the Hermitage Beach as Feiffer shares recent and upcoming work and discusses her creative process. Before Feiffer’s conversation, join multidisciplinary visual artist Anthony Hawley in an open-studio environment on the Hermitage campus, as he shares in-process works and selections of past creations such as his neon green and black-lit otherworldly work from his exhibition Geograpologies. The line between humor and heartbreak, fantasy and reality, past and present takes us on a wild adventure in this special Hermitage program. Presented in partnership with Asolo Repertory Theatre. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood, FL 34223

• “Merman’s Apprentice: Musical Theater’s Golden Age” with Hermitage Alumni Stephen Cole and David Evans, Friday, January 12, 5pm: It’s 1970 and the “Golden Age” of musical theater is drawing to an end… but twelve-year-old Muriel Plakenstein doesn’t know that! So she runs away from home to become a theater star and meets the Queen of Broadway, Ethel Merman. What ensues is a musical fable created by Hermitage alumni Stephen Cole and David Evans that recreates that magic nostalgia of the brightest stages in the country. Join this collaborative team on the Hermitage beach to hear selections of this original work and to learn more about what inspired the musical’s journey. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood, FL 34223

• “Songs from the Sand: A Hermitage Cabaret” featuring works by Hermitage Composers performed by some of Sarasota’s greatest talents, Friday, January 19, 5pm: From Jeanine Tesori, Adam Gwon, Michael R. Jackson, and Gavin Creel to Kit Yan, Zoe Sarnak, Rona Siddiqui, and more, the Hermitage has provided space and time to some of the most exciting musical theater writers working today. Hear selections from some of these composers and lyricists, performed by Sarasota’s finest talents at one of the area’s newest and most beautiful outdoor stages, Town Center at Longboat Key. In addition to the works themselves, hear little known stories about the creation of some of New York theater’s recent success stories and insights into the creative process. Presented in Partnership with The Town of Longboat Key. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Longboat Key Town Center, 501 Bay Isles Road, Longboat Key, FL 34228

• “Voice, Vision, and Verbs” with Hermitage Fellows Jacquelyn Reingold, Joan La Barbara, and Laura Kaminsky, Thursday, January 18, 5pm: In a trifecta of innovative musical and theatrical creation, three gifted Hermitage Fellows share how their voice and vision inform their artistic practice across disciplines. Jacquelyn Reingold is a writer for stage and screen whose works include String Fever (Ensemble Studio Theater, NY), “Smash,” “Grace & Frankie,” and “The Good Fight.” Composer and performer Joan La Barbara’s ground-breaking vocal stylings have been heard across the country and around for over four decades. Laura Kaminsky is one of the most-produced composer-librettists in contemporary opera whose work dives into the pressing matters of our time. Together, they represent a profound collective knowledge of the human experience and the multitude of ways it can be expressed in art. Hear some of these insights as well as selections of work spanning medium and style. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Road, Englewood, FL 34223

• “Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens: Music on the Wind” with Hermitage Fellows James M. Stephenson and Emi Ferguson, Thursday, January 25, 5pm: Originally from the Chicago area, Hermitage Fellow James Stephenson earned his stripes over 17 seasons in the Naples Philharmonic to become a celebrated composer whose work has covered multiple genres, age groups, instruments, and oceans. From his award-winning compositions for the Marine Band to residences and world premieres with some of the best orchestras across the country, his music speaks to something universal in us all. Juilliard-trained Flutist Emi Ferguson, who is also featured at this year’s Hermitage Artful Lobster, redefines what it means to be a contemporary musician: mastering not only her instrument, but its history and impact on the broader artistic landscape. Hear selections from both gifted musician composers and gain direct insight into the composition process from the artists themselves at Selby Gardens’ downtown Sarasota campus. Presented in partnership with Venice Symphony and Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL, 34236

• “Hermitage Sunsets @ Nathan Benderson Park: Musical Moods” with Hermitage Fellows Amir ElSaffar and Chris Ryan Williams, Friday, February 2, 5pm: Growing up in Chicago in a home where Arabic, Spanish, and English were all commonly heard as the Beatles played on the turntable, jazz trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist Amir ElSaffar has always been interested in the most expansive range of music possible. Exploring the complex forces shaping the simultaneous realities of trauma and power in all Black Americans, Chris Ryan Williams’ multidisciplinary works have been seen across the United States and Europe. Both composers have a love for collaboration, improvisation, and experimentation and a deep interest in how music builds community. These two celebrated composers and performers will be sharing the ‘stage’ at Nathan Benderson Park. Join the Hermitage for an incredible evening of music and conversation with these internationally renowned talents. Presented in partnership with Nathan Benderson Park. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Nathan Benderson Park, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota, FL, 34235

