Rachel Bay Jones, Kavita Shah, and More to Perform at Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner

April 3, 2024 – Sarasota

The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO) today announced Tony Award winner Rachel Bay Jones and returning Hermitage Fellow Kavita Shah will perform at the 2024 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner on Sunday, April 14th.

Rachel Bay Jones is best known for originating the role of Heidi Hansen in the original Broadway cast of Dear Evan Hansen, for which she won a Tony Award, Emmy Award, Grammy Award, and Lucille Lortel Award. Acclaimed for her versatile ability to bring comedic, dramatic, and character roles to life, Jones has garnered praise for her performances in Stephen Sondheim’s Here We Are, Diane Paulus’ Tony Award-winning revivals of Pippin and Hair, and Michael John LaChiusa’s First Daughter Suite and Hello Again. She received rave reviews for her performance as Diana in The Kennedy Center’s revival of Next to Normal, directed by Michael Grief. Jones can be seen on television in major roles on Young Sheldon, The Good Doctor, Modern Family, and more. On film, she starred opposite Julia Roberts in Ben Is Back, opposite John Leguizamo in Critical Thinking, and in Bob Trevino Likes It, which recently premiered at SXSW. Jones will be accompanied by her longtime collaborator and Broadway veteran Randy Redd.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Rachel Bay Jones to perform at our 16th annual Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner,” says Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg. “I first met Rachel fifteen years ago when we worked together on Hair, and

she is a truly magical performer. A gifted actor, musician, and creator, Rachel embodies the spirit of the Hermitage, and we are excited that she will be a part of this year’s HGP Dinner: A Celebration of Theater.”

The special evening will also feature a musical performance from returning Hermitage Fellow Kavita Shah, an internationally renowned composer and performer who has been has been praised by NPR for her “amazing dexterity with musical languages.” Shah’s musical talents have taken her to concert halls and communities around the world.

The event Co-Chairs are Pauline Wamsler and Stephanie & Gene Jones. The Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner is presented by the Hermitage Artist Retreat in partnership with the Greenfield Foundation, with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County serving as the lead community sponsor. Additional sponsors include Gulf Coast Community Foundation, The Herald Tribune, and Sarasota Magazine. A full list of this year’s sponsors, benefactors, and partners can be found at HermitageArtistRetreat.org/Hermitage-Greenfield-Prize-Dinner-2024.

Sponsorship levels for this Hermitage spring benefit range from $1,250 to $10,000. Tables and sponsorships may be purchased by contacting Hermitage Development Director Amy Wallace at (941) 475-2098, Ext. 2. The event has extremely limited capacity remaining.

Prior to the Sunday gala dinner, the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Celebration kicks off with two free one-hour-long community programs on Saturday, April 13th. At 3pm on the Hermitage Great Lawn, “A Conversation with 2024 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Winner Deepa Purohit” is presented in partnership with the Greenfield Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, and Asolo Repertory Theatre. This program explores the question at the heart of this year’s Hermitage Greenfield Prize winner Deepa Purohit’s new play commission — how does one die with dignity? Purohit will showcase her deep personal connections and insights into the creation of this new work of theater in addition to sharing her experience with previous works such as her recent Off-Broadway production of Elyria at the Atlantic Theater Company.

Then at 6:30pm on the Hermitage Beach, Purohit will be joined by two fellow Hermitage artists and educators – Kavita Shah and Nandita Shenoy – for Hermitage Artists & Thinkers: “South Asian Artists in America.” Central to 2024 Hermitage Greenfield Prize Winner Deepa Purohit’s commission are the lives of South Asian women. These three accomplished Hermitage Fellows will come together for a panel conversation highlighting the impact of representation and the rich diversity of culture and lived experience emanating from this region of the world. Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg will moderate the discussion featuring these remarkable South Asian women making bold and original art in the United States.

Finally, on Monday, April 15th at 7pm, previous HGP Winner Angélica Negrón will present “Azul Naranja Salado,” the original composition resulting from her 2022 Hermitage Greenfield Prize. This world premiere concert will be presented outdoors on the Hermitage Beach on Manasota Key. Negrón’s commission seeks to engage the senses and encourage listeners to resist distractions. Her composition will be timed with the setting sun and inspired partly by the sun’s low-frequency sounds, as captured by scientists from NASA and the European Space Agency. The piece will feature slowly evolving musical textures, shifting patterns, natural sounds, and changes in scale and dimension that play with the unfolding gradations of light and color on the surrounding land, water, and sky. Composed for a unique ensemble of low strings, harps, percussion, and electronics, Negrón hopes this site-specific work will serve as a gentle reminder to the audience to seek out and surrender to moments of inspiration. Please note this program is not part of the Hermitage’s traditional free programming. This event is presented in partnership with ensembleNewSRQ. Tickets ($25/person) can be purchased by visiting the Hermitage or enSRQ websites; capacity is limited.

The Hermitage Greenfield Prize is awarded annually, rotating between the fields of theater, music, and visual art. This year’s winner, Deepa Purohit, will receive a six-week Hermitage Fellowship and a $35,000 commission to create a new work of theater, which will have its first public presentation in Sarasota in 2026.

Purohit was selected by a distinguished jury that included Obie Award-winning playwright and Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph, Tony Award-winning Artistic Director of A.R.T. Diane Paulus, and Tony Award-winning actor, director, and writer Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Past winners of this distinguished honor include Rennie Harris, choreographer (2023), Sandy Rodriguez, visual artist (2023), Angélica Negrón, composer (2022); Aleshea Harris, playwright (2021); Helga Davis, composer/performer (2019); Martyna Majok, playwright (2018); David Burnett, photojournalist (2017); Coco Fusco, visual and sculpture artist (2016); Bobby Previte, composer/musician (2015); Nilo Cruz, playwright (2014); Trenton Doyle Hancock, visual artist (2013); Vijay Iyer, composer/musician (2012); John Guare, playwright (2011); Sanford Biggers, visual artist (2010); Craig Lucas, playwright (2009); and Eve Beglarian, composer (2009).

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.