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The New Works Festival, now in its
11th year, brings performing arts professionals together in the
Rocky Mountains to develop new pieces of drama, musical theater
and dance, and to mentor new talent in each medium. Presented under
the artistic direction of Andrew Leynse, (Artistic Director of Primary
Stages, NYC) and with sponsorship from The Harold and Mimi Steinberg
Charitable Trust, the New Works Festival continues Perry-Mansfield's
founding principle of nurturing new talent with new work. The Festival
is co-chaired by James Steinberg and Karolynn Lestrud.
2008 Artistic Partnerships
- Primary Stages, Artistic Director Andrew Leynse
- Denver Center Theatre Company, Artistic Director Kent Thompson
- Actor's Theatre of Louisville, Artistic Director Marc Masterson
- Atlantic Theater Company of New York City, Artistic Director
Neil Pepe
- This year's guest choreographer, Peter Chu
2008 Guest Artists
2008 New Works Festival Schedule
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| June 11 - 20 |
Free open rehearsals
for all featured presentations.
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| Friday, June 20 |
8:00 pm
MAMA HATED DIESELS The Songs and Stories of the American Truck
Driver
Conceived and Adapted by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman Directed
by Randal Myler
The play is based on actual interviews from truck drivers
and their families, and is filled with hard-drivin' traditional
trucker tunes.
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| Saturday, June 21 |
1:00 pm
Wild Blessings - a Celebration of Wendell Berry
Created by Marc Masterson and Adrien-Alice Hansel
Directed by Marc Masterson
The play is a collage piece from the writings of poet and
philosopher Wendell Berry.
8:00 pm
Choreography by Peter Chu
Original choreographed work performed by and in collaboration
with Peter Chu Dance Company and select Perry-Mansfield students.
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| Sunday, June 22 |
1:00 pm
When Tang Met Laika
by Rogelio Martinez
Directed by Terrence J. Nolen
In the 1990s Americans and Russians started to work together
building the International Space Station. With more than a
half century of hostilities under their space suits, can two
old foes start to trust one another again? A play about the
cold war warming up, a space shuttle program finding its purpose
as it nears retirement, one very large robotic arm, weightlessness,
and a gun.
4:00 pm
What's That Smell: The Music of Jacob Sterling
Book & lyrics by David Pittu and music by Randy Redd
Co-Directed by Neil Pepe and David Pittu
An absurd musical-theater satire featuring songs and stories
from the fictitious career of composer/lyricist Jacob Sterling
and presented in a cable talk show format. A rare opportunity
to catch up with an artist of questionable gifts as he discusses
his inspiration and performs from his stunning repertoire
of misbegotten shows. Written by and starring David Pittu,
and featuring songs with lyrics by Mr. Pittu and music by
Randy Redd.
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Tickets and Information
Single tickets for each presentation are $15 for performances
June 20-22 and will be available for purchase after June 1st. A
special Festival Weekend Ticket Package is available for $65 and
includes all staged play readings, dance presentation and festival
reception.
For tickets and information, please call 800-430-2787
or 970-879-7125. You can also send us an
email — please include your full name, mailing address,
phone number, the dates you will be at Perry-Mansfield for the New
Works Festival, the readings/presentations you wish to attend, and
the number of tickets for each. We will contact you for your credit
card information and to confirm your ticket purchase.
For lodging and area information, please visit
the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort online at www.steamboat-chamber.com/.
The History of New Works Festival
The New Works program was founded in 1997 to provide
a collaborative forum for voices of the arts. Each season, artists
are afforded the rare opportunity of professional-grade workshops
being lead and performed by our nation's leading artisans in composition,
writing and dance.
Our 2002, 2003 and 2004 guest-artist-of-honor was
Academy and Grammy Award-winning composer Mr. Stephen Schwartz,
whose generous dedication to new talent is unparalleled.
During the final stages of New Works, students attend
workshops, readings and master classes lead by the finest people
in the business. Select students are afforded the opportunity to
participate, gaining first-hand knowledge of the professional process.