• “Music Mondays: Hermitage Alum Doug Wright Writes Broadway” with Hermitage Fellow, Pulitzer Prize, and Tony Award Winner Doug Wright, Monday, February 19: One of the most lauded theater creators of our time returns to Sarasota to share insight into the creation process with iconic numbers from his acclaimed Broadway musicals, performed by some of the best talent in Sarasota. Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Hermitage Fellow Doug Wright’s works on Broadway include I Am My Own Wife, Grey Gardens, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Hands on a Hardbody, War Paint, and the recent smash comedy success Goodnight, Oscar. Alongside stellar performances, Wright will offer his perspective on the vital role of a musical librettist, diving into the uniquely collaborative process of bringing a musical to life and the nuances of the various musical styles he has used throughout his celebrated career. Presented in Partnership with Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning. Two presentations:

Church of the Palms, 3224 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota FL, 34239 @ 10:30am

Venice Presbyterian Church, 825 The Rialto, Venice FL, 34285 @ 3pm

Previously Announced Hermitage Programs (November and December):

• “Baseball Fiction: The Cactus League in Grapefruit Country” Featuring Hermitage Fellow Emily Nemens, Friday, November 3^rd, 6pm: Join Hermitage Fellow and former Hermitage curator Emily Nemens as she reads from and discusses her acclaimed debut novel, The Cactus League. Anchored by an expert knowledge of baseball’s inner workings, the novel is a propulsive and deeply human story that captures the Arizona half of spring training (with many similarities and some notable differences to Florida’s own pre-season baseball). Nemens’ is a strange desert world that is both exciting and unforgiving, where the most crucial games are the ones played off the field. Before penning this New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Nemens spent a decade as editor of notable literary publications, including The Paris Review, which won the American Society of Magazine Editors’ Award for Fiction under her tenure, and The Southern Review. Presented in partnership with Sarasota County Libraries and Ringling College of Art and Design as part of the Off the Page Literary Festival. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Hermitage Beach, 6660 Manasota Key Rd., Englewood, FL 34223

• “Writing from the Bones: A Songwriting Workshop” Featuring Hermitage Fellow Kirya Traber, Monday, November 6^th, 3pm: Music and song are some of the most powerful and evocative tools for communicating stories. Whether you’re a writer who has always been curious about music, or a musician who wants to compose their own lyrics, this workshop offers an intuitive approach to songwriting. An award-winning writer and librettist, Hermitage Fellow Kirya Traber has been commissioned by notable New York arts institutions such as the New York Philharmonic, Morgan Library & Museum, Orchestra of St Luke’s, and La Mama, among others. In this participatory workshop, Traber will share her process for writing lyrics by surfacing the emotional truth of language, and our innate human connection to rhythm and melody to help spark participants’ creative process. There are no audience critiques during the workshop; rather, all writing prompts are seen as invitations to everyone in the room. No knowledge of theater or lyric writing is required – just an open mind and a willingness to explore the creation process. Presented in partnership with Sarasota County Libraries and Ringling College of Art and Design as part of the Off the Page Literary Festival.  Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). Elsie Quirk Library, 100 W. Dearborn St., Englewood, FL 34223

• HERMITAGE FALL BENEFIT – “Artful Lobster: An Outdoor Celebration!” Saturday, November 11^th, 11:30am until 2pm: The highly popular Artful Lobster is a signature fundraising event for the Hermitage Artist Retreat, and the only benefit to take place on our historic Gulf front campus on Manasota Key. With a luscious lobster feast catered by Michael’s On East and live entertainment featuring Hermitage Fellows, the Artful Lobster is anticipated as the season kick-off for many across our community. To purchase tables/sponsorships, please contact: Amy Wallace at  Development@HermitageArtistRetreat.org or call (941) 475-2098, Ext. 2.
  
  
• “Hermitage Cross-Arts Collaborative: Theater and Dance” Featuring 2023 Cross Arts Recipients Lizzie Hagstedt and Jessica Obiedzinski, Tuesday, November 14^th, 5pm: The Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative is an annual residency program focused on supporting the incredible talent of artists frequently featured on Sarasota stages. Now in its second year, the program is represented by Lizzie Hagstedt, whose music has been incorporated into several shows at Asolo Rep and whose in-progress musical Sophie Blanchard’s High Flying Rock’n Roll Extravaganza was a finalist in the Asolo’s virtual Making Musicals Competition, as well as Sarasota Contemporary Dance Company member Jessica Obiedzinski, who plans to develop and share a new dance piece. After two weeks on the Hermitage’s historic beachfront campus, these two gifted creators will share selections of their new works and talk about how they utilized their residency time as the sun sets at The Bay – Sarasota’s newest signature park along Sarasota Bay. The Hermitage Cross Arts Collaborative is made possible with generous support from the Koski Family Foundation. Presented in partnership with Asolo Repertory Theatre, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, and The Bay Sarasota. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee). The Bay Sarasota, 1055 Blvd of the Arts, Sarasota, FL 34236    

• “Hermitage Sunsets @ Benderson Park: Theater on the Lake” with Hermitage Fellows Terry Guest and James Anthony Tyler, Thursday, November 16^th, 5pm: In the inaugural year of this new partnership, the Hermitage Artist Retreat and Nathan Benderson Park are excited to collaborate to bring groundbreaking works of art and performance to this scenic space. The series launches with two award-winning Hermitage Fellows, both returning to the inspirational shores of Sarasota. James Anthony Tyler is the third annual winner of the Horton Foote Award and one of the first playwrights commissioned by Audible to produce an audio play specifically for that platform, which Sarasota residents may recall hearing selections of on the beach during James’ last visit. Award-winning Chicago-based playwright Terry Guest is the playwright behind Urbanite Theatre’s extended run of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, their upcoming production of Oak,and last season’s exciting Hermitage presentation of The Madness of Mary Todd at Selby Gardens. Both will share selections of work and discuss their creative process as the sun goes down over the lake. Presented in Partnership with Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy, Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, and Urbanite Theatre. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee) Nathan Benderson Family Finish Tower, 5851 Nathan Benderson Circle, Sarasota, FL 34235

• “The People and Places that Make Us” Featuring Hermitage Fellow Cleyvis Natera, Thursday, December 14^th, 4pm: Hermitage Fellow Cleyvis Natera’s “earnest and provocative” debut novel Neruda on the Park is “refreshingly direct and declarative” (The New York Times). Based in a Dominican community in New York City on the brink of the seemingly inevitable gentrification process, Natera’s novel charts the varied reactions to this new reality: some are willing to accept it, some may even benefit, but others are planning to risk everything to fight to keep their home. Offering no easy answers, the story ultimately asks: who are the people and where are the places that make us who we are? Hear the author read and discuss her work and gain insight into what’s up next for this much-praised writer. Presented in Partnership with Johann Fust Library Foundation. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org. Johann Fust Community Library in Boca Grande, 1040 10^th St. W., Boca Grande, FL 33921

“Hermitage Sunsets @ Selby Gardens: State of the Arts in Florida” with Hermitage Curatorial Council member Nataki Garrett, award-winning producer and friend of the Hermitage Tom Kirdahy, and Manasota Chapter President of ASALH David Wilkins Thursday, November 30^th, 5pm: No matter where you get your news, it is a given reality that America – and Florida in particular – feels more divided now than at nearly any point in our history. How does that impact the artists who call Florida home or who come here to make work? What challenges does this create for our state’s cultural economy? Leading Theater director, administrator, and Hermitage National Curatorial Council member Nataki Garrett has first-hand experience of this polarized climate. She brings her knowledge into conversation with Tony and Olivier Award-winning producer Tom Kirdahy, a Sarasota resident and frequent friend of the Hermitage, as well as President of the Manasota Chapter of ASALH, David Wilkins. In a candid and frank conversation moderated by Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg, hear from these local, national, and international experts on the state of the arts in Florida and beyond. Presented in Partnership with Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org ($5/person registration fee).  Marie Selby Botanical Gardens – Historic Spanish Point Campus, entrance at 401 North Tamiami Trail, Osprey, FL 34229