Past festival works include "The Receptionist" by Adam
Bock (received critical acclaim at Manhattan Theater Club) "Lydia"
by Octavio Solis (Denver Center Theater Company), "The Blue
Flower" by Jim Bauer & Ruth Bauer (Prospect Theatre at the
West End Theater), "Plainsong" by Eric Schmiedl (Denver
Center Theater Company), "A Sleeping Country" by Melanie
Marnich (Cincinatti Playhouse in the Park), and "The Unauthorized
Autobiography of Samantha Brown" with books & lyrics by Kait
Kerrigan and music by Brian Lowdermilk, among others.
Read a special feature story about the 2005 New Works Festival
at
Playbill online (www.playbill.com)
"At
Fabled Perry-Mansfield Arts Camp, New Works Find a Home"
By Kenneth Jones
09 Jun 2005
In 2007, guest artists included playwright
Dan O'Brien with "The Cherry Sisters Revisted, which was presented
in collaboration with Primary Stages and directed by Andrew Leynse;
playwright Octavio Solis with "Lydia," directed by Juliette
Carillo; playwright Melanie Marnich with "A Sleeping Country,"
directed by Marc Masterson and presented in collaboration with Actors
Theatre of Louisville; Kait Kerrigan (book & lyrics) and Brian
Lowdermilk (music) with "The Unauthorized Autobiography of
Samantha Brown," directed by Michael Cassara; Eric Schmiedel
with "Plainsong," adapted from the novel by Kent Haruf,
directed by Kent Thompson and presented in collaboration with the
Denver Center Theatre Company; and the choreography of Darrell grand
Moultrie.
For 2006, Adam Bock developed
a new play specifically for the New Works Festival — "The
Receptionist," a dark comedy about office politics, narcissism,
and the torture of being a really good receptionist. The play was
directed by Andrew Leynse. Kristopher Weinstein Storey was our guest
choreographer, accompanied by Composer/Vocalist/Percussionist Paula
Jeanine, and performers Lynn Barre, Brian McGinnis, and Antonio
Brown, with Perry-Mansfield faculty and students. The musical was
"Fools for Broadway," by Joe Patrick Ward and Kenny Finkle,
directed by Peter Flynn.
For 2005, special guests included
Jeanine Tesori and Peter Schneider. Our guest choreographer was
Jessica Lang. Guest playwright Rinne Groff presented Danish
Vodka, directed by Andrew Leynse. The musical theater piece
was River's End by composer Chuck Larkin and lyricist Cheri
Coons, directed by Lee Sankowich.
For 2004, our dramatic theater piece
was Purple Hearts by Burgess Clark, directed by Peter Flynn,
who also joined us as Artistic Director. The musical theater workshop
featured "The Hudsucker Proxy" by composer Stephen Weiner
and lyricist Glenn Slater. And our guest choreographer was Takehiro
Ueyama.
For 2003, we were proud to introduce
our latest phases of the ever-expanding New Works Festival-a new
dance piece by world-renowned choreographer Robert Battle and a
10-day workshop, New Noises Studio, for
writing students to explore the experience of being a "new noise"
themselves. The 2003 Festival featured the play A Place
at Forest Lawn by Luke Yankee and James Bontempo,
based on the award-winning one act play (Save Me a Place at Forest
Lawn) by Lorees Yerby. The musical theater piece was The
Blue Flower, a non-traditional music theater piece
by Jim Bauer and Ruth Bauer.
In 2002, New Works Festival
featured a workshop of Midwives by Dana Yeaton (based on
the bestselling novel by Chris Bohjalian) and the musical Rodeo,
by Sean Grennan, Kathy Santen, Cheryl Coons, and Michael Duff. Such
noted professionals as Peter Flynn, Harry Murphy, Patty Mariano,
Brooks Ashmankas, Ellen McClain and Michael Kerker all helped toward
facilitating New Noises' greatest success yet.
Charlotte Perry and Portia Mansfield founded Perry-Mansfield
generations ago as a visionary training intensive for performing
artists. Though there have been many changes through the years,
the core inspiration behind the school remains the same: a place
to grow new talent.
Perry-Mansfield has been trailblazing for performance
artists since its' founding in 1913. New Works Festival continues
to foster new pioneers for and of the next generation.
